Indian Delight!

Bangalore is a great city to visit, there is so much going on. If you're into bars, pubs, and clubs you will be spoilt for choice. I would recommend the 13th Floor (13th Floor, Barton Centre, MG Road) which is a great night-spot with fantastic views of the city. Urban Edge (Richmond Road) is also a great place to go with a group of friends for a night out, it is free for women and there is a small cover charge for men. If you prefer to just chill out at a cafe, Barista on MG Road is a good place to go and relax; they do great hot chocolates for just 40 Rupees.

Bangalore, 'The Garden City,' has a lot of parks and gardens in and around the city; Cubbon Park is a nice one, which is just a short walk along MG road from the city. I think, though, one of the best things about Bangalore is the locals -- they are some of the nicest people I have ever met, very friendly and easygoing.

Quick Tips:

I would recommend staying in the MG Road area if you are visiting Bangalore. Hotel Ivory Towers (Barton Centre, MG Road) is a nice hotel with a friendly staff -- from there you are within short walking distance of most of the cities attractions.

If you are wanting to grab a quick bite on Brigade Road you will find KFC (around 100 Rupees for a meal), Dominos and Pizza Hut. There is also a supermarket called Foodworld along MG Road where you can pick up all of your necessities.

There's loads of restaurants in and around the city. One of my favorites was Ebony (Barton Centre), which does lovely French cuisine as well as Indian -- and it's reasonably priced; you could have a starter and a main with your drinks and pay less than 300 Rupees. If you like Thai food, Paradise Island (at the Taj West End Hotel) is an excellent restaurant. It is set in a beautiful garden pavillion and serves amazing food -- it's not the cheapest place to eat, but is worth the money you pay.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting around is not a problem. At the airport, train and all of the bus stations, you will find an abundance of rickshaw drivers who will take you whereever you need to go at very cheap prices. Bangalore is also a great base for visiting other places in India; to travel around the south of India there are plenty of buses and trains leaving around the clock which are very reasonably priced. Sharma tours do very cheap 'luxury' bus rides to various places around southern India, as well. For example we paid approximately 400 Rupees (around £5.00) for a return trip to Goa from Bangalore on a luxury bus.

The rooms at this hotel are very spacious, simply furnished, and comfortable with a great view of the city. The room rate includes breakfast. The staff at this hotel are very friendly and really can't do enough to help. Room service is available from Ebony. Alternatively, you can go up to the 13th floor and dine in at the restaurant.

Best Things Nearby:
There are quite a few things to do nearby this resort; there's an elephant park, a Tibetan settlement, and my personal favourite, a safari we took at the Nagarhole National Park. It cost 200 Rupees for foreigners. The park has over 70 tigers but you need to be there very early in the morning to see them. You can also see elephants, monkeys, deer and lots of other wildlife.

Best Things About the Resort:
Everything about this resort is fantastic, from the units to the food in the restaurant to the gardens to the staff. The thing that sticks most in my mind about this resort is the staff; every single staff member we passed from receptionist to the gardeners stopped to say hello and have a chat with us. They were so friendly and couldn't do enough to help us. This resort has a health and spa centre that specialises in ayurvedic treatments. I had a full bodied ayurvedic massage which was brilliant, very relaxing!!

Resort Experience:
The resort is set on a coffee plantation with old English 'Tudor-style' thatched roof cottages. The grounds of the resort have been kept up beautifully with flowers and plants everywhere. There is a leisure club there with a jacuzzi, steam room, and spa pool, as well as the health and spa centre.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Casa Piccolo is a fab continental cafe/restaurant if you feel like some Western food whilst in Bangalore. They serve everything from steak to lasagna to pizzas. They also do fantastic milkshakes!! The atmosphere here is really chill and laid-back, with music playing in the background, and the prices are very cheap!! Attire, I would say, would be casual - a great place to go with your friends or for a romantic meal for two!

For all you sports fans out there, Bangalore is great for cheap brand name clothing. On Brigade Road you can find Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Rockport and Fila shops all with top quality merchandise at very cheap prices. I picked up Nike T-shirts for just 300 Rupees (less than £5.00), I also bought a ladies Nike sweatshirt for 800 Rupees (approx £10.00). You can also pick up cheap Levis and Lee jeans and T-shirts, etc.

The 13th Floor is a great place to go and have a few drinks in the evening after work or to meet friends on a Saturday night. Situated on the 13th floor of the Barton Centre, The 13th Floor has an open terraced bar that gives you great views of Bangalore. The drinks are reasonably priced and the snack food is great value. There is a great atmosphere at this bar, and I would definitely recommend it!