Silicon Valley of India – THE place to be

South India’s business hub, a once upon a time green and chilled hill station has become pure synonym for tech hub in the past few years. But only a few know, that the city of Bangalore has much more on offer than shared service centers and fearlessly slaloming rickshaw drivers. Traveling around four South Indian states Bangalore was my base, the one and only place to kick-start my journeys from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu to Kerala to Goa. My initial web search and first blink on the place did not buzz me up much but when I dug a bit deeper walking its streets (or rather trying to walk the streets without falling into a suddenly arising deep hole) I found quite a bunch of things it was eventually worth to be crammed in extreme traffic jams day after day for.

What should I know about it?

Karnataka’s capital has more than 8 million residents making it the third most populous city in India. This means countless amount of cars (or some form of mutant engine-driven vs. not engine-driven vehicles) constant traffic jams, flows of people as far as the eye can see, some mess dumped off here and there, all kinds of animals aimlessly wandering the streets, concrete buildings and construction works and…who didn’t get the picture by now? But under this gloomily rough surface lies a much more friendly and enchanting side of the city being explored by just a few adventurous souls.

Bangalore, a well organised mess

So? What’s this fuss all about?

Bangalore, being one of India’s largest IT hubs is a cosmopolitan melting pot of South and North Indians and jackpot hitting expats coming from different corners of the world. The diversity of nations and languages, religions and sacred places all add to the peculiarity of the place. Colorful temples, contemporary churches, enormous mosques proudly stand the test of time surrounded by hectic markets, vendors of all trades, AC/non-AC veg/non-veg restaurants and literally everything within and beyond common sense. Luxury seeking travelers, Bangalore won’t let you down either, the other side of the city is a pure gem for you with high-end hotels lavish shopping malls, fine dining restaurants and top-notch bars.

All about Gods – Temple detail, Bangalore

How the heck I can navigate my way around?

By any means. The easiest is to book a driver car for a day with a pre-fixed itinerary so you can cover the most interesting sights. Places, where you would spend more time, like museums are best to be reached by cab or auto rickshaw, so you don’t waste your money on the driver on standstill mode. Call Ola cab for a good rate, they are into day trips as well. There are regular buses also, though they get very crowded and pickpocketing is not unusual. The metro is still new, thus well kept, however it’s not ready yet so running just a few stations for the time being. Renting a scooter or motorbike is strictly for the craziest only.

Driving around skyscraper jungle – the luxurious UB city, Bangalore

Where do I get some sleep?

For total pampering stay at the legendary 5-star Taj West End Hotel situated in a lush, 20-acre garden in the middle of the city.

If budget is a concern, serviced apartments are good options. Further away from the center in Kammanahalli Royal Inn is a neat one. Just a heads-up: beds in apartments mostly come with rather hard mattresses.

Dreamy nights in the legendary Taj West End Hotel – Bangalore

Now let’s get to the point. What is there to see?

Looking for Jesus or Krishna, traditional or contemporary art, botanical gardens or extravagant malls, palaces or glass towers, there is a healthy mix of everything in Bangalore just keep your eyes and mind wide open.

Mind-blowing daily itineraries to follow:

• See how you can make the most out of a day in the city in Bangalore high speed
• Visit the best museums and stylish hot spots in Bangalore for the fussy classy