My very first trip to India took place from 31st March to 4th April, to the city of Bangalore. It was for a short work trip. I have heard a lot about India from Daddy’s work trips, so I had some expectation set.

Upon arriving at the airport late on Monday night, the office driver (seems this is the most popular mode of transport in Bangalore, where offices hired cars with driver to ferry staff around) greeted me with my name card held up. I was addressed as “Mum” or “Madam” from then on.

♥The Hotel – Leela Palace♥

I was put up in The Leela Palace. Upon identifying me at the reception, the staff walked me up to the room, and briefed me the facilities available in the hotel. This is the first time I have my check in done in the room in a hotel; after signing a form, and giving the staff my credit card details, she gave me a tour of the room showing me where things are. The room is big, luxurious and comfortable, the kind fit for a royalty (and I think the kind of hotel ‘Princess’ Zara would love).

I managed to further explore the facilities the following day. All corridors have high ceilings; there is a huge and beautiful garden, a nice pool (never tried it), and a luxurious spa.

Everywhere is decorated with fresh flowers. I love the way they put fresh flower petals and/or floating candles in dishes every where in the hotel.

The service there is impeccable. I had the concierge helped me carry my bags to the room (if I didn’t want to go straight back to the room when I got back); buffet breakfast came with service (fruit juice, freshly made Dosai, prathas or eggs sent to your table); Ice tea and light juice is served in the gym.

What’s more? It has a daily Yoga session held at the pool side from 6am to 7:15am. The instructor is a small bony man who flexes his body effortlessly. I dragged myself out of bed every morning to attend. A great feat for someone who normally wakes up after 7:30am daily. It sure charged me up for the rest of the day.

♥The Food♥

If you love Indian food, you have to love food in Bangalore. When our Indian food tastes very much like curry powder mixed with water, the Indian food in Bangalore is so refine. The bread or roti, dhal, savoury yogurt, curry, vege patties, cottage cheese (paneer), they are all so delicious. It’s so easy to be a vegetarian there because of the variety of vegetarian dishes. However they are all quite fattening because of the ghee used in cooking.

Breakfast was included in the hotel, and the food there was good, especially the coriander chutney. I had it with anything and everything.

Lunch was catered and we had it in the office. Love the bryani and yogurt.

I never knew Indians could make soup so delicious. Dhal with mint, chicken soup, tomato soup, yums!

A meal like that in Leela, costs me INR1220 (~RM100).

Non-Indian restaurants normally served multi cuisine dishes. I had Indian food in Japan, so I must have Japanese in India too right? Not really very nice. Ravioli and toasted brie was yummy.

The best meal was at Sahib Sindh Sultan Restaurant at Forum mall (supposedly a fine dining restaurant), where the chef offered to pose for the camera. Lunch for 3, came up to INR2073 (~RM180)

After a meal, you’ll be brought a finger bowl with a piece of lime to clean your hands; and then you are offered some of spices (beetle nut, fennel seeds, cloves, cardamom) to help with digestion, some of these spices are sprayed with a layer of silver or wrapped in silver and some sprayed with chocolate or sugar. I tried the Paan (beetle nut wrapped with leave) as well, and boy, it was horrible. It’s like eating grass with cheap lotion. I had to spit it out!

Now, aren’t all these photos nice? I was chauffered daily to work, hotel->office, office->hotel. If you blind folded me on the journey, this would be all that I see.

There are more photos to come which will show you what it’s like on the street.