Mount Opera (Tourist Spot)

After the hugely hyped opening of Mount Opera with a generous sprinkling of Tollywood stars, you may be expecting quite a lot from the place. After the 40km ride there, you may be expecting more than a lot. And if you've travelled with fidgety annoying screaming children, Mount Opera better be Disneyland. Only it's not. But it's not too bad, either.

The 'multi-theme' park has around 30 rides of varying scream-worthiness, but the most popular are still the merry-go-round, the dodge 'em cars and the Ferris Wheel. Which just goes to show you. If you're not scared of heights and like a leisurely ride, the Ferris Wheel is a must-try; when you're right at the top, you can see Ramoji Film City and acres beyond. A fantastic view, especially at night. Youngsters expecting to be whizzed through the air will be disappointed.

The park also has a very popular wave-pool, with water gushing out of a giant mouth and plenty of laughing children and scolding adults splashing about. And don't forget to visit the world's biggest dinosaur! Oh all right, so it's probably not the world's biggest, but it's quite massive. It's made of fiberglass and looks around grumpily, roaring from time to time. And no, it won't eat you.

To contribute to the general mela air of the place, there are plenty of game stalls around for you to try and win electronic items of dubious make. Music events are held at the park from time to time, and plans are also on to create avenues for adventure-sports enthusiasts, with the introduction of rappelling and rock-climbing. Now if only that Ferris Wheel would go a little faster.