sym citycom 300i Visit Visakhapatnam also called Vizag (vie-zag) during the holiday season and you ll see domestic to

New Andhra sym citycom 300i Hotel INDIAN sym citycom 300i $ (Sree Kanya Lodge, Bowdara Rd; mains 25-75; h11am-3.30pm & 7-10.30pm) An unassuming little place with really good, really hot Andhra dishes. Meals ( 50/130 for veg/ non-veg) and biryani are top-notch.

Once the Andhran capital and a significant Buddhist centre, Amaravathi is India s biggest stupa (Indian/foreigner 5/100; h8am6pm), measuring 27m high and constructed in the 3rd century BC, when Emperor Ashoka sent monks south to spread the Buddha s teaching. Located 60km west of Vijayawada, all that remains are a mound and some stones, but the nearby museum (admission 5; h8am-5pm) has a small replica of the stupa, with its intricately carved pillars, marble- surfaced dome and carvings of scenes sym citycom 300i from the Buddha s life (no photography allowed in the museum). In the courtyard is a reconstruction of part of the surrounding gateway, which gives you an idea of the stupa s massive scale. It s worth the trip, but many of Amaravathi s best sculptures are in London s British Museum and Chennai s Government Museum sym citycom 300i in Tamil Nadu.

Visit Visakhapatnam also called Vizag (vie-zag) during the holiday season and you ll see domestic tourism in rare form: balloons, fairy floss (cotton candy) and, of course, weddings! But the crowds only enhance the area s kitschy sym citycom 300i coasts. The rundown boardwalk along Ramakrishna Beach has lots of spunk, and the beach at nearby Rushikonda is Andhra s best.

Hyderabad, City of Pearls, is like an elderly, impeccably dressed princess sym citycom 300i whose time has past. Once the seat of the powerful and wealthy Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi dynasties, the city has seen centuries of great prosperity and innovation. Today, the Old City is full of centuries-old sym citycom 300i Islamic monuments and even older charms. In fact, the whole city is laced with architectural gems: ornate tombs, mosques, palaces and homes from the past are tucked away, faded and enchanting, in corners all over town. Keep your eyes open.