Bangalore

Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, the city of Bangalore (Bengalūru), the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration. Bangalore existed in the shadow of neighboring Mysore, the seat of the Wodeyar dynasty, which came under the scheming British Raj in 1881. When Bangalore Cantonment was built, a lot of retired soldiers from all over the country came over. Along with Poona, it was known as a retired soldier’s retreat/home. Bangalore houses many of the most well-recognised colleges and research institutions in India. Public sector heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications and defence organisations have moved into the city. Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because it is India's leading IT exporter. A demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major economic and cultural hub and growing frenetically.

Getting Around: Buses in Bangalore are cheap and frequent. Travelling on them can be very difficult if you don't know the system well. Ordinary city buses display the route number in English, with the destination and route information written only in Kannada, thanks to a myopic law passed by intractable policy makers in Govt. Everybody speaks English and buses have been traditionally considered infra dig since the British Raj. Autos are convenient, but do wear sun glasses as the air pollution level in the city is very high. Taxis in Bangalore are very convenient, comfortable, cheap and much safer than Auto rickshaws and operate only on cell phones. It takes one trip to understand this simple concept.
Where to Stay: Grand Ashok Hotel; Taj Residency Hotel; Chancery Pavilion; Park Hotel; ITC Windsor Sheraton Hotel Oberoi Hotel; Taj West End Hotel; Leela Palace Kempinski, voted 'The Best Business Hotel in the World' by Conde Naste Traveller for 2009; Le Meridien; Hotel Royal Orchid; The Paul and The Oterra Hotel are high-end. Hotel Woodlands; Fantasy Golf Resort; Hotel Vrindavan; Church Street Inn; Best Western The Capitol; 9 Marks Inn and The Bouvice are mid-range. All are online. Church Street Inn, Church Street/MG Road Budget Hotel; Silicon Suites; VSL Grand Serviced Apartments; Ajantha; Royal Regency Lodge and the YMCA are budget class.
What to See: Vidhana Soudha - The legislative House of the State of Karnataka;Seshadari Iyer Memorial, constructed of red sand stone in Cubbon Park; Bangalore Palace, built by the Maharajahs of Mysore; Tipu Sultan's Palace, (1790); Omthara Kala Kuteera, an oasis of peace and tranquillity; The Bull Temple; The Maha Bodhi Society Temple; ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple; Maruthi Mandir, a Hanuman Temple; Cubbon Park, a 121 ha green lung in the centre of the city; The Lal Bagh. A meticulously cared for 97 ha garden located on the southern part of the city; The M.G Road/Brigade Road area is the most popular place for tourists, and these two roads are filled with shops of every kind; Commercial Street, a legacy of the British is another shopping mecca; Bannerghatta National Park, on the southern edge of the city. This 100 km2 national park consists mostly of dense forest and scrub land, home to the bison, leopard, wild boar as well as elephants and alligators. Hesaraghatta Lake; Chunchi Falls and hundreds of other spots.
Where to Eat: Bombay Post; Blue Ginger; Cafe Mozaic; Grasshopper; Monsoon; Olive Beach; Koshy's; Sue's Food Place; 100 ft Restaurant; Little Italy; Mainland China and a host of other eateries. All known fast food joints dot the streets of Bangalore.