Hyderabad, India Report of what it's like to live there - 08/19/26
Personal Youth Experiences from Hyderabad, India
Background:
1. Which age range are you: (13-15 or 16+)?
13-15. I was 11 when I got here.
2. How long have you lived in this city?
Hyderabad, 2 years.
Housing, Food, Pets:
1. What is your housing like (house or flat, in a compound, in city or suburbs, etc.)?
Hyderabad.
The house is older and not well liked by the owners. Electricity problems, a/c problems, plumbing problems that GSO has to fight with the owners to fix.
House is big (3 stories), we have a large yard for India but you can’t really use it much because of fire ants. Plus, there are sometimes vipers in the bushes so you can’t kick a ball there and feel okay to get it out of the bushes so we don’t really play in the yard.
I like to ride my bike around the community. There is also a decent pool, a nice weight room, and a playground. There is a lot of bird poop on the playground equipment and cat poop in the sand, but it is a playground next to an open grassy space.
2. How’s the food? Do you like the local dishes, and can you find other kinds easily?
Some dishes are good, like dosas with peanut chutney, idli is okay, the biryani is insanely spicy here. You get used to it but it is the spiciest food we have ever had in the whole world.
The mango lassis are like mango milkshakes and they’re amazing. If you have a cook or housekeeper they cook for you and it’s fine, but everything kind of tastes the same.
Beef is illegal to bring into our state and you really miss it. They call water buffalo “beef” but it’s very obvious and tastes way different, kind of like deer meat. The consulate hosts steak nights but you have to really want it because it is really salty to hide the flavor of old cow or water buffalo because it is legal to kill old cows here so they don’t suffer. Hard Rock Cafe used to have cheeseburgers that were good but they are closing.
Most pepperoni pizza is chicken pepperoni. There is some pork but a lot of Hyderabad is Muslim so pork pepperoni is harder to find. Pizza Hut is okay. Leon’s Chicken is great! The best chicken sandwiches, like Raising Cane’s. New York Slice pizza is good BUT the fried oreos are my favorite food here!
3. Do you have pets? If yes, what’s it like having a pet in this country—any unique pros or cons?
Yes, two cats. One is an outdoor cat and one is indoor.
Pros: you have a pet in a boring country.
Cons: our outdoor cat fights with neighborhood strays. He’s a Honduran street cat, so he’s tough, but it took some time to claim his territory. He will miss India when we leave.
Daily Life:
1. Do young people get together outside home or school? If so, where do they usually hang out? (parks, playgrounds, malls, sports, outdoor stuff, etc.)
No, it’s hard to make good friends here. Local kids are a little annoying because they aren’t always welcoming. If you find a friend, it is from the consulate or the school. We hung out with friends at the mall and it was very safe. But they PCS'd and now we have one of those weird times when nobody my age is here. My sister is also bored because the high school is weird here and most consulate kids have to go to boarding school.
2. How’s the Wi-Fi/internet where you live? Super fast, just okay, or always cutting out?
It’s fine and fast unless the power goes out. We had battery backups but our power outages ruined all of them and the replacements already got fried so the internet goes out while you are playing video games and it’s annoying.
3. Is it important to know the local language?
Almost everyone speaks English.
Transportation:
1. What are the main ways that you get around to school, to your friends' homes, or to other activities?
We have a car and a driver. Sometimes we use tuk tuks which are really cheap. We walk to the consulate in about 10 minutes.
2. How long does it normally take to get places? (school, friends’ houses, hangout spots) Does it change with traffic, weather, or holidays?
Traffic stinks. We don’t go a lot of places because it takes an hour to get anywhere. We visit friends at other compounds or go to the mall/groceries.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. Can you find work if you want to (babysitting, dogwalking, local jobs?)
My parents pay the neighbor kids to watch our cats when we travel but usually maids do that for people so there aren’t many money-making chances for kids.
Schools:
1. Do you go to a local school or an international school? What’s it like there?
Homeschool is great here. There aren’t many homeschoolers so it is hard to find co-op friends to do stuff with after school. But I do my classes online at night so I have lots of time during the day to ride my bike, exercise and read whatever I want.
2. What sports and after-school activities are available? (Clubs, music, theater, etc.)
I tried a soccer club and my other friend plays soccer. You could probably find cricket easily.
Expat Life:
1. Is this a good city for expat kids? Why or why not?
Hyderabad - It’s okay. I’m bored because nobody my age is at post. I did a co-op thing and made Indian friends but they are never allowed to do free time and play outside of school because they have to study a lot.
2. Have you noticed or experienced issues with prejudice (ethnic, racial, gender, religious)? How are LGBTQIA+ teens treated here?
Sometimes we get charged more money for being foreign and my parents have to argue about it with street shops. Local people are really mean to the homeless beggars. Men who wear lady clothes like to show you their private parts at stop lights so you will pay them to go away, but my mom said the government is kind of mean to them.
3. What fun things are there to do around here? Any cool spots, hidden gems, or trips you’d recommend?
Sri Lanka is neat but the beach was gross. Nepal was awesome. Taj Mahal was pretty. The malls have arcades and go-karts.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this city/country before moving here?
India. It doesn’t matter because everything is so much smellier than you can imagine.
2. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Coats and cheeseburgers.
3. But don't forget your:
Mosquito spray. A lot of it because people get dengue a lot here.
4. Anything else you want to share? (tips, funny stories, random advice—whatever!)
This is the least fun post I have been to because it’s too much trouble to go to the fun places and your friends probably live kind of far away. There aren’t many consulate kids right now because the school is not very well liked.
