Busy Bangalore

If you are coming to stay in Bangalore for a holiday, then I would suggest that you try to stay in a hotel in the city center. There are many hotels to choose from whether you have to budget or splash out on luxurious rooms.

You definitely have to try shopping on MG Road where you will find an abundance of traditional Indian clothing shops. You can buy a cotton or a silk Sari for as little as rs-200. If you can afford to spend that little extra then opt for a silk sari that has been hand stitched, the detail in these sari's is amazing. Other than Indian clothes shops you will find Lacoste, Levi's, and Tommy Hilfiger clothes, all for a fraction of the price you would get them for at home, and they are genuine.

When it is time to dine, try either local dishes at Coconut Creek, where your dish is served on a banana leaf, or if you are not the adventurous type then you can choose to eat at Pizza Hut or KFC.

Quick Tips:

My first tip is to try and prepare yourself for a culture shock. I was not prepared for the change in culture I would see. Bangalore is one of the most developed cities in India but it still has lots of poor people who sleep on the streets and beg during the day. The streets here are very busy in the day and at night, and you will often find that you can't walk more than a few inches without having to stop in case you bump into people.

Bring an umbrella with you as it can start to rain at any time. The weather here is very hot and humid, so pack lots of baggy clothes that feel comfortable and are light to wear. Don't pack low cut tops or short dresses because the locals are not used to seeing a lot of skin and you will find that you will be stared at the whole day!!

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to travel and the cheapest way to travel is of course to walk. Although the city is huge, if you walk you can find quaint souvenir shops that are cheaper than the bigger shops in the city. It also gives you the chance to see places you wouldn't if traveling by taxi or auto rickshaw. Auto rickshaws are all over the place, and you can easily flag one at anytime anywhere. They are very cheap, around rs 10/15 (make sure the driver turns his meter on!). Taxis are also available, but you have to call them and they are double the price of a rickshaw, but you don't have to inhale the pollution, which at times is unbearable.

Do not drive here unless you have a death wish, there doesn't seem to be any rules of the road, except for traffic lights...you will understand what I mean when you get here.

When you enter Coconut Grove you will be greeted by a man in robes of green and white that are tradional to Indian waiters. The restaurant is half open air and half in doors so you can choose which way you wish to dine.

The menu has a variety of Indian and kerelaian food, and they cater for non-vegetarians and vegetarians. Be careful what you order, as everything that is served on the menu comes with some sort of spice - even the rice!! I ordered Vegetable Biriyani, which is a rice dish with lots of fresh vegetables mixed in, with some spices and chilis! The dish came served on a banana leaf in a round metal dish,and the waiters were very happy to explain what you had ordered and how you should eat the dish you chose.

The menu also has fresh crab and chicken which all come in a spicey hot juice of some kind, a lot of the time it tastes like coconut, which is probably why the name of this place is Coconut Grove.

Coconut Grove also offers a variety of beverages, from the local beer Kingfisher to branded spirits. I opted for water - always make sure you ask for mineral water and the bottle top seal has not been broken when it comes out.

For two main meals and a beer and water, our bill came to rs 300, which is about $7 - so cheap and yet so tasty!

I would highly recommend this sightseeing tour if you are interested in history and culture. I took an organized tour through Indian Travel Agency and it cost me rs-245, which is around $6. The bus from Bangalore took about three and a half hours to Mysore, but we stopped twice on the way to eat for lunch and to stretch our legs.

On this tour we visited Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace. The gardens are amazing and the palace itself is unbelievable. I could not see one bit of wall or ceiling that hadn't been painted with the past history of India. Every door frame was carved by hand, and the building has been well restored to its orignal beauty.

On this trip you also visit the second oldest Christian church in India. It is very peaceful and when we visited there were a lot of people here worshipping. You can visit two temples where you have to walk in bare feet (beware, the ground is vey hot and I nearly burnt the soles of my feet). You can be blessed by an Indian priest and at the same time it gives you a chance to pray in front of an Indian god called Ganesha (half elephant and womens face).

The whole experience is very cultural, I doubt that I will ever experience this again. The temples are fascinating, and the buildings are again all hand carved and are situated at the top of a mountain where you can see spectacular views over the whole of Mysore City - a very memorable experience.

The trip also gives you a chance to shop, and we visited the Mysore Silk shop (this is famous in India). You can buy silk ties, silk saris, silk material, anything that can be made in silk you can buy here and the prices are very reasonable. There are people selling things on the streets outside here, from sandle wood to wooden mirrors, but do not buy any of it, it is all fake!

Mysore Palace is beautiful. We looked all around the palace, upstairs and downstairs. The paintings are everywhere, again from the walls to ceiling and all paintings show the prince and his family, along with some Indian History. If you are lucky, you will be able to see the whole palace in lights. This is on Sundays only, so try and visit on this day, you will be amazed by the sight.

The last place we visited last was the Krs Gardens, where they will put on a show of musical fountains. This was not as good as seeing the temples and palaces but was a nice end to the day. It was very relaxing and peaceful just to sit on the grass and watch as the waters dance to the music!