Travelling To Bangalore India

The undisputed Elvis of South Asian mega cities, Bangalore is in a class of its own when it comes to redefining flamboyance. Perpetually drunk on the good life, this South Indian metropolis packs in the best brews, the scrummiest cuisines, the trendiest shopping malls and the liveliest arts and music scene, not to mention the hippest population you could hang out with. Move over Delhi and Mumbai – Bangalore’s stolen your fizz. And on 2012, evenings in the capital of cool are poised to get even more intoxicating. Home to both the UB group (India’s number one brew masters) and an ever increasing community of white collar expats, tech savvy Bengaluru offers the choicest cosmopolitan pleasures to make visitors feel at home. Want a heads up on the newest hot spots? Well, there’s Skyye Bar, a super stylish lounge at dizzying heights, with bird’s eye views of the city below; and Touche Diner, the first of its kind in India offering gizmo aided fine dining. English Premier League fans can check out the Manchester United Restaurant Bar, complete with a stadium tunnel and dugouts. And if the maddening traffic has always been your concern, take heart: Bangalore’s new high speed Metro network now ensures that your favorite watering hole is easier to reach than ever. There’s only one thing you could say to that: ‘Chill maadi!”

Cubbon Park

Breath the pure oxygen on a leisurely stroll in the sylvan environs of Cubbon Park. Home your photographic skills while being bowled over by the timeless sights and sounds of colorful Krishnaraja market. Overcome stricker shock and shop away your last pennies at the uberswanky UB City shopping mall, or gawk in juvenile wonder at a motley squadron of aircraft at the HAL Aerospace Museum & Heritage Center. Then grab a seat at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and witness a high octane Twenty20 cricket match, before calling it a day over fresh draught at a happy MG road pub.

Festivals

• The city’s festive calendar kicks off in January with Bangalore Habba, a two week cultural gala featuring a barrage of music concerts, dance events, movie screenings theatre performances, and art and craft fairs. And all of it is free!
• Tipplers can go on a rampage in March, when the three day International Wine Festival celebrates the finest Indian nectars with much fun and frolics.
• In October, the annual Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival treats the city’s theatre aficionados to the best of contemporary and classic Indian stage productions.

Performance At Bangalore Habba

Jeffrey Archer billed RK Narayan as his favorite Indian English language author on a recent fly by. Needless to say, the back catalogue of the legendary Kannada novelist suddenly seems back in demand among the City’s bookworms. So pair your cappuccino with a copy of Swami and Friends, and laze away the afternoons in style. What’s hot in Bangalore? You should try Eco-chic, Live jazz, and Beer in the evening.

If you want a bizzare sight, The Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technical Museum, bordering Cubbon Park, showcases a mind blowingly wacky collection of electrical and engineering contraptions, from a replica of the 1903 Wright Brothers aeroplane to virtual reality gaming consoles. No trip to Bangalore is complete without a lunch stop at Koshy’s Bar & Restaurant. A charmingly mothballed institution, Koshy’s has played foster home to Bangalore’s intelligentsia since 1952. Its coffee has inspired many newspaper reviews, while scribbles for countless fine art masterpieces have been executed on its supply of napkins. All of Bangalore’s newfangled restaurants together would never manage to undercut its old world charm, or replicate its scrumptious fish n chips platter, for that matter. Knock one back for nostalgia while you’re here.

The Taj West End

If you prefer a classic place to stay, the grand dame of Bangalore’s heritage hotels, the Taj West End is rated among the top 10 luxury addresses in India. Dating from 1887, the hotel is also a botanist’s delight- some 54 species of tropical flora flourish in its lush 20 acre garden. Its 19th century villas and mansions, now renovated and outfitted with the most lavish creature comforts, have housed everyone from Sir David Lean to Mark Knopfler in the past.