interstate 18 The Hill of Nagarjuna, 150km southeast of Hyderabad, is a peaceful island in the middle of the Nagar

5 Eating Lotus Food City INDIAN $$ (www.lotusthefoodcity.com; Seethanagaram; mains 80-150) Set up by APTDC, this food complex has a lovely spot on the Krishna River where you can dine in or outdoors looking interstate 18 out to the shimmering water.

The Hill of Nagarjuna, 150km southeast of Hyderabad, is a peaceful island in the middle of the Nagarjuna dam peppered with ancient Buddhist structures. From the 3rd century BC until the 4th century AD, the Krishna River valley was home to powerful empires that supported the sangha (Buddhist community of monks and nuns), interstate 18 including the Ikshvakus, whose capital was Nagarjunakonda. It s estimated that this area alone had 30 monasteries.

Most buses and trains will stop en route at Bhongir, 60km from Hyderabad. It s worth jumping down for a couple of hours to climb the fantastical-looking 12th-century Chalukyan hill fort (admission 3; h9am6pm). Looking like a gargantuan interstate 18 stone egg, the hill is mostly ringed by stairs.

fast from 1690/1790; aW) Under new management, the former budget Jaya International has reinvented itself interstate 18 as a smart and modern business hotel. Rooms are great value, comfortable and ultramodern. Its downside is the scungy hallways.