Bangalore: what your guide-book may not tell you

For a city that’s often visited, surprisingly little is written about it. I often get asked a lot of questions about the city, from a motley bunch: visitors on business, their families who tag along for a holiday, travellers using Bangalore as a stop-over en-route other places in Karnataka, people living in the city looking for a place to eat or visit, or, students moving to the city.

If you’re not worried about travel, stay or other miscellaneous information, skip this post and go straight to what you can do in Bangalore. And, read this to see what Bangalore offers those who want to wine & dine. For the others, here’s my attempt at deciphering the city fondly called ‘Namma Bengaluru’ or ‘Our Bangalore’. Hopefully, it’ll answer at least a few questions travellers have.

Let’s begin with how you get here

Arrival by flight

If you’ve flown in & have a lot of luggage, or, are a group of 3-4 people travelling to the same destination, a taxi is a good option to get to the city from the airport. Just walk out of the airport building, go to the designated taxi stand & board one. They're metered and air-conditioned taxis.

If you don't have too much luggage, buses are convenient & economical. You can board any of the red, air-conditioned Volvo buses from the bus station outside the airport. This link will help you figure out the bus number you need to take: BMTC volvo bus service

There is also a help-desk at the bus station entrance. The staff there can guide you to the right bus number. Alight at the stop nearest to your destination and take an auto from there. Or, have somebody pick you up.

Arrival by train

If you’re chugging into the city, pick from City station, Cantonment station, Yeshwantpur station or any of the other smaller stations, based on the train’s scheduled stops and the nearest station to your hotel / destination. All stations have a pre-paid auto counter with fixed fares, so you can pay & board one, without the hassle of haggling with auto drivers. They're shut if you arrive post 10:30 pm or pre-dawn, though. Of course, pre-paid autos work only if you have little luggage (1 or 2 carry-on sized, with a maximum of 1 or 2 people in the auto).

Stations unfortunately do not have a comprehensive ‘any-time’ taxi service like the airport; however, a fledgeling service of ‘Fast track’ taxis or some yellow-coloured cabs is available for you to try. The counters should be located near the pre-paid auto counters. Else, you’ll need to arrange for a hotel pick-up or ask family & friends to pick you up.

The City station is also located opposite the Majestic bus terminal. If you have almost no luggage, and are familiar with the city, take a bus. Help is a little hard to come by here, if you are unfamiliar, as it is a vast bus terminus.

Now, where do you stay?

The city has no dearth of hotels; from grand old properties to contemporary business hotels. If you want budget options, look at basic lodges and small hotels. Choose your accommodation wisely, though, to cut down on commute as much as possible. If you need to work at an office in Whitefield or South Bangalore, it would be pointless to live near MG road. Choose an area close to your work-place. But, if shopping & sightseeing is what you’re here for, stick to areas around MG road.

For stays longer than a week, these are some options you have:

If you need a place for a few weeks, try Serviced apartments. They work well as you get a furnished apartment to yourself, with basic appliances & laundry facilities. Many also have breakfast options. 

For a few weeks, another option is to ask for a discounted rate at hotels or home-stays; some may oblige.

For those looking to stay for a few months or for stays of a year or more with a low budget, consider a paying guest accommodation (called PG). This is a popular choice of accommodation amongst working professionals & students. They have basic rooms (shared by even 3 to 4 people), with shared bathrooms. You get a bed and a cupboard or shelves. Common facilities may also include a TV & a fridge. Meals are also provided in some PGs, while some may have kitchens you can cook in. Choose your PG wisely; else, you’ll be roughing it out a bit. A few up-market PGs have a limit of 2 people per room and have rooms with attached bathrooms. Most PGs require a deposit upfront & then, a monthly rent.

For stays of a year or more, with a larger budget, you can try renting an apartment. This requires you to pay a deposit upfront & then, a monthly rent. If your stay duration is just a few months, you may not find too many people willing to rent you an apartment, but, asking them doesn't harm. 

Choose any of these options depending on your budget & preferences. If you plan to rent or get a PG accommodation, stay at a hotel for a few days when you get to Bangalore & browse through newspapers (Ad Mag or similar papers, which have rental listings) or get in touch with brokers. See the apartment before you finalise it; doing it based on photographs before you get here may be unwise. If you’re here on work, you can also get in touch with your office in Bangalore; your colleagues can help you find a convenient place nearby.

Off-beat stay options include one of the many spas, wellness resorts or ashrams at the outskirts of the city.

Shopping 

Sarees (Saris) & fabrics 
Sarees (Saris) constitute the bulk of traditional clothing in India and are worn by many women. Fabrics, weaves, patterns and designs of sarees vary geographically and are influenced by the weather, art, traditions and culture of a particular state in India.

Karnataka is famous for ‘Mysore silks’. These can be purchased at KSIC showrooms across Bangalore. Karnataka is also known for its Ilkal and Kasuti embroidery sarees. Other than these three local weaves, generic Indian sarees too are available in plenty at the shops mentioned below. If you don’t wear sarees, you can buy fabrics to use as you like.

Chikpet is a crowded market area with shopping to suit all budgets. I've bought Sarees from Laxmi Silks in Chikpet & found some good variety there. Of course, there are many shops around so definitely check them out before you decide. On MG road, you have Vijayalakshmi silks, Prasiddhi silks & Deepam (good collection, but, very expensive). Another store near MG road is the Mysore Saree Udyog at Commercial Street. In South Bangalore, Angadi silks in Jayangar has unique and reasonably-priced sarees of different weaves.

Souvenirs

Bangalore is famous for Sandalwood handicrafts. The Cauvery Emporium on MG Road is a good bet. Also look for sandalwood sachets, which are great to place inside your wardrobe (if you like the fragrance) and make for inexpensive gifts for friends & family back home.

Bidri-ware is another option in handicrafts (black metal inlaid with silver - very attractive, but, very heavy if you already have lots of luggage).

Look out for wooden toys called 'Channapatna toys'; they're very innovative & use non-toxic colours. If not in Bangalore, you can also buy this at Channapatna, a small town en-route Mysore, where this craft originates from.

Rarely, you can also find 'Yakshagana' masks or 'Gombe aata' puppets.

All these arts & crafts are specific to Karnataka, the state where Bangalore is located. Other than this, generic Indian souvenirs are available in plenty.

Sight-seeing, activities & day-trips

Bangalore may not look like it has many sight-seeing options, and, compared to a lot of other cities, choices are limited. But, if you scratch the surface, there are enough and more options to entertain you for 2-3 days. Bangalore is also blessed with many day-trip and weekend trip possibilities within easy access. Consider this - I travel more often than the average person, yet, I still have many places to see and enjoy my weekends in.

Staying in central Bangalore (around MG road) will allow you to walk easily to some of the sights. For others, you will still need to hire a vehicle. For those unfamiliar with travel in India, travelling by autos or local buses is a challenge and recommended only for the adventurous. But, I find that some friends who visit do like to try it out, despite the problems, which is why I've mentioned the option. Hiring a car for the day is much simpler and highly recommended. Due to the unfortunate lack of a good public transport system, most locals too use cars to get around. The fairly new metro system connects a few localities in Bangalore (broadly: MG road, Ulsoor, Indiranagar and Byappanahalli) and is gaining popularity.

Cars can be hired from one of the many agencies listed online. If you have a vehicle but do not want to drive, driver rental services too are available. 

I would recommend going around the city yourself. Most sightseeing trips I know do a hop-skip-jump through all sights. If you do it on your own, you have the flexibility of staying as long as you want, at places you like. Get a good guide-book, though, as a lot of sights do not have guides available. Another option you have is to hire private guides or contact agencies like I've mentioned in this post.

Photography is allowed at most places except inside some like the Bangalore palace and the HAL Aerospace museum. In temples, priests do not encourage taking pictures inside the inner sanctum. You can click the temple from outside and indulge in some people-photography. 

While many trendy Bangaloreans dress pretty much like people around the world, it is advisable to dress modestly (no 'skimpy tops' or shorts) while visiting places of worship.

Check my detailed recommendations on what to visit, here.

Food & Drinks

Read about what Bangalore has to offer and about my recommendations & favourites, here.

Miscellaneous information

Solo woman traveller?

It's okay to travel alone in Karnataka as long as you take some precautions. Book good accommodation. And, annoying though it is to advise this, dress 'conservatively' to avoid attention. Use public transport wherever possible (buses & trains) to travel overnight between destinations; you'll feel safer in a crowd than travelling alone by a hired taxi. For some places, you can hire a guide; you get a better insight into the place & some company as well. People all around Karnataka are very friendly. I wouldn't worry excessively about travelling solo, but, at the same time, it would be wrong to say that it's totally safe.

Bangalore, I'm sorry to say, is not very safe for women, especially after 8 pm. This isn't meant to scare you off, but, just to let you know that you have to be careful. There are autos & buses to get around but I wouldn't advise that you travel alone in autos after 9 pm. Demands of excess fare and refusal to ply to your destination are the least of your worries. If you do have a car, you should be better off. Get a cab, booked through a reputed agency or use your hotel cab, even if it costs way too much. In any case, take all the precautions that you usually would, in any new city / country.

Money & payments

You can use your credit card at almost all shops, restaurants & hotels. It's the smaller road-side stores & eateries that don't accept them. You can pay many air-conditioned cab services using a credit card. Visa & Mastercard are most widely accepted. Amex is not accepted everywhere, so, check. I've had family & friends with American and European accounts use their cards easily; just ensure you notify your card companies about your travel plans before you leave. ATM machines in India require a 4-digit pin so you might want to check yours. An option is to retain your 6/7 digit pins on some cards but change at least one card to a 4-digit pin.

I wouldn't advise paying using foreign currency like Euros or Dollars. Most places wouldn't accept them anyways. Even if they did, you will get a very poor exchange rate. Changing money on Saturdays / Sundays is usually not a problem. But, beware as some agencies work on Saturday only until lunch time (1 or 1:30 pm) and may be shut on Sundays. I think most of the bigger forex agencies should be open.

Shopping and entertainment

The smaller neighbourhood convenience stores or small super-markets open from about 8am. Malls and larger stores open 10 am onwards. Stand-alone stores  (not within a mall) may be shut on Sundays, though, increasingly, many choose to remain open.

Movies can be watched at multiplexes in any of the ubiquitous malls around Bangalore. Smaller, stand-alone theatres which are economically-priced are hard to come by nowadays. Some of them still hanging around in the face of demolition are: Urvashi, Symphony, Rex, Abhinay, Vaibhav, Cauvery, Vision cinemas, Innovative multiplex etc.

Walks, runs & jogs

Avoid jogging or running along roads. Even if you want to, you can’t; most roads don't have footpaths (pavements). Cubbon Park & Lalbagh are great for running. Of course, it depends on whether they are easily accessible to you (distance from where you intend to stay). If they're not, no sweat; most areas of Bangalore have smaller parks called 'mini forests' with a paved track where Bangaloreans step out for their morning walk & jog. Attire - many women nowadays do run in shorts as well. Most, though, wear capris or track pants. If you are very uncomfortable in something longer, it's okay to stick to your shorts. Similarly, wearing a T-shirt with a sleeve or a basic sleeveless top attracts less attention than a spaghetti / racer back.

Guide-books

If you are staying in Bangalore for a few months and plan to utilise your weekends, buy ‘21 Weekend getaways from Bangalore’ by the Outlook group. It's not too comprehensive, but, handy enough.

Travel forums like tripadvisor.com and indiamike.com have a lot of information and inputs from travellers and locals. They can be used to answer specific queries you may have.

For a light read, you can try "Bangalored" by Eshwar Sundaresan. It has a collection of short narratives by non-Bangaloreans about their lives in the city they now call home. There's also a bit of history thrown in at the end, about some places in Bangalore.

Disclaimer:

None of the links in this post are sponsored nor have I been paid to ‘recommend’ them. All links mentioned here are links that I, family or friends have found useful. 

Bangalore: what to do?

Bangalore may not look like it has many sight-seeing options, and, compared to a lot of other cities, choices are limited. But, if you scratch the surface, there are enough and more options to entertain you for 2-3 days. Bangalore is also blessed with many day-trip and weekend trip possibilities within easy access. Consider this - I travel more often than the average person, yet, I still have many places to see and enjoy my weekends in. Read this to get an overview of modes of travel in Bangalore.

Explore quintessential Bangalore - the garden city & erstwhile pensioners' paradise. After taking in its history & culture, unwind by focusing on what makes it a lively city for the youth: shopping, pubbing & entertainment.

What is Bangalore famous for?

Cultural performances

Bangalore is always abuzz with activity: dance performances, music concerts, plays & art exhibitions. With culture hubs across the city, take your pick from free or paid events. These are listed in the local newspaper & in magazines like ‘Time-out Bangalore’. Definitely attend an event while you are in the city, to understand what Bangalore’s about. 

Festivals & shows

Bangalore hosts many festivals & shows; some quirky, but, all fun. Enjoy the Kite festival, Groundnut fair, Mango festival, Flower show, Cake show, Aero show or Art & handicraft shows, to name a few. Religious festivals like Ugadi, Sankranti, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali, Id & Christmas are celebrated with much fervour. Visit markets & places of worship at the time, to partake the merriment. Do check if any of this is on while you are here.

Pubs

Bangalore is known for its pubs and going to one is one of the ways to feel the pulse of the youth. From pubs playing heavy metal to rock to college classics to even Bollywood numbers; there is a pub to suit every taste. Pubs are most crowded on Friday & Saturday nights. Weekdays are more relaxed with people dropping in after work, with colleagues or friends. Expect loud music, dim lighting, finger-food, head-banging & singing along to your favourite songs.

Attractions – the usual suspects

Mg road

Erstwhile South Parade is Bangalore’s shopping & entertainment hub, along-with nearby Brigade road, Church street & Commercial street. Old-timers reminisce fondly about the grand boulevard this once was. Many old landmarks have been torn down to make way for characterless glass buildings. The metro running over the road proved to be the proverbial nail in the coffin for MG road’s beauty. Thankfully, some of the vibe still survives. Walk along & enjoy a few gems that survived the massacre. The brand new MG road boulevard provides an impetus to artists. Also, the upper level of the boulevard makes for a lovely walk amidst tree canopies.

Cubbon Park

Cubbon Park dons many hats: a green lung in the heart of the city that also hosts a library, museums, a tennis academy, an aquarium, a toy train and many statues & pavilions. It’s probably one of the only parks to have a busy road cutting through it. Luckily, it is big enough for you to enjoy without worrying about being run over by a vehicle. In the wee hours of the morning or in the evenings, it’s a jogger’s paradise. Spring adds to the beauty of this park, with the lovely & colourful Tabebuia trees in full bloom.

Vidhana soudha & Attara Kacheri

The neo-dravidian style Vidhana Soudha is the seat of the state legislature while the red Attara Kacheri houses the High Court. In 2005, an annex called the Vikas Soudha was inaugurated, designed as an exact replica of the Vidhana Soudha. Though these buildings cannot be visited, they can be viewed from the outside.

Bangalore palace

The Bangalore Palace was the private residence of the royal Wodeyar family. Built to resemble Windsor Castle, this quirky palace is filled with an interesting & eclectic collection of art and paraphernalia from a bygone era. The palace grounds are a popular venue for rock concerts & other music events.

Tipu Sultan’s palace & fort, KR market, Bangalore

One of Bangalore’s busiest markets, the KR market, hides this surprise: an elegant palace built by Tipu Sultan, with Teak pillars & frescoes. Though incomparable to the more famous Tipu Sultan’s palace at Mysore, this is one of the relatively unknown monuments of Bangalore. Visit this palace along-with the ruins of the fort. Also nearby are a temple & a mosque.

ISKCON temple

This temple is built & managed by the International society for Krishna consciousness (ISKCON). Built in an unconventional, contemporary style derived from traditional architecture, this temple has its share of believers as well as detractors. Many find it a tad too commercial. An interesting & different temple to visit.

Lalbagh

Botanical gardens planned during Hyder Ali & Tipu Sultan's reign, Lalbagh is South Bangalore's green lung. Its historic significance increases manifold when you consider that the 'Lalbagh rock' dates back to 3000 million years ago and is one of the oldest rock formations on earth. The gardens also encompass one of the famous watch-towers built by Bangalore's founder, Kempegowda. Host to rare & exotic plants, a lake, the annual flower show and a glass-house, Lalbagh juggles many roles. Visit to doze under a tree, spot birds at the lake, take a heritage walk or to exercise, like the locals do.

Bull temple (Nandi temple)

Located in Basavanagudi, this temple built by Kempegowda in the Dravidian style, contains a huge granite monolith of Nandi. The temple grounds are also host to the annual groundnut fair in Nov / Dec. The nearby Dodda Ganesha temple & Bugle rock garden can also be visited.

Ulsoor Lake & Gurudwara

The Ulsoor Lake, located in the city center, went through a phase of being thoroughly neglected, before being spruced up again. Boating is a possibility here. A visit to this lake can be combined with a visit to the nearby Gurudwara; Bangalore’s largest.

St. Mary’s basilica

St. Mary’s basilica, in bustling Shivajinagar, is built in the Gothic style, with stained glass windows. It hosts the St. Mary’s feast each year, in September. Devotees throng the basilica during the feast, which culminates in a procession with a chariot.

Other churches and temples

Some other temples you could visit are the Kaadu Malleswara temple in Malleswaram or the Gaavi Gangadheeswara temple at Basavanagudi. Churches include the St. Marks cathedral, the Holy trinity church and Hudson memorial church to name a few.

Day trips from Bangalore

Few cities offer such a variety of options within easy access. Be it arts & crafts, history, architecture, hills, rivers or forests; Bangalore is as easy to escape from as it is to explore.

Nandi Hills 
Once the summer-retreat of Tipu Sultan, it’s a good place for hiking & birding. The hill also has temples dating back to the Chola period. The hills offer great views of the surroundings. It gets extremely crowded on weekends, so weekdays are a better bet. It’s best to visit in a group and not linger after dusk unless there are crowds.

Channapatna

Famous for its eponymous toys, Channapatna is a great place to visit if you are curious to know how these wooden toys are made. This traditional craft is protected by a geographical indication (GI). The small town has a few factories & a few ‘home’ workshops, where you can watch craftsmen at work. While at Channapatna, you can also shop to your heart’s content, for souvenirs or knick-knacks for your home.

Lepakshi

Lepakshi, in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh, is easily accessible from Bangalore. The beautiful Veerabhadraswamy temple & India’s largest monolithic granite Nandi make for a great day-trip option. Read about my Lepakshi trip here.

Shivanasamudram

This is the site of the first hydro-electric power station in Asia, set up in the early 20th century. The Gaganachukki & Barachukki waterfalls are best visited post monsoon, when there’s abundant water. It is possible to enjoy a coracle ride at Barachukki, though the safety is questionable.

Bheemeshwari

Bheemeshwari gives you the chance to spend time by the river Cauvery. The Jungle Lodges resort there can arrange for water-based activities with prior notice. Bheemeshwari is renowned for the Angling possibilities it offers, during season.

Ranganathittu bird sanctuary

Ranganathittu is a bird sanctuary that can be visited throughout the year by bird lovers. Easily accessible from Bangalore, en route Mysore, visiting this place is a great option for both children & adults. Visit early in the morning & hire a boat. November heralds in the winter migrants who stay put until March, adding to the already numerous varieties of birds you can see here.

Other day-trip possibilities 

The most well-known option is Mysore & Srirangapatna. I would advise visiting Mysore with at least a night’s stay, though. Other possibilities are the Skandagiri trek, the Chitradurga fort, the river & temple at Talacaud, the temples at Melkote and the Savanadurga-Manchanbele dam-Big banyan tree circuit, to name a few. Also see other day / half-day trip options in ‘Off the beaten path’, below.

Off the beaten path

India’s Silicon city is surprisingly unlike a metropolis at times: It offers you options to catch your breath & enjoy things at a slower pace. Go back in time with history-filled walks or look for that slice of yesterday in localities untouched by ‘development’. Catch Bangalore at her festive best & see what it feels like to be a Bangalorean.

Basavanagudi

Basavangudi is one of the few areas in Bangalore that have retained their old-world charm, yet untouched by modernization. A residential area with quaint homes, leafy roads, markets & temples, a walk here can take you back in time. Always buzzing with activity, Basavanagudi buzzes even more feverishly before festivals. There are numerous restaurants here; some, institutions in themselves. This is a good place to feast on Idlis, Dosas & the famous Filter kaapi.

Malleswaram

Malleswaram, that bastion of Tamilians in Bangalore, is another locality that is a whole world away from India’s Silicon city. Watch maamis in their kanjeevarams haggle at the market, visit a temple or two, eat local food and browse through small shops. The Kaadu Malleswara temple & Sankey tank are oases of calm amidst the bustle. A new arrival at the scene is the incongruous Mantri mall, much reviled for being the harbinger of modernization in Malleswaram.

KR market (City market)

KR Market is a busy, vibrant & crowded market in the heart of the city. Go early in the morning to watch fresh vegetables & flowers arrive for the day. A photographer’s delight, this market whips up a frenzy especially before important religious festivals. 

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath

Chitrakala Parishat is a renowned school of art in Bangalore, with an enviable alumni list. Located in a tree-lined campus, CKP, as it is popularly known, has a museum, a store & a gallery worth visiting. The gallery has rotating exhibits while the museum has permanent displays of paintings & crafts. CKP comes alive during its much-awaited fests: the annual handicraft mela & the Chitra santhe (art market), both of which provide impetus to artists & craftsmen.

Nrityagram

Nrityagram was established by renowned danseuse Protima Bedi. This dance school is located in Hessaraghatta village, at the outskirts of Bangalore. It’s a beautiful place to watch dancers practice their art. You can drop into the nearby Taj Kuteeram for meals. A half-day trip option.

Grover vineyards

This vineyard produces Bangalore’s first indigenous wine. If you like wines, a visit to the vineyard near Nandi hills could be enjoyable, especially during the harvesting & crushing season in Feb / Mar. A day trip option.

Devanahalli Fort

The Devanahalli Fort, famed for being Tipu Sultan’s birth-place, is located beyond the Bangalore Airport, off NH7. It also houses temples. This fort is not very frequently visited & you may have the place almost to yourself. A half-day trip option.

For young kids

On the surface, Bangalore might seem like a very boring city for kids to travel in. Scratch the surface to find wonderfully varied options that children can enjoy; and so can the child in you.

HAL Aerospace museum

This is India’s first aerospace museum, which offers you a glimpse of India’s aeronautical history. Exhibits include life-size models of aircrafts, photographs & a chance to use a flight simulator. Exciting for kids & adults alike.

The Bangalore metro

The Bangalore metro is a much-awaited addition to the city. Though very unpopular for how it transformed MG Road’s skyline & buzz, this seems to be the only hope for locals dreaming about better connectivity & a congestion-free city. The novelty value of the metro is yet to wear off, with long queues at the MG road station every weekend. The train gives you a bird’s eye view of many MG road landmarks. Join the fun.

Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological museum

Visvesvaraya Museum is fun for children & even for adults. This museum houses a treasure trove of machines & artefacts related to science & technology. Its interactive exhibits make this a great place for children to develop their love for science & de-mystify facts.

Bannerghatta national park and zoo

I’m not a big fan of zoos or animal enclosures. However, if you are travelling with kids, they might enjoy a visit to the Bannerghatta zoo and the butterfly park. The zoo has its usual collection of animals. You can also go on ‘safaris’ in an enclosed van and see animals roaming about in the open (it’s actually a large, fenced boundary). This is definitely not a substitute for a visit to the forest!

Other kid-friendly places 

Other than the options above, kids might enjoy Lalbagh, with its rock, trees, lake, glass-house and buggy rides. Cubbon Park too is a good place for kids to run about, ride the toy train or visit the aquarium. Entertainment options for kids include bowling, paint-ball, go-karting, clay-modelling etc.

Have a light wallet?

If you are on a budget, fret not; most of Bangalore can be enjoyed for very little. Its pleasant weather also makes walking fun. Save up the money to spend on yummy dosas & filter kaapi.

What you can see & do for free, or, almost-free: Lalbagh, Cubbon Park, Malleswaram, Basavanagudi, Vidhana Soudha & Attara Kacheri, churches, temples, Ulsoor Lake, Chitra kala parishat, HAL museum and window shopping.

Activities

Bangalore walks

This offers you a chance to understand the various facets that make Bangalore: its history, architecture, culture & landmarks. Choose a facet that interests you. Check out the well-known bangalorewalks.com or the new bluefoot.in.

Birding

Though it may be difficult to believe, Bangalore is home to numerous birds, besides welcoming migrant birds each winter. There is an active birding group (bngbirds) that meets each Sunday, at a pre-fixed location. If you enjoy birding, join the group on a Sunday morning. It’s a great way to meet & acquaint yourself with the city’s feathered residents. If you want to bird alone, the internet has good resources on birding locations & bird lists for Bangalore.

Trekking & outdoor activities

The Bangalore Mountaineering Club, at bmcindia.org, organise a lot of mountaineering, trekking & adventure trips which are also easy on the wallet. This is also a great way to meet like-minded, outdoorsy people. 

Cycling

Bangalore has a growing cycling community and you can frequently see cyclists riding to the city outskirts on weekends. Cycling in villages outside Bangalore makes for a great day trip or a half-day trip. Try icycle.in, artofbicycletrips.com or veloinvillage.com.

Disclaimer:

None of the links in this post are sponsored nor have I been paid to ‘recommend’ them. All links mentioned here are links that I, family or friends have found useful. Websites mentioned under ‘activities’ are merely pointers and I am not responsible for the quality of their services. 

Wining & dining in Bangalore

Many Bangaloreans are well-travelled and this has led to a mushrooming of restaurants serving diverse cuisines. Bangaloreans love eating out, and, many restaurants are packed even on weekdays. The city is known for its pubs; pick a pub that plays your kind of music, to enjoy evenings in. A few new watering-holes also brew their own beer. 

Restaurants open from about 11am for lunch and close by 3pm. They usually re-open for dinner by 7pm and shut by 11pm. 'Darshinis', which are local stand-and-eat restaurants, serve local 'fast food' and pre-set meals throughout the day. These open by 7 or 8am for breakfast too, and are filled with locals. Some darshinis have a few seats.  There are cafes, a few all-day dining options and mall food-courts that are open throughout the day, from about 11am to 11pm. Pubs, bars & lounges shut at 11pm sharp.

Your choice of places to eat during the day may have to be dictated by where you are around lunch time. It’s easier to have relaxed meals in the evening, when you can travel a bit to a restaurant of your choice. So, what does Bangalore eat?

Breakfast

Darshinis open in time for a quick breakfast and you can join the hordes enjoying idli, masala dosa, set dosa, rava idli, idli-vada, poori-masala or chow-chow bath (a 'combo' meal of the savoury uppittu and the sweet kesari, both prepared using semolina). Wash this down with filter coffee. For leisurely options, head to a few places serving a continental breakfast of eggs, ham and bacon. Or, places serving crepes, waffles and sandwiches. Less easily available outside Kannadiga homes are avalakki and akki rotti, both my favourites. Some Kannadigas eat 'Ragi mudde', made from ragi (finger millet). This requires a very acquired taste, but, eat this and it powers you through the day! 

Brunch

Bangalore's weather is tailor-made for brunch. Park yourself by a pool or sit al-fresco at any of the 5-star hotels. Or, head to some of the up-market restaurants offering a weekend brunch. Most brunches are fixed-priced and include a vast food and beverage selection. More economical, a-la-carte options are available at some 'Bangalore classics' or cafes. Brunches are my favourite way to unwind with friends.

Lunch

Eat fixed or all-you-can-eat 'thalis' or ‘meals’ for a quick lunch on the go. Or, choose from lunch buffets at restaurants, which are great value-for-money, as prices dip especially for a weekday lunch buffet. If you are near a mall, the food court is another option to grab a quick bite at. Many restaurants near offices get crowded during lunch hour and you might have to wait long for a table.

Hanging out

Bangalore has many cafes, some with al-fresco seating too, where you can grab an afternoon cuppa and some short eats. It could be the ubiquitous chain-cafes like Coffee Day, Barista, Cuppa or Costa cafe, or, other one-of-a-kind places. Many cafes use a Facebook page to stay in touch so browse through Facebook. Sports-bars are good options to hang out at, especially when they screen games.

Pubs & Cocktails

Bangalore is a pub city so go to one for a relaxed evening; choose one playing music you enjoy. From dark & dingy, to smoke-filled, to pubs for head-banging, to ones with Bollywood music, to 'classy' pubs, the city's got them all.

If pubs are not you thing, head to any of the bars, clubs or lounges. Dancing is unfortunately banned in Bangalore. Many watering-holes are crowded even on weekdays as people unwind after work. Use one of the many taxi services in the city and avoid driving after drinking.

Dinner

Bangaloreans love dining out and dinner-time is when everybody heads out with family & friends. ‘Thalis’ and buffets are still on offer, for those who don't want the fuss of ordering. Al-fresco dining is my favourite, for dinners; the slight nip in the air makes it enjoyable to linger over your meal or down a few warmers.

My recommendations

If you want restaurant recommendations in Bangalore, ask the locals. Or, use  online tools to read reviews and find something that meets your requirements. Since there are enough and more sites which list out restaurants by ‘category’ or ‘location’, I’ll mention some of my favourites by ‘occasion’; which is how I look for places to eat in.

My list is coming up soon!

Disclaimer:

None of the links in this post are sponsored nor have I been paid to ‘recommend’ them. All links mentioned here are links that I have found useful and recommendations are places I enjoy going to.

Photo credits:

Food images by Akash Chadha & Sumeet Moghe. Restaurant images by Preethi Reddy and Shikha Dey.