After a very short flight of just 45 minutes I stepped into a city that was crowded to the breaking point. There were people everywhere, everywhere I looked had more people coming into the streets. But the language, the people, the culture were all evident.

The hip teenagers walking around in their ultra fashionable clothes, the ladies in sari’s with their pottu’s and the shalwar clad women with their bindis. It was all their for the traveller to experience and to be a part of

Once you get to Bangalore what you do, depends on what kind of person you are, I for one started planning out my shopping.

One place you have to visit is Commercial Street, also known as Com Street to many. Here you get so many shops that you might not know where to start and where to end. Remember keep aside a whole day for this as it’s that much bigger than any other street.

It’s going to take all your time, strength and energy. All of which will be worth it as you walk away with some of the best bargains. Remember to always check the little by lanes on the street, and look beyond the stalls that are on the road.

Bangalore has many must visit stores. For one you have to visit Fab India in Koramangala. Walking in this store reminded me a lot of Barefoot, this also has a range of shalwars and kurtas that would leave your head spinning. Yes, I know what you are thinking, its India and shalwars and Kurtas are everywhere. So what is so special about it?

It’s the colours that they are in. Beautiful, vibrant colours as well as the quality that is rich and comes with an equally rich price tag compared to the other stores. But the clothes here are worth the money you spent. Being a Fab India clothes addict I can vouch for their clothes and how long they last even after many machine washes.

Then there are the t-shirts available at Tantra. They have some t-shirts that has got some fun and wacky saying printed across on them. If you were to visit the store for the briefest moment trust me you will just go crazy trying to buy out the whole shop... I know I did.

Once you have had a hard day of shopping why don’t you try and head out to Bangalore Bistro which serves some of the yummiest food ever. Try their brownie sizzler which is just heavenly... this is definitely one of the must have desserts in Bangalore. Or seek out some Chinese food place that serves mo-mo’s , the local version of dim sum that is just heavenly.

Corner Shop has some of the best desserts you can get. You have to try their Death by Chocolate which is every chocoholics dream. Its got brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce and the list goes on. It is truly heaven... sigh!!! My mouth waters at the mere mention of it.

Then there is the bookstore that makes me want to stay in and never come out; Gangarams. You name the book you want… and no matter how unheard of it is, they are guaranteed to have it. Or at least get it for you.

My excessive amount of partying and non stop shopping meant that I never had the time to see many attractions in Bangalore. But there are some must visits I have been told.

Here are a list of the must visit places in Bangalore I picked up from Lonely Planet.

Bangalore Palace
For an insight into the homelife of the Wodeyars (the current raja still lives here), take a peek inside Bengaluru Palace. An aged retainer will guide you around the palace, which was designed to resemble Windsor Castle. Alongside many family photos, the sometimes lavish interiors are hung with a collection of nude portraits, adding a saucy note to the tour. The guards get touchy about photos being taken of the exterior.

Bull Temple & Dodda Ganesha Temple
Built by Kempegowda in the Dravidian style of the 16th century, the Bull Temple contains a huge granite monolith of Nandi and is one of Bengaluru's liveliest and most atmospheric. Nearby is the Dodda Ganesha Temple, with an equally enormous Ganesh idol.

Cubbon Park
Named after the former British commissioner Sir Mark Cubbon, the 120-hectare Cubbon Park is where the city breathes. Inside and on its fringes you'll find the red-painted Gothic-style State Central Library, two municipal museums, an art gallery and a bleak Government Aquarium.

Government Museum & Venkatappa Art Gallery
The Government Museum houses a drably presented collection of stone carvings and relics, as well as some good pieces from Halebid. Your ticket is also valid for the attached Venkatappa Art Gallery, home to the surreal watercolour landscapes of Sri K Venkatappa (1887-1962), court painter to the Wodeyars

Iskcon Temple
Built by the wealthy International Society of Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), better known as the Hare Krishnas, the shiny Iskcon Temple is lavishly decorated in a mix of ultracontemporary and traditional styles. The Sri Radha Krishna Mandir blends souvenir selling with a stunning shrine to Krishna and Radha.

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat
The Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat visual-arts gallery is Bengaluru's best. You'll see a wide range of Indian and international contemporary art, as well as the lavish gold-leaf work of Mysore-style paintings, and folk and tribal art from across the continent. There are also galleries devoted to Russian master Nicholas Roerich, whose vividly colourful paintings of the Himalayas are outstanding, and his son Svetoslav, who settled in India.

Krishnarajendra Market Area
For a pungent taste of traditional urban India, dive into this bustling wholesale fresh-produce Krishnarajendra Market and the dense grid of commercial streets that surround it. This is the main Muslim area of the city and you'll also find here several mosques, including the impressively massive lilac-painted Jama Masjid.

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens
This delightful park, was laid out in the 18th century by Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan and named for its profusion of red roses: lalbagh means 'red garden'. The park contains many ancient trees, one of India's largest collections of rare tropical and subtropical plants, a glasshouse modelled on London's Crystal Palace and one of Kempegowda's watchtowers.

Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technical Museum
The mechanically minded will find plenty of interest at the quirky Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technical Museum, which includes all manner of electrical and engineering displays, from a replica of the Wright brothers' 1903 flyer to 21st-century virtual-reality games.