Safety for Tourists in Hyderabad

Like most exotic places in the East, Hyderabad is a wonderful place for tourists to visit, with its rich and fascinating history and culture. The Hyderabadis are also quite friendly and accommodating, and while people from the western countries will stand out (both figuratively and literally), they will never feel like a sore thumb sticking out. Hyderabad is a fusion of the old and the new, and a tourist will never run out of interesting places to see and new activities to experience.

There is one thing that most tourists are concerned about however, and this doesn’t apply to just Hyderabad: their safety in a place that is foreign and new. In this aspect, Hyderabad shouldn’t be a problem; it is one of the safest metropolises in India. It is almost at par with the other major cities around Asia. Police presence is pretty much very strong, and there are enough hospitals and medical facilities in Hyderabad in the case of sudden emergencies. Although Hyderabad has suffered some terrorist outrages as of May 2007 in the form of bomb blasts, security has been significantly tightened in areas where tourists might congregate. This might alarm some visitors who might feel that such tight security will dampen their enjoyment of the vacation, but it should be kept in mind that such measures are only for the safety of the tourists in mind. The old city part of Hyderabad, in particular, is a communally-sensitive area. There was a time when it was a venue for several religious riots and it was common for police to enforce a curfew in the area. However, the situation has vastly improved across the years.

This is not to say, however, that it is okay for everyone to be relaxed; such isn’t the case. Even if security is more than adequate in Hyderabad, there are still a few steps the average tourist can take in order to increase their safety as well as their enjoyment of their vacation.

1. Don’t carry a huge amount of cash with you. Despite the security in Hyderabad, pickpocketing is still very common. Keep your wallets in your jacket pocket, not the back.

2. Watch the road, whether you’re walking across it or driving in it. If there is one problem in Hyderabad, it’s that the traffic rules are almost ignored. It is not uncommon to see cyclists on the sidewalk, or cars on both lanes, or even roads without a line demarcation.

3. Keep your valuables and other important papers in the hotel’s safe.

4. Avoid wearing skimpy and revealing outfits. You will just attract unwanted attention and advances, especially since they do not appeal to Indian sensibilities.

5. Keep a city map with you at all times. This way, you won’t get lost and drift to the seedier part of the city. You will also be able to locate the different emergency stations in case of emergency.