My Bangalore experience...

Tel code: 080

Spoken Languages: Kannada, English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu
Hottest - March to May,
Wet - June to December,
Coldest - December to January
 The city, once known as Pensioner’s paradise has become the hot spot in the
global map. No one would have imagined that this calm city in Southern India would
play a vital role in changing the face of the nation. The city is slowly but surely
becoming the global IT powerhouse, with almost all global and Indian IT companies
setting up their operations.
nandi hills mg.road
ke
5Km
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ulso
40Km
4Km

140Km 4Km
vidhana soudha
mysore Bangalore
city
10Km
3Km Airp
6Km
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Tippu's Lalbagh
fort

I had heard that the best part of Bangalore is its weather. And it is not a hill
station either. A nice breeze greeted me the moment I came out of the aircraft. It was
quite a welcome change, post the hot and humid climate of Chennai. Bangalore is just
45 minutes away from Chennai, by flight.
Bangalore is outgrowing itself fast, and was quite evident from the rush I saw at the
airport. Almost all leading airlines operate from here. My co-passenger had mentioned
that an international airport is coming up by 2008. Good God. At least, the passengers will
not have to wait at the immigration counters. It took us a while before we could hit the
main road. The car driver told me that it will take at least 30 minutes
to reach The Oberoi hotel, which is less than 8 Kms from the
airport. That’s the price one has to pay for a fast paced growth.
The city has been getting shot-lived nicknames like the Pensioners’ Paradise, the Garden
City, the Pub City and the latest being the Silicon Valley of India. By the time I make
my next visit, this fast growing city could get a new name the Traffic City or the Real
Estate City.
Places you can stay
The Oberoi Hotel (Ph: 91 80 25585852;
www.oberioiblr.com) is a very nice property. It’s on
Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Road, the central nerve of
Bangalore. The area has the cosmopolitan spirit.
Though I felt sad to see and hear about those beautiful heritage bungalows
giving way to modern day glass buildings.

There are many more good hotels in Bangalore

like the: Leela Palace (25211253; Airport Rd; www.theleela.com),
Taj West End (Ph: 56605660; Racecourse Rd; www.tajhotels.com),
Windsor Manor (Golf Course Road), Le Meridian (Ph: 22262233,
Sankey Road) Taj Residency (MG Road), The Park (MG Road).
A word of caution -Getting hotel accommodation in Bangalore
is becoming a challenge. Thanks to the influx of visitors.
I would suggest that you must get your hotel bookings
done well in advance.
 Restaurants
Bangalore is a great place for foodies. If you are looking for stepping out of your hotel
to treat your taste buds, you have the option of choosing restaurants which serve you
delicious south Indian food to a restaurant which is famous for its Thai delicacies.
I would recommend you to try out Karavalli (Residency Road) for sea-food,
Samarkhand (Infantary road) for Afghani flavour, Tandoor (MG Road) for North
Indian food, Mainland China (Church Street), Rice Bowl (Lavelle Road) or
Three-Quarter Chinese (Church Street) for Chinese cuisine, TGIF (Airport Road) or
Ebony (Barton Centre, MG Road) known for Thai, French and Parsi delicacies.
You can even try out other places like: Queen’s Restaurant (Church St, Brigade Rd.
noon-3.30pm & 6-10.30pm). Mud walls, wood-beam ceilings and tribal décor gave
Queen’s an earthly atmosphere; it was a classy Rajasthani village mud hut. The
Indian food they served was outstanding and the place is never empty.
If you plan to give it a shot at spicy food then don’t miss
visiting Nagarjuna (Residency Road) for Hyderabadi
Biryani or Bhima (Church Street) for Andhra food.
The pizza culture and the coffee culture have caught on big time into Bangalore with
the best known chains in the world setting shop, like McDonald’s,
Pizza Hut, Wimpy, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Indiana Fast Foods,
Barista, Café Coffee Day leading the wave.
Don’t forget to taste the local Kannada chicken and
Maddur vada - sweet vada. I found this dish just amazing.
 PUBS
The best and the largest beer brewery Kingfisher is based
in Bangalore. No wonder Bangalore is known as the pub
city. Most of the bars open before noon and shut at a
sadly early 11.30pm. I found all kinds of pubs in this city.
Pecos- (Off Brigade Rd) and Mojo (Brigade Rd Jn) gives the 60’s retro
feel. Styx (next to Cauvery Handicrafts on MG.Rd). gives you the chance to
listen to some great heavy metal tracks but gets bit crowded on weekends.
Purple Haze (Residency Rd) and
Legends of Rock (Koramangala) are popular for classic
rock where the beer drinkers head-bang.
I was told that there were other frequently visited places
like the Guzzler’s Inn, Koshy’s, Sparks, The Bunker, Pub World (Residency Rd)
The spiffy bars and lounges have dance floors and the crowd is beautiful.
Most of the places served every possible drink in the world.
Athena (Leela Galleria). Saturday nights are ‘commercial nights’ and the DJ got the
crowd grooving to his tracks. Overall, a great place for a weekend.
Spinn (next to Brigade Rd circle) with the dance floor is a
happening place. If you are looking for svelte lounges there
are places like F-Bar (Le Meridian) a theme bar by F TV,
Taika (Church Street) a huge dance floor with lounge area.
There is more which you can barge during the after hours like Zero G, Blue
Bar (Taj West End), Cosmo Village (Magrath Rd), Geoffrey's (Airport Rd),
and iBar (The Park Hotel,Off MG Rd). These are very popular for draught
beer, music, service and the ambience but turn up ‘properly dressed.
Now a day tea is getting hip within Bangalorians. Infinitea (Shah Sultan
Complex, Cunningham Rd) is one of the better teahouses in Bangalore.
C lu b S ankey Road,
Golf Courses Bang a lo r e G o lf
oles: 18,
High Grounds, H , Par: 71
414
Bangalore Golf Club Yardage: 6703/5

India has some of the finest golfing turfs and the one in Bangalore is
one of the oldest in India. The golf course is diverse and putting was an
interesting experience. The course spreads wide in the city and the cool
climate makes it more quite unique. Fairways are dry and sandy, but the
turf is lush and well-manicured. Large number of flowering trees such
as palm, eucalyptus and colourful gulmohar makes this it really
beautiful. It is compact with some part of the course being rocky in its
fairway. You can even play in KGA (Karnataka Golf
Association) - 1, Golf Avenue, Kodihalli, Off Airport Road)
 Sight seeing...
Getting around in Bangalore is not a problem. You have the option of taking an
adventurous auto-rickshaw ride or a much safer prepaid taxis. I would suggest you to use
AC cabs to have an enjoyable ride inside the city.
Vidhana Soudha
The colossal Vidhan Soudha is the cities
most imposing buildings. The beautiful
building made me spellbound when it got
2km
illuminated. The neo-Dravidian style complex
MG. houses houses the state legislature and the secretariat. It remains closed on Sundays.
road
Within walking distance are the Public Library and the Government Museum
Lalbagh Gardens... Tel 26573 667; Admi ssion Rs 5.

240 acres of landscaped park is home to some very rare species of plants. A
meticulously cared for garden has everything from lotus ponds, fountains, glass houses,
stone formations. The magnificent Glass House, built in 1840, is inspired by the London
Crystal Palace and is the main attraction of the park.
The Rose Garden has 150 different kinds of roses.
The delightful 97 hectare park has collections of rare tropical
and subtropical plants. During the annual flower show,
people flock into the park from all over the state.
 ISKCON TEMPLE
The temple is built on a hillock atop the scenic surroundings by the International
Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON); the Hare Krishna temple is a mix of
ultracontemporary and traditional style. The huge shiny cultural complex has a
stunning shrine of Krishna and Radha.
Consciousness (Iskcon); the Hare
8km Bull temp
Hare Krishna le
Chord Road Hill,
7am- 1pm 4-8
.30pm

ill,
Bugle H ple
m m
Bull Te -1pm & 4-9p
Rd; 7am

This temple is built in the Dravidian

style by Kempe Gowda, founder of Bangalore. It has a monolithic
bull, made of gray granite which is 4.5 meters high and 6.5
meters long. In Indian mythology, the Nandi bull is depicted as
the “vahana” of Lord Shiva. My driver told me that the temple
gets very crowded on Sundays.
 Cubbon Park...
Spread across 300 acres, Cubbon Park is the
green lung and one of the largest green spot
in Bangalore. It has been named after
Bangalore’s longest serving commissioner Sir
Mark Cubbon. It’s was nice to come across
such a place in a city which is fast turning
into a concrete jungle. I sat under the shade
of one its many magnificent trees and watched
the towering bamboo sway in the breeze.
On its fringes are the neoclassical High Court,
the State Central Library, the Government
Aquarium, the Government Museum and the
Venkatappa Art Gallery. Museum and the
Venkatappa Art Gallery.
KRISHNA RAJENDRA RD; ADMISSION RS 5;
TIMING 8AM TO 6PM,
a lac e
u’ s P
Tip Tipu’s fort is at the
The sturdy little Tipu’s fort is at the end of
the bustling city market. It is a two-storied
ornate wooden structure with pillars, arches
and balconies flanked by gardens on either
side of the palace. The fort was a mud-brick
defence structure built by Kempagowda but
was rebuilt in stone by Hyder Ali and Tipu
Sultan in the 18th century. Much of the fort
was destroyed during the war against the
British troops. Tipu’s modest palace is notable
for its elegant teak pillars and an art gallery.
The palace is beautifully decorated with floral
motifs on the walls and the ceilings. After the
death of Tipu, the British used this building
as their secretariat till 1867.
I thought the
Windsor Castle has been
galore
relocated to Bangalore. Ban
the
Palace was built in 1880 by
granite
Maharajahs of Mysore with
ents. The
turrets, towers and battlem
ea of about
palace is spread over an ar
alace is
800 acres, the Bangalore P
rved
famous for its elegantly ca a l a c e Rd. 8
years th e P 334177
wooden interiors. For many e l –2
bu t is no w op en T
building was neglected,
to the public.
y are
Other major attractions of the cit
nological
Visvesvaraya Industrial and Tech
Shiva
Museum, The Government Museum,
Nehru
Statue, Ulsoor Lake, Jawahar Lal
few.
Planetarium, Aquarium to name a
 Shopper’s
Paradise
MG Road in g y o u n ee d as a visitor.
er y th
This road packs ev pping malls, Coffee-shops,
, R es ta u r a n ts , Sho
B a n k s
e it a n d y o u w il l f in d it. You
m
Pubs, Crowd. You na a few of the tabooed things
find
can even frequently . men and women holding
ia eg
in most parts of Ind women hitting
and
hands, skimpy dress o w r o o m s on one
h t ly li t s h
the pubs. While the brig
side of u r , a n d t h e g r eenery
m o
the street adds gla
on the other o t h e s t r e e t. After
h a r m t
side gives the c in d e d me of
c e r e m
dusk the pla e b e s t w a y t o enjoy
. T h
Singapore streets ur cark and take a
k yo
this area is to par
stroll.
If you are looking for silk items for your spouse I would suggest
you to visit Nalli or Deepam showrooms. Shops like Central Cottage
Emporium or Cauvery are good places to visit if you want to take
back a few mementoes for your colleagues or friends.
 R oad
Brigade

It’s just off MG Road. This little

neon-lit stretch, packs all the punches.
It houses showrooms of all the leading
Indian and Multinational brands. On
weekends it gets very crowded.

c i a l St.
Com m e r The dazzling chaotic shopping area
has everything from crafts to sari
shops to electronic goods. But for silk
Mysore Sari Udyog was the best.

Cunningham Road
If you are looking for
buying beautiful Kashmiri carpets
and Indian handicrafts, don’t miss
to visit this place.
 B a n g a l ore
Aroun d

Nandi
Hills
68 Kms, Admission Rs 5.
It’s a nice place if you want to escape the
city life. The stellar views, good hiking and
two notable Chola Temples on this small
hillock made my trip interesting. The best
view I thought was the sunrise.
ys or e 13 4 K m s. T el e C od e – 0821,
M
Best time Oct – March.
l of
The charismatic former capita d to
te
Karnataka is very well connec
B an ga lo re . W e zi pp ed on the
re
M y s o My so re Mysore-Bangalore highway
and the drive was
y s o r e quite scenic.
M
 o d p r o d u c t s and
c e s , t h e s a n dalwo u l parks
o r t h e p a la y ’ s b e a u t if
y s o r e is k n o wn f ll t h r o u g h t h e cit
p a r in g t o the
M ic ks. The s t r o r e laxing c o m
the in c e n s e s t r e v e r y m u c h t o ld t h at
d y avenu e s w e lo r e. But I a m
an d t h e s h a a t io n – B a n g a n ie s h a v e
y n a mic d e s t in n d few c o m p a
p r e v io u s d m p a n ie s a
a t t r a c t in g IT co
Mysore is v e s t m e n t s . n o p t f o r L alitha
e a d y m a d e h uge in a t M y s or e , you ca
P a lac e (near
alr sp end a n ig h t a je ndra V ila s
If y o u p la n to u ra R d ). t h e R o ba Rd).
(ITD C , N a r sip ualit y In n , V in
Mahal Palace ) or the Southern Star (Q
Chamundi Hills
There are few interesting places to see in and around Mysore.
Mysore Palace Timing – 10 am – 5.30pm, Time to visit- Weekdays, Dasara
festival (Oct), Guide charge – bargain, Camera – Rs 10.
The domes, arches, colonnades of carved pillars and shiny marble floors
make the Indo-Saracenic palace marvellous. The palace was rebuilt in
1897 after a fire burnt down the old wooden palace. The stained
glass, wall paintings, ivory inlaid doors and the golden ornate
throne are beautiful. The jewel encrusted Golden Throne is
taken out during the Dasara festival. Must see in the
palace are the Gombe thotti (Dolls’ pavilion), Durbar hall
has some magnificent paintings all done in rosewood and
teak and stained glass, cast iron pillars from Glasgow,
carved wood ceiling, chandeliers and etched glass windows.
 Timings: Monday-Friday: 6:30 PM - 7:25 PM and
Saturday-Sunday: 6:30 PM - 8:25 PM
Brindavan Gardens
This is India's first irrigation dam, built in 1924. Sir. M.
Vishweswariah, the engineer who designed and built this dam, has
shown his acumen in converting a dam site into a beautiful
garden with colourful fountains and ponds downstream. The dam
is named after the then Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja
Wodeyar, who financed this novel project. Krishnaraja Sagar
(KRS) represents a marvel of civil engineering achievement in
pre-independence India and was among the first in the world to
use automatic sluice gates. Brindavan Gardens is one of the best
gardens in South India. Spread over 150 acres, Brindavan
Gardens has since the 1960s provided
the backdrop for many Indian films.
Special attractions include the
'Dancing Fountains'. If you are in
Mysore, you must visit this place. But be ready to
Srirangapatnam
The fortified island site is on the 12 kms from Mysore
Kaveri River, it was a home for
Code – 08236,
the religious reformers and
military conquerors & was the
headquarters for Tipu Sultan.
The ferry ride to the fort was very much exciting. The Bandipur
delicate minarets of Jama Masjid and the temples gave a National Park
charm to the fort. The KTDC Hotel Mayura River View is the
only good place around for staying and eating. The taxi horse
carriages gave this small quaint town the historic charm. th)
sore (Sou
110 km MOyoty Rd, rch,
Nov –Ma
Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary Island- Best time-

3km Srirangapatnam, 8.30am-6pm, An interesting aspect of the

Best time- April- July. sanctuary is, it is located where
The sanctuary is on one of the 3 the Eastern and the Western
islands on the Cauvery River. It is a Ghats join. It is a popular
great place for the bird lovers. It’s a destination not only for the nature
bird lover’s paradise and I caught a enthusiasts but also with general
glimpse of ibis and spoonbill. The boat holiday goers. These areas get over
ride took me to the personal lives of 1500mm annual rainfall making it
our feathery friends. The best time to the prettiest evergreen forest in
be there is early in the morning or the area. Vegetation in rest of the
late in the afternoon. jungle is scrubs.
The only way to get to the sanctuary is by road. The jungle road winds its way
through the forest, going up and down over small hills and mounds. Before I headed
off to the sanctuary, the guide told me, it was a bison country. Our encounter
proved to be true. Ahead of me and to the right of the road, stood a massive
male bison, I stopped and watched it move into the bushes.
 Other animals I got to see during the night safari were wild boar, langurs
and then some sambar deer. The park is however known for the
population of elephants, which I did see the signboard along
the roadside. Other than these it also have tigers, leopards,
jungle cats, sloth bears, mongooses, civets,
Malabar giant squirrels, wild dogs, flying squirrels, macaques, many
varieties of deer and antelope. That’s not all, the park also has an
excellent population of birds, over 215 varieties.
You have a few interesting place to spend the night if you are
adventurous kind. I stayed at Bandipur Safari Lodge (080 25587021) It was
3km outside the park. The view from the balcony was beautiful. Other places
are the Forest Department Bungalow (0821-2480901) and Tusker trail
(080-2318024).
I left the sanctuary I left the sanctuary with a sad heart but with a solid
resolve to return someday, preferably during the best period of November to
March, and explore it to my hearts' content.

Coorg (Kodagu)
257km Bangalore, Best tim
e- Nov-March
 1525 m above sea level lies Madikeri, the district
headquarters of Kodagu. Coorg or
Kodagu(originally called Kodaimalenadu) means
'dense forest on steep hill'. Dubbed as the
Scotland of India, this town has a lot to offer to
the tourist. Misty hills, lush forest, acres and acres of tea and coffee plantation,
orange groves, undulating streets and breathtaking views are what make Madikeri
an unforgettable
I decided to hire an Enfield instead of a cab and the ride was not just fun, it was more
of an experience. You can also hire a cab but you may miss the real Coorg. Some of the
important places to visit around Madikeri Abbi-Falls a beautiful waterfall,
Bhaga-mandala and finally Tala-Kaveri-the birth place of river Kaveri, is an
astoundingly beautiful place which is surrounded by mountains.
Orange County Resort is the best place to stay. This fairy tale village is set in the midst of a
300 acre Coffee Plantation bordered on one side by River Cauvery and the other side by the
Great Dubare Reserve Forest. Don’t miss to enjoy Coorg delicacies like Pandi curry (Pig
cooked in loads of Ginger and Garlic) and Kadambut
(Rice Dumplings), Kozhi Curry (Chicken curry) and Paaputtu (Rice
cake) and Kozhi Curry and Nooputtu (Rice Noodles) and Bamboo
shoots/sprouts preparations. The Coffee is extremely addictive as it
is home-grown. The owner of the house will give you a choice of home
made wines – made of betel leaves, pineapples and fruits.
Nagarhole Wild Life Sactuary
The place derives its name from the winding river - Nagarhole meaning "snake
river" - which flows through the park. The 640 sq km of gently undulating terrain
at the foothills of the Brahmagiri hills is covered with thick tropical forest, grassy
swamps and numerous rivers and streams. The park and animal life is part of the
country's first "bio-sphere reserve". This huge forest cover shelters tigers,
leopards, cheetahs, elephants, deers, sambhars, wild Indian gaurs and a variety of
birds big and small.
The open jeep jungle safari through the lush green forest was interesting. The
safari was arranged by the resort. During the safari I managed to catch deer,
sambhar, wild gaurs and elephants. The elusive cat family, well, remained elusive.
The average sighting of the cat family is expected to be once in 3 to 4 days and it
wasn’t my lucky day in the forest.
Next day I went for bird watching & a coracle ride and it was great fun. You can
even visit the elephant camp or the Tibetan monastery. In the calm of the forest, I
caught a cacophony of sounds and saw a flurry of colourful birds. The jeep ride
through the muddy road can kill your back, but I was ready to take it Jungle inn
(08222-246022) the place where I stayed had a welcoming atmosphere, evening
camp fire and cosy rooms were exceptionally good. The resort
is 35 km from the park reception on the Hunsur Rd.
Jog falls XXX KMs Tel code- 08186, Best Time: Nov- Jan

JOG falls is an AMAZING place. That is just insufficient to describe it.

Where else can one see the Sharavati valley in full beauty and splendor?
The Jog falls is set in the wild and unspoilt surroundings. Nature here has not
been disturbed for the tourist tappings i.e unneussary constructions and falling
of trees. The sharavati river crashes nine-hundred feet down in four main falls.
The highest is the Raja (King) fall which falls 250 m below forming a 40 m deep
pool. Next to it is the Roarer, while a short distance to the south is the Rocket it
is called so aptly because it spurts great shafts of water out in the air, In
contrast the Rani (Queen) over the rocks gracefully. The walk to the bottom of
the falls for the hale and hearty is recommended and one can take a dip in the
pool created below by the falls, during the dry season. Just after the monsoon
season or rainy season the falls are a magnificient and awesome

There is a Hotel Mayura run by KSTDC close to the falls. They serve
good food. Tasted pretty well and unlike the food you get in Bangalore. After
food, I decided to get down to the base of the falls and have a better look at the
amazing sight that was there in front of me.

0 k m s Bangta-loMreay,
5
4 t time- Oc
Bes Gokarna
Gokarna, the place is a small town, known more as a pilgrimage centre than
as a beach. Which is a pity, really- because Gokarna, with its coconut palms,
its blue seas and clean sands, is perfect for an idyllic vacation by the sea.
Situated along the Karwar coast, in northern Karnataka, it is beach-utopia
if you're looking for minimal luxury but maximum privacy, with only the sun,
the surf and the seagulls for company.
Hampi
I took a cab from Gokarna to Hampi in the
evening. It was almost 8 hours journey and I
reach Hampi at about 2 pm. HAMPI, the seat
e l c o d e : 08394
of the famed VIJAYANAGARA empire was the T
capital of the largest empire in post-mogul India, covering several states.
Although in ruins today, this capital city once boasted riches known far beyond
the shores of India. The ruins of Hampi of the 14th Century lies scattered in
about 26 sq. km area, amidst giant boulders and vegetation. It is renowned for
re-establishment of Indian culture, its support for music, art and literature.
After freshening up, armed with a map I set out for the Queen’s Bath - a
rather elaborate structure for a bathroom. Curved ornate
balconies overlooked the main bath area and there were
several open archways.
Strewn over a large area (about nine square miles) the ruins at Hampi offers to
the tourists a remainder of the greatest land in the whole world. Every rock,
every path and every monument at Hampi speak the same language; a language of
glory and beauty.
At one end of the Hampi Bazaar is the town’s largest structure - the 11 storey
Virupaksha Temple. At about 6.00 pm, I headed towards Hemkuta Hill, where I saw
the beautiful sunset. As I looked around, all
I could see for miles around me was just rocks of all
shapes and sizes. And then there’s the moon too
making an appearance. At the bottom of the hill is a
temple with a large Ganesh statue inside. It looks
beautiful lit up in the night. That’s the last monument for the day. I made my way
back to the hotel.
You can catch the best sunrises in the world. -point on Matanga Hill, which is to
the east of Hampi Bazaar. Hampi, is also a birder’s delight. As I descended the hill,
I caught sight of pretty spotted doves, a coucal, parakeets, hoopoes and even an
enthusiastic and curious peacock!
Other attractions are the Stone Chariot, Mahavahana Dibba, Lotus Mahal,
Elephant Stables and the Hanuman Temple after the visit
had dinner at Mango Tree. You can stay at places like
Rama Guest house, Shanti Guest house, Vicky’s,
Hotel Shambhu. Rama Guest House (241962).