Have u read my other revu ''whatzz up (with) Bangalore-an ode??'' I have received some M2M mails after that accusing me of not doing justice to Bangalore. Despite of my repeated appeals that I am in love with Bangalore, that I have made many Bangalorean fr'ens and am daily hanging out with those ppl and that I am not targeting Bangalore, but it's leaders, one person even sent me a personal mail asking me to brush up my grammar and spelling before practicing vocabulary for GMAT (and put up a personal fight)!!!
I would have thought that this particular message was with good intention had the person pointed out my mistakes and gave me the correct solutions. But, even after two of my very polite mails asking that person to help me out with the grammar and spelling, I’m still waiting. U may say that it may have been delayed and that I’m trying to use this to my benefit. U may call me a hypocrite. Actually, a hypocrite is one who--well, heck with it! Who’s not???I too love to be recognised and make scores of fr'ens on MS!
Coming back to the topic, here I am with the good intention of helping out ppl who want to tour Bangalore.I am pointing out the great places here and how to try to come out unscratched and satisfied from the tour.
This is surely not for the rich and the luxurious. Coz u need not be afraid- money makes every thing in Bangalore (plz note: no pun intended).
Where to stay??
As soon as u get out of the railway station, come out, go to ''Kempagowda bus terminal''.(Don't bother if u are coming by bus. It takes u directly into this terminal). It’s very near-u can walk. If u have heavy luggage with u, take an auto. It’ll be just the minimum charge-10 Rs. In this bus station, in the ninth platform, u get something called ''Yatri Nivas''. This is given on contract basis to private management and so is very clean and neat. I promise u, u won't be disappointed. The rooms cost from 375 per day to 650 per day (exclusive of tax, 'course). The tax will max be 25 bucks totally.
Don’t think this is costly and go searching for other ''middle class'' hotels. The tariff anywhere is the same And u may not find the security and neatness u find here there. This Yatri Nivas also provides u with very neat dormitories (clean bathrooms and lockers for ur luggage) @ 100rs per day and a chair in a clean room (equipped with a TV and very neat bathrooms, again) @ 30 bucks per head for 2 hrs.
About tours and travels:
After settling down, do not go searching for private travels (for tours including other places like Mysore and Ooty along with Bangalore’s').
If u are going for KSTDC(Karnataka state tourism development corporation), make sure that it is run by the govt. this is coz the state govt has given permits to lots of private travels to operate under their name.
Better go for ITDC (Indian tourism development corporation)-a central govt run one.
The rates of any travels are the same. So, do not go looking for ''middle class'' ones again. The time given by all these travels for sightseeing is the same and isn't enough actually.But, the thing is this govt one's take u in proper buses, do not overbook, do not wait till all seats fill up, do not become arrogant in the return journey and do not ask u to shuffle btwn busses at 1 o'clock in the night to take u in lighter vehicles like Swaraj Mazda so that they can take the shortcuts to save fuel.
Remember this, the less days the package is for, the more reasonable the rates are. Even if u take packages for more days thinking that u can get more time for site seeing (poor u!), they'll spend that extra time on taking u to shopping malls and asking u to rest in ur rooms!
So, if u want to tour at leisure or if u want to tour only Bangalore, better take a vehicle from these travels so that u can get all the time in the world.
See, that they charge u per km traveled and not according to the days traveled.
I’ll concentrate on only Bangalore site-seeing now.
One thing before that, if u r going to Mysore, u can stay at ''Balaji Palace'' (oops! forgot the address) which also boasts reasonable rates like Yatri Nivas. It also has net facility(just 10 bucks for hour and with good speed), snook zone and pubs within our reach on the ground floor.
In Ooty, u can stay at ''Khems''-- a good place with the same rates as in Bangalore's Yatri Nivas and Mysore's Balaji Palace. Plz note that I know only these and have been at these places.
There might be better ones than these. I do not claim that these are the only ones.
So, coming back to only Bangalore--
Within the city, u have (this is also for ppl who are here like me for short stay spanning for some months):
Cubbon Park,
Bal Bhavan,
Vishveshwarayya Industrial and Technological Museum,
Govt Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery,
Ulsoor Lake,
Bangalore Palace,
Fort and Tippu's Palace,
Lal Bagh Gardens and
The Bull Temple and Sri Gangadhareshwara Temple.
*U can fashion shopp in this fashion city of India at M.G.Road, Brigade Road and Commercial Street.
*U can utility shopp on Kempa-Gowda Road and at areas around Majestic Circle.
*City Market and Russel’s Market has fresh flowers and fruit.
*Bangalore has 90 theatres and I have no idea abt the goods and bads of these.
*The Chowdiah Memorial hall and Ravindra Kalakshetra host varied cultural programmes.
*The Nehru planetarium provides education and entertainment.
A li'le outside Bangalore, u have these excellent places:
Do not miss out on them, especially if u are going to stay here for quite some time. Enjoy these places on weekends with ur frens or family.
Talkand (temple and pilgrim center on Mysore road-132km from Bangalore)
Shivasamudram (picnic spot-120 Km On Mysore Road)
Kolar Gold Fields (98km, Old Madras road-requires prior permission. Children below 10 aren't allowed)
Mekedatu (98 Km on Kanakapura Road-picnic spot)
Nandi Hills (60km on Bellary road-hill station)
Shivganga (56km On Tamkur road-hill)
Muthyala Maduvu-Pearl Valley (45 Km on Anekal road--picnics spot with waterfalls)
Devarayandurga (70km on Tamkur road--ideal getaway spot)
Savanadurga (61 Km on Magadi road--temples and trekking)
Thippagondanahalli (35 Km on Magadi road-Reservoir. Needs prior permission)
Dodda Alada Mara (28 Km on Mysore road-picnic spot)
Hesaraghatta (26km on Tumkur road-has artificial lake for Wind Surfing)
Bannerghatta (21 Km on Anekal road--forested picnic spot) and
White Field (16km on Airport road--ashram by Sri Satya Sai Baba)
Please note that this is matter I have gathered from various sources like net, brochures, colleagues, friends and my own experience. I am just putting it at one place so that it can be of use to ppl and so that u need not again go thru all this routine urself.Since I ‘m telling it myself, do not go abt calling me names.
contd in comments column.
