I have searched thousands of times into the internet for finding a one day trip from Hyderabad hoping that in each of the search, I may get a new one place to explore. But unfortunately one day trip always shows something either they are very far or inside the Hyderabad city. While browsing a facebook group(birds and nature lovers), I found this place(shamirpet). This travel log is a detailed guide on how to explore or a weekend getaway from Hyderabad to shamirpet.
By the way, do not forget to watch my other weekend trips.
- Srisailam
- Kuntala waterfalls
- Top 10 places of Srisailam
- Srisailam part-2
- Medak
- Koilkonda fort and Koilsagar
- Warangal
- Bidar
Shamirpet is not too far from Hyderabad and situated exactly in the lap of mother nature. Shamirpet travel can you give relief from your daily busy and hustle-bustle life.
Importance of shamirpet
As wiki says shamirpet is situated at Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Telangana and it is an urban of Hyderabad. Being the capital of Medchal and Malkajgiri district, it is little populated. This place is also famous for several resorts for IT corporate outings.
Interestingly, shamirpet is also having several popular educational institutes like NELSAR University of Law, BITs Pilani-Hyderabad, Institute of public enterprise, etc.
Apart from this shamirpet is famous for shamirpet lake,shamirpet deer park, Genome valley, Gomajipet fort.
In this post, I will discuss and guide you on how to explore shamirpet instead of spending time in resorts on a lazy weekend.
How to reach shamirpet?
There are two ways, you can reach Shamirpet from Hyderabad.
- By Road
- By Rail
By Road
By public transport
You can board a bus from Secundrabad railway stations or Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Bus Terminal towards Medchal and get down at shamirpet. It is on the Hyderabad Karim Nagar highway.
By car/hired taxi
You can travel via Secundrabad. After Alwal flyover, once you enter into cantonment area, your driving experience will be pleasant through the lash green path. If you are near Hitech city, you can avail Nehru Outer Ring Road to reach to Shamirpet. The drive will be butter smooth.
By Rail
Get an MMTS(Multi-Model Transport System) from Secundrabad and get down at Shamirpet station.
Once you reach Shamirpet you can avail an auto or hired cab to roam around the places.
Places to visit in Shamirpet
- Shamirpet lake
- Shamirpet deer park
- Gomajipet fort
- St joseph church
- Ganesh temple mochabolar
- Ayappa Devasthanam
- Shiva temple mochabolar
- Bhoolakshmi temple
Shamirpet Lake
Shamirpet Lake is a manmade artificial lake built during the great Nizam’s era. Best time to visit this place is from August to February, post-monsoon to the pre-summer time frame during the sunrise or sunset. Do not go to the lake during summer season as the lake may dry up. I will cover how to cover both. The local name of the lake is “Pedda cherevu”.
To see the sunrise you have to be in the place at 6 AM. so calculate and drive accordingly. and for sunset, you have to be there by 5:30 PM. Post lunch session is good as lots of families, couples, would-be couple, kids occupy the area and enjoy sunset seating on the rocky terrain.
There are several paths that lead to the lake bed allowing you to take your car or byke very near the waterbody. The terrain is very attractive and the surrounding area is very peaceful. The lush greeneries around the lake creates a unique opportunity for the visitors to seat and picnic around the lake.
Being a big lake, it houses lots of fishes, local birds, and migratory birds. The availability of the fishes draws the birds to the lake. The birds are in action when the sun is soft like early morning and during sunset. The birds available in shamirpet are-
- Hornbill
- Pelican
- Herons
- Flamingo
- Kingfisher
The waves, cool breeze during early morning or during the sunset is very soothing. If you know how to swim, you can take a bath here. Even though the lake is very nice people throw away the garbages into the lake hence the corners are very dirty. So you have to find a nice place to touch the water or swim.
It is truly a place of peace and calmness. You can enjoy a memorable sunrise (if you happen to be there during the early morning) or you can enjoy a breathtaking sunset(if you are there in the afternoon).
shamirpet lake If you are a photographer, this is an untouched beauty to satisfy your lenses. The tiny island makes the landscape even more beautiful. That gets thousands of clicks every day. Many Telugu films have been shot in this area.
If you go with a group or with family, you can spend a very nice evening together on the lap of mother nature. The captivating sunset will surely blow you away.
There are some paddle boats parked near the Shamirpet lake and few in the Haritha resort. But during our visit, they were not operational. I am hoping during or post-monsoon they get activated.
shamirpet lake Few Pieces of Advice
- you have to be careful as the rocks are very slippery and some places are very deep. The slope is very uneven. There are a lot of drowning accidents happened already. On top of this, there is no availability of expert swimmer just like guards.
- Carry sunglass and hats to protect yourself from direct sunlight.
- There is a proper signboard that leads towards the lake so help yourself with google map.
- There is no ticket system, no refreshment center, no cafeteria service available. So do carry all the required food, water bottles, and necessary things.
- There is no toilet facility or pay and use toilets available.
- The area is not maintained and not cleaned. So be careful from broken glasses, leftover bottles and dead snakes.
Jawahar Deer Park or Shamirpet Deer Park
Jawahar Deer Park is also known as Shamirpet Deer Park. It is located at Bolaram Cantonment area. The span of the park is said to have 80 acres(but as per wiki it is 56 acres). You can venture only some parts of it(rightly so, to protect the deers and others). As per the guard, it houses around 150 deers and other flora and fauna.
deer park Shamirpet The popular deers available are:
- Blackbuck
- Chital
- Some others(I could not understand their accent).
The dance forest along with the waterbody of the shamirpet lake made the place beautiful, even pleasant to the eyes. The deer park also provides botanical aspects(if you are interested). There are around 75 types of trees available in the park. This beauty draws lots of visitors throughout the year.
The deer park is divided into two sections. One area is for tourists and the remaining area is the core jungle area or the actual gazing area of the deers.
The park is having a watchtower and a viewpoint to give you a glimpse of the surroundings. If you take permission and go towards shamirpet lake’s extended part, you can see deers quenching their thirst in the Shamirpet lake.
There is a boating facility in the park to explore and venture the beauty of the lake. Unfortunately, during our visit, it was closed.
The fees are very nominal like for adult it is Rs 10 per head and for children, it is Rs 5 per head. The park opens at 9 AM and closes at 5 PM.
Few Pieces of Advice
- The watchtower is not in a perfect condition, I suggest not to venture the same.
- The play area for kids is also not in good shape.
- The swing is ok and operational though.
- There is a walking track but during our visit, it was closed.
- The connecting path from deer park to shamirpet lake is not very good shape.
- Carry your own food and ample water bottles.
- For kids try to use some mosquito repellents.
- There is no toilet facility or pay and use toilets available.
Adventure activities and bird watching in Shamitpet
Shamitpet also offers you adventure activities like Trekking and bouldering along with bird watching. The ideal time for trekking is from 6 AM to 10 AM. The park offers you to mix with nature in multiple ways. However, for trekking and bouldering, you need to take permission from park authority. Application form available in the entry gate itself. You can do birdwatching near the lake and in the park.
Few Pieces of Advice
- Carry your own food and ample water bottles.
- For kids try to use some mosquito repellents.
- There is no toilet facility or pay and use toilets available.
- For adventure activities and to get a good view of the birds, you may need to go a little deeper into the jungle and far from mainland and road. Be very cautious as you may encounter snakes, drunk people.
Gomajipet Fort
Gomajipet lake is an ancient fort and currently in a ruined state. This place is for history lovers. You can get a local guide to show some of the areas. They say a history too!. The structures and still available to explore. The arches, curving corners, the water tank, the drainage system, the water lifting technique etc demonstrate the engineering marvel during that era. The king’s bedroom and queen’s room will also tell you the lavishness of the Nizam. The best time to visit Gomajipet fort is from September to March.
Few Pieces of Advice
- The fort is in an abandoned state even though some parts are restored. I strongly recommend you to visit in broad daylight.
- No ticket system, no food stall or no toilet facility is available. So be prepared.
- The journey through the paddy fields, the deep jungle will be memorable than the fort. The journey is better than the destination.
Apart from these main three attractions, you can go to the temples:
- Ratnalayam (Lord Venkateshwara)- Ratnalayam is a newly constructed temple for famous Lord Venkateshwara. It is located around 2 KM from the Shamirpet lake. The temple is built by an industrialist but maintained neatly. It is truly a calm place for your prayer.
- Katta Mohissamma Temple- This is a goddess template famous locally. It is just on the road near shamirpet lake. Do visit here for your prayer and her blessings.
- St Joseph Church
- Ganesh temple mochabolar
- Ayappa Devasthanam
- Shiva temple mochabolar
- Bhoolakshmi temple
Where to eat in Shamirpet?
Haritha Lake View Resort near the deer park:
Haritha Resort at shamirpet Haritha lake view resort shamirpet provides an excellent dining facility with tasty and hot meals. It is a good place to hang out with friends and family. They have kids play area too. Beware of mosquitos though. I also appreciate their great helpful staffs with a smile plus attitude.
Haritha Resort at shamirpet Dhabas
These are the few places which we actually tried. But there can be other dhabas too.
Rajender Punjabi Dhaba
Rajender Punjabi Dhaba is no doubt one of the best stops for travelers like you and me. The ambiance is great. Food is good but delivery is late. But the sad parts are the quantity of the food is less as compared to other dhabas and it is little pricy. Must try- chole kulcha, masala tea, paneer pasanda The dhaba does not have a toilet facility. They do have a parking facility.
Victoria Family Dhaba
Victoria Family Dhaba is just another okay dhaba in shamirpet area. Food is just okay with late delivery. It is also pricy and with lesser quantity dhaba. The good part is that the staffs are very good.
Evergreen Family Dhaba
Evergreen Family Dhaba is a good dhaba with reasonable price and with good quantity food. The ambiance is not good though. officially booze is not allowed but I have seen many people with their favorite drinks. They do have a toilet facility but not so clean.
National Dhaba
National dhaba is a traditional highway dhaba with regular food. the plus point is that they have enough parking space. Food is okay and rates are also reasonable so as the quantity. They also do not have a decent toilet.
Fouzi Dhaba
This is an excellent dhaba with very tasty food (Must try- chili prawn, karai jhinga, malai kebab, tandoori kabab). The quantity and rate are reasonable. The advantage of this dhaba is that they offer bonfire facilities. They have decent parking. The only disappointing factor is the toilet.
Restaurants for family
If you are not okay with Dhabas, you can proceed to one of the restaurants available in Shamirpet. I have listed my top five restaurants.
Shahi Handi
Shahi handi offers good food at a reasonable rate. They have a wide range of veg and nonveg food options. The service is a little delayed. The food is just good but not finger-licking experience. They do have a clean toilet and good parking facility.
Prakruta Restaurant
Prakruta Restaurant is full of greeneries. The staffs are having smile plus attitude. The food is great and some plates are truely finger licking. They do have a clean toilet and good parking facility.
Fiesta Multicuisine Restaurant
Fiesta Multicuisine Restaurant lacks in creating a family ambiance but the foods are tasty. They have a nearby park and a kids play area. All are well maintained. I am sure these amenities will make your kid busy while you enjoy your food. They do have a clean toilet and good parking facility.
Leo Bistro
Leo Bistro is truly nice place to hang around with friends and family. The ambiance, environment, food, delivery time, quality, quantity, staffs, toilet are great. Do not miss the live singing while enjoying your snacks or dinner during evening time. They do have a clean toilet and good parking facility.
Water Galaxy
Water Galaxy is another nice place to hang around with friends and family. If you want to have a romantic dinner or lunch with complete calmness, this place is for you. They serve very good vegetarian and nonvegetarian food. We got a true finger-licking experience here. They do have a clean toilet and good parking facility.
Nightlife at Shamirpet
Being urban, Shamirpet is not having an electrifying nightlife as the Banjarahill has in Hyderabad. But if you want to enjoy your drink, there are few bars available.
Bars in Shamirpet
I strongly discourage “drink and drive”. However, if you are not behind the wheel then the below section is for you.
Afterglow
Afterglow is a nice bar with lots of options available. They also serve nice food along with your favorite booze. They have very well behaved staffs who serve quick. They have a parking facility and good toilet facility. the downside is that it closes around 6 PM.
Devakrupa Lobby Area
Devakrupa Lobby Area is another alternative to Afterglow. They also serve good food along with your favorite drink. They have very good staffs who serve quick. They have a parking facility and good toilet facility.
Leo Bistro
You will truly love this place. Just check the restaurant section to get the details of this place.
Scottish pond Bar and Restaurant
Scottish pond Bar and Restaurant offers booze and good food at a premium price. However, the happy hours are 24X7. They do have an option of buy 4 get 1 free. They have an A/C and non-A/C section. The food, staffs, quantity are good. They have a parking facility and good toilet facility.
CASK- The Bar
CASK- The Bar is the best bar near Shamirpet. It is truly a vibrant place to hang around with your family or friends. The bar is spacious with nicely decorated interiors. Food is okay. Staffs are courteous and well behaved. They have a sperate smoking zone (unbelievable!!). The downside is that they do not have a dance floor or live music facility. The price is a little higher. They have a parking facility and good toilet facility.
Let’s plan a successful one day trip:
sl No Time Activity 1 5 AM Start from your home 2 6 AM Reach Shamirpet Lake to view the Sunrise 3 6:30 AM Tea and snacks 4 7AM-9AM Trekking, Bouldering activity Alternatively you can do bird watching, filming, take snaps of the bird
or else you can go to temples5 9AM-9:30AM Take breakfast to a nearby restaurant 6 9:30AM-2PM Travel to Gomajipet fort and back 7 2PM-3PM Lunch in Dhaba or a hotel 8 3PM-5PM Visit deer park at Shamirpet 9 5PM-6PM Evening snacks at dhaba or hotel or restaurants 10 6PM-7PM Enjoy memorable Sunset 11 7PM You can go for bar to drink or head towards home In the end, I must say a trip to shamirpet will surely give you fresh energy and much-needed rejuvenation after a long week’s hard work.
