traffic on merritt parkway 4 Sleeping & Eating Hotel Ashoka HOTEL $$ (%2578491; Main Rd, Hanamkonda; r from 600; ai) Good-value

4 Sleeping & Eating Hotel Ashoka HOTEL $$ (%2578491; Main Rd, Hanamkonda; r from 600; ai) Good-value rooms near the Hanamkonda bus stand and the 1000-Pillared Temple. traffic on merritt parkway Also in the compound are a restaurant, a bar-restaurant, a pub and the veg Kanishka (mains traffic on merritt parkway 75 to 125).

Golden Glory Guesthouse HOTEL $ (Map p902; %23554765; www.goldengloryguest house.com; Rd No 3, Banjara Hills; s/d incl breakfast from 650/900, s incl breakfast without bathroom 290; aW) Nestled among the mansions of ritzy Banjara Hills, this gem of a hotel scores big on location. Tucked traffic on merritt parkway down a quiet residential street, it s the perfect place to escape the madness of Hyderabad. First impressions are grand with sparkling lobby and spiral staircase, and while the cheaper rooms are boxy, they re very clean and good value (and include a simple breakfast). Pricier rooms are more spacious with balconies and bathtubs.

BBQ Nation INDIAN, CONTINENTAL $$ (Map p902; www.barbeque-nation.com; Rd No 1; lunch Mon-Sat 344, Sun 544, dinner 600; hnoon-3pm & 7-11pm) All you can eat BBQ meat, seafood and vegetarian skewers served at your table.

Look for the 9m-long monolithic Nandi India s largest at the town s entrance. From here, you can see the temple s Naga-lingam (a phallic representation of Shiva) crowned with a seven-headed cobra. The temple is known for its unfinished Kalyana Mandapam (Marriage Hall), depicting the wedding of Parvati and Shiva, and its Natyamandapa (Dance Hall), with carvings of dancing gods. The temple s most stunning features, though, are the Natyamandapa s ceiling frescoes.