Bangalore boasts amusements parks, a planetarium, a water park and an aquarium – all of which should be of interest to children. Bal Bhavan is one of the city’s most popular amusement parks, where youngsters can enjoy toy train rides as well as horseback rides and a children’s theatre. Meanwhile, the water park called Crazy Waters is highly-rated by kids and their families. Crazy Waters and the other water parks in the city feature slides, tunnels and pools that provide excitement and a way to cool off while having fun.

Aquarium
Bangalore’s aquarium is located on Kasturba road, housed in an unusual diamond-shaped facility. Exotic and ornamental fish varieties can be seen here in dozens of tanks spread over the building’s two floors. Some examples of the fish that you’ll find here include: angel fish, catla, blue gourami, mahseer, red tail shark, Indian tiger barb and Siamese fighting fish. The aquarium is situated within the environs of popular Cubbon Park. Phone: +91 80 286 7440.

Bal Bhavan Amusement Park
Anyone visiting Bangalore with children should be sure to include a visit to Bal Bhavan Park. The amusement park is located in the larger Cubbon Park, and is filled with rides and things to keep youngsters happy for hours. There’s a toy train that weaves its way through the park, and also horseback rides on offer. You’ll also find the interesting Doll Museum, a children’s theatre, and tree houses and swings for the more active kids. Phone: +91 80 2286 4189.

Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium
The planetarium was opened in 1989, celebrating the centennial of the birth of Jawaharlal Nehru. The objective was to develop an interest in astronomy among local students – and the public as well. The facility’s ‘sky theatre’ boasts a dome of almost 50ft in diameter, and seats up to 225. Its observatory features a refractor telescope. Phone: +91 80 2220 3234.

Neeladri Amusement Park and Water Park
Neeladri Park is one of several amusement and water park facilities in the greater Bangalore area – all of which are popular with children. This particular park features more than 45 rides and a games arcade. You’ll also find here an amphitheatre hosting live events, ice cream parlours, restaurants and all sorts of vendors. Another park well worth a visit is Crazy Waters, set in a rocky landscape, and featuring water slides, tunnels and a large pool. Phone: +91 80 2652 4390.

Science for Children Gallery
The purpose for setting up this gallery was to develop engaging exhibits that would interest young visitors in science. Some of the interactive features at the science gallery include: an oversized piano keyboard on which children can dance to make musical sounds; a wall that’s set up so that children can make impressions of various body parts; and a musical games exhibit where children can make music using virtual instruments. The entrance to the gallery features a colourful mural made of multi-coloured beads, welcoming one and all to this exciting place. Phone: +91 80 2271 9512.

Art, cinema, museums dedicated to folk culture, archaeological exhibits, and dharma classes all feature in Bangalore’s rich variety of cultural activities. Cinema is a favourite all throughout India, and theatres here feature the best in Hindi and English-language productions. Art galleries and folk museums focus on regional works from ancient times through to the present day. Artefacts from archaeological excavations in the state of Karnataka are also on display at the Government Museum.

Cinema
As is true throughout India, cinema here is the focal point of entertainment and cultural activity. Most of the city’s cinemas are located in Gandhi Nagar and the MG road areas: in addition to the Hindi favourites, English-language films are screened everywhere. Two major venues are: PVR Theatres' Forum on Hosur road, which is a multiplex featuring 11 screens (phone: +91 80 2206 7880); and Rex on Brigade road, which screens both Hindi and English-language films (phone: +91 80 2558 7350).

Karnataka Folk Museum
This folk museum is managed by the Karnataka Janapadha Trust, and features an impressive collection of regional cultural artefacts. You’ll find displays of rare masks, costumes and items used in daily life and work – along with extensive holdings in recorded folk music and videos of folk dances. The museum is located in Sheshadripuram, at Kumara Park West. Phone: + 91 80 221 2901.

Maha Bodhi Society
The society runs an active temple programme of dharma teachings – with some Sunday morning sessions held in English. Meditation retreats are held on the third Sunday of the month, and are open to anyone interested. There’s a good library at the temple, and the temple grounds boast lovely gardens that provide respite from the hectic pace of the city just outside. Phone: +91 80 225 0684.

State Archaeological Museum
This museum is also known as the Government Museum, and is located near the High Court. Its architectural style is distinctive, being of European design and unmistakable with its red-coloured exterior. This is one of India’s oldest and best museums, boasting collections of old coins, inscriptions, paintings, sculptures and artefacts from digs. The ancient cultures of Bangalore and India are both well-represented. Phone: +91 80 344 5810.

Venkatappa Art Gallery
This gallery, housed in the Government Museum, is focussed on Indian sculpture from as early as the 4^th and 5^th centuries. Highlights from the gallery’s collection include works from Bihar, Khajuraho and Madhya Pradesh – dating from the 10^th century; Buddhist carvings from the Ganhara school of the 4^th and 5^th centuries; and Hoysala sculptures from Belur, Halebid and Hampi. Phone: +91 80 2286 4483.

Bangalore offers the visitor an excellent range of choices for trying out local cuisine, and also a number of pubs and restaurants featuring the cuisines of many other countries. The dishes here are typical of South Indian cuisine, which tends to be hot and spicy. The food is quite healthy by nature, in that it does not rely heavily on fats. Food is typically prepared by roasting or steaming, with rice forming the base for most dishes.

Some examples of local favourites include: huli, a thick vegetable soup; sambhar, another type of thick soup made without vegetables; saaru or rasam, which are types of broth; and curried dried vegetables, known as palya. Meals often end with a dish that’s a mixture of rice and curds, called mosara anna. Coconut features heavily in most Karnataka recipes.

Shopping opportunities are abundant in Bangalore – and designer merchandise, local products and handicrafts and IT items are all available. The city is known as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, and everything computer-related is readily available here.

A number of well-known malls, shopping areas and markets are all part of the city’s shopping scene. The more popular malls include Bangalore Central, the Forum and Garuda Mall; and the main shopping areas are centred on Brigade road, Commercial street and MG road, where you’ll find shops offering beautiful silks and textiles, contemporary silverware and more traditional silver jewellery.

Anyone interested in local handicrafts should head to Malleswaram, as Sampige road is home to a number of traditional south Indian shops. If high-tech products are more in line with your interests, you’ll find shops and markets throughout the city offering up computer hardware, software and accessories.

There’s plenty in the way of sports and outdoors activities in the Bangalore area. Nature-lovers will enjoy Bannerghatta National Park, which features many species of animals in their natural habitats; and the Serpentarium, with its many varieties of snakes, also living in natural circumstances. In the city centre, Cubbon Park boasts one of the finest displays in Bangalore of flowering plants, shrubbery and trees. You’ll find shady areas here for an escape from the summer sun as well.

Cricket
Cricket is by far the most popular spectator sport; and a large number of India’s most famous players have hailed from Bangalore. Names such as Roger Binny, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Syed Kirmani, Anil Kumble, Venkatesh Prasad, EAS Prasanna, Gundappa Vishwanath, and current captain Rahul Dravid fill out the list. Loads of local children play cricket by the side of the road or on the city’s public playing fields, attempting to emulate the skills of their heroes. The international stadium here is known as the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which has been hosting matches for more than 30 years.

Rock Climbing
The hills in Ramnagara are located around 20kms from Bangalore, and are very popular among rock climbers. The Sri Revanna Sideshwara hills are the biggest draw; and the forested area that surrounds the hills has been proposed as a wildlife sanctuary. The unique wildlife found in this scrub jungle vegetation, and also the prehistoric rock formations, are in need of official protection to ensure that they survive for future generations of visitors and climbers.

Ulsoor Lake
Ulsoor Lake is a favourite spot for hiring boats or taking cruises that stop off at some of the tiny islands scattered around the lake. This centrally located lake was developed by Kempe Gowda in the latter half of the 2^nd century. Its popularity is relatively new, however, with locals and tourists not really coming here in significant numbers for recreational purposes until the 20^th century.