Cosmopolitan Bengaluru is the number one city in the Indian deep south, blessed with a benevolent climate and a burgeoning drinking, dining and shopping scene. It’s not necessarily a place you come to be wowed by world-class sights (though it has some lovely parks and striking Victorian-era architecture), but instead to experience the new modern face of India. As the hub of India’s booming IT industry, it vies with Mumbai as the nation›s most progressive city, and its creature comforts can be a godsend to the weary traveller who has done the hard yards. It’s a big student town where you’ll encounter hip locals chatting in English while drinking craft beer and getting around in ’80s metal band T-shirts. The past decade has seen a mad surge of development, coupled with traffic congestion and rising pollution levels. However, it’s a city that has also taken care to preserve its green space and its colonial-era heritage. So while urbanisation continually pushes its boundaries outward, the central district (dating back to the British Raj years) remains more or less unchanged. Getting In The easiest way to get into the city from the airport is to use authorized metered taxis (MegaCabs, Meru Cabs, & KSTDC Cabs) available from the airport (exit 11 / 12). Approximate cost to get into the city are approx. INR 1,100 depending on the distance. It is roughly 90 minutes from the airport to the city centre Passengers are responsible for the tollway charges which is INR 120 and is to be paid in cash Ensure that you exchange your foreign currencies before you exit the airport in order to pay for metered taxis as they accept cash only Do carry organic citronella mosquito repellant and SPF cream Getting Around Taxis and Auto Rikshaws (TukTuks) are the best way to get around the city. While part of the metro network has opened, connectivity is currently limited Its best to download the OLA app (our UBER equivalent) which allows a cashless way to use taxis and auto rickshaws via OLA Money https://www.olacabs.com/mobile Taxis on call - MegaCabs (+91-47474747), Meru Cabs (+91-4422 4422), & KSTDC Cabs (+91-80-44664466) Getting Out Plan at least 90 minutes for your journey from the city centre to the airport. If you’ve forgotten souvenirs for your friends, don’t worry as the airport departure duty free has some beautifully curated shops. Check out these stores / counters in particular - The Lotus Shop (crafts), Indian Rendezvous (chocolate), Mithastop (sweets & tea) and Poparazzi (contemporary ethnic bric-à-brac) Top Sights Vidhana Soudha The Vidhana Soudha located in Bengaluru (Bangalore), is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing building, constructed in a style sometimes described as Mysore Neo-Dravidian, and incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic and Dravidian styles. The construction was completed in 1956. Dont forget to take a selfie behind a famous sign that reads “Government’s Work is God’s Work”! Vidhana Soudha - Dr Ambedkar Rd, Sampangi Ramnagar, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.979638, 77.590716 | https://goo.gl/4wpKkX St. Andrews St. Andrew’s Church, a Presbyterian church in Bangalore, located on the Cubbon road is of a massive orthodoxical Presbyterian Scottish architecture, with a tall belfry and chiming clock at the apex of its tower, bearing its name after the patron saint of Scotland, St. Andrew. St. Andrews Church - 27 Cubbon Road, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.979234, 77.604190 | https://goo.gl/AeVONQ St. Pauls St. Paul’s has the distinction of being the very first Tamil Anglican Church in the erstwhile Mysore State. St. Paul’s celebrated its 175th anniversary in May 2014. Like most old churches of Bangalore, the congregation of St. Pauls is spread all across Bangalore. St. Pauls Church - 1, Jumma Masjid Road, Jumma Masjid Road, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.981859, 77.604722 | https://goo.gl/3vi7w9 Top Sights Bangalore Palace Bangalore Palace was built to look like a smaller replica of the Windsor Castle in England. Built in the year 1887 by Wodeyar dynasty, it is adorned with magnificent woodcarvings and Tudor-style architecture on the inside. Bangalore Palace - Near Mount Carmel Institute of Management, Palace Rd, Vasanth Nagar, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.998618, 77.592024 | https://goo.gl/kozVzq Tippu Sultan’s Summer Palace Tippu Sultan’s Summer Palace is an example of Indo-Islamic architecture and was the summer residence of the Mysorean ruler Tipu Sultan. Tippu Sultan’s Summer Palace - Allbert Victor Road, Chamrajpet, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.959325, 77.573665 | https://goo.gl/T1MUYh Tippu Sultan’s Fort Bangalore Fort began in 1537 as a mud fort. The builder was Kempe Gowda I, a vassal of the Vijaynagar Empire and the founder of Bangalore, now Bengaluru. Haider Ali in 1761 replaced the mud fort with a stone fort. Tippu Sultan’s Fort - New Tharagupet, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.962946, 77.576089 | https://goo.gl/D7XRhc Vidhana Soudha - Dr Ambedkar Rd, Sampangi Ramnagar, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.979638, 77.590716 | https://goo.gl/4wpKkX Top Sights Lal Bagh Botanical Park Lalbagh or Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, meaning The Red Garden in English, is a well known botanical garden in Southern Bangalore. The garden was originally commissioned by Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, and later finished by his son Tipu Sultan. Lal Bagh Botanical Park - Lal Bagh Road, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.950725, 77.584791 | https://goo.gl/qxV4Q3 Cubbon Park Cubbon Park is a landmark ‘lung’ area of the Bangalore city, located within the heart of city in the Central Administrative Area. Cubbon Park - High Court of Karnataka, Ambedkar Veedhi, Sampangi Rama Nagar, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.973889, 77.589916 | https://goo.gl/dMv0Lz Chowdiah Memorial Hall Chowdiah Memorial Hall is a cultural centre which provides a home for musical and theatrical performances as well as competitions. Located in Malleswaram, it was built as a tribute to Tirumakudalu Chowdiah. Chowdiah Memorial Hall - 16th Cross,2nd Main Road, G.D. Park Extension , Malleswaram, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 13.006555, 77.575484 | https://goo.gl/hzhuiJ Vidhana Soudha - Dr Ambedkar Rd, Sampangi Ramnagar, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.979638, 77.590716 | https://goo.gl/4wpKkX Top Sights Venkatappa Art Gallery Secrets from the Stone Age, glimpses of ancient civilization, rare coin collections and enchanting paintings and sculptures Venkatappa Art Gallery and Government Museum has loads to offer to a curious mind. Know the life of early man through unique implements and tools, the Harappan antiques and so much more. It is one of the oldest in the country so you might want to spare some time from your vacation to discover something new from the pile of old. Venkatappa Art Gallery - Kasturba Rd, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.974235, 77.595302 | https://goo.gl/wej9uz National Gallery of Modern Art It was inaugurated in the year 2009. It showcases modern Indian art and houses paintings by Raja Ravi Verma, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil, Rabindranath Tagore and a large number of Modern and Contemporary artists. NGMA Bangalore currently houses approximately 500 exhibits that are spread across a corridor, tiny rooms and large spacious halls that span two floors. It takes about 1 to 2 hours to view the exhibits. The exhibits have been displayed - classified into broad categories - according to different time periods, art schools and by artists. One can see paintings by Raja Ravi Verma, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil, the Tagore brothers and Rabindranath Tagore and a large number of Modern and Contemporary artists. National Gallery of Modern Art - Flat No. 49, Palace Road, Manikyavelu Mansion, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.989747, 77.588156 | https://goo.gl/hfOS4b Vidhana Soudha - Dr Ambedkar Rd, Sampangi Ramnagar, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.979638, 77.590716 | https://goo.gl/4wpKkX Top Sights Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath It has 13 museums with some of very interesting and rare collections. The museums consist of collections ranging from traditional Mysore Paintings, Leather Puppets, Sculptures and Russian artists Roerichs’. Among the other collections Kejriwal, Kukke, and Krishna Reddy collections are note worthy. Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath - No.1, Art Complex, 560001, Kumara Krupa Rd, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.989055, 77.580617 | https://goo.gl/JpmO3t Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum A fun place for kids with lots of hands on and interactive displays related to mechanics, physical science, electricity, space and more. It takes over 3 hours there and didn’t make it through all the exhibits. The museum is right next to Cubbon Park - great for a nature walk after the museum. Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum - P. B. No. 5216, Kasturba Road, Beside Karnataka State Government Museum, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.975225, 77.596344 | https://goo.gl/eOco8j Bangalore Museum The Government Museum of Bangalore counts amongst the oldest museums in India. It is located at the Kasturba Gandhi Road, quite near to the magnificent Cubbon Park. Bangalore Museum - Kasturba Rd, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.974763, 77.595878 | https://goo.gl/EhukSp Vidhana Soudha - Dr Ambedkar Rd, Sampangi Ramnagar, Bangalore GPS Coordinate - 12.979638, 77.590716 | https://goo.gl/4wpKkX Top Shops Cauvery is a state sponsored handicraft store that houses the best of Karnataka’s crafts. A must visit to admire and shop the sandalwood, rosewood inlay and bidri metal works. Cauvery Cauvery - No. 45, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Shanthala Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Bangalore - 560001 t: +91-80-25581118 | +91-9342188080 GPS Coordinate - 12.974948, 77.608129 | https://goo.gl/YrnFF8 There are few shops that exude a charm and ambience comparable to this. While there are many Fabindia stores in Bangalore, a visit to the Koramangala Flagship in a town house designed by architect Charles Correa is an absolute must.