The road from Bangalore and Mysore is excellent. We liked it and we reached Mysore in a couple of hours I think.
We had initially planned to come to Mysore and then go back to Bangalore for a couple more days and then to go Coorg. After looking at the map we realized it did not make sense to backtrack. So we stayed 5 days in Bangalore and then came here. Mysore was closer to our next stop - Coorg.
It occurred later that we could have added Nandi Hills to our itenary. We thought we could do it if we started early but our entire trip was supposed to be a lazy lazy holiday so we started late.
Mysore Brindavan Gardens :
Being late - we thought to stop at the Mysore Gardens first. For some reason it was like deja vu. Perhaps it is just the number of times I have seen it in old movies ... No idea. Seeing it now however made me realize it had lost its charm for me.
I could not help comparing it with the gardens I have visited abroad and I felt it had so much unrealized potential ! Yes the flowers beds , the trimmed shrubs were good. Yet it seemed so much lesser than what it could be. Disappointing.
At the entrance they encourage you to go to an aquarium but it is not much to write about. The gardens have a nice big layout and the fountains are nice. There are however many of the small fountains that either do not spout water or do not have enough pressure. We walked up - the gulmohar lined path from where we could see the gardens give a lovely view.
Disappointing again - we could not view the dam. I am guessing this is due to security reasons but it was sad nonetheless. I had been looking forward to seeing the huge expanse of water but this was not to be.
At 7 pm we slowly made our way to the musical fountains area. The fountains do look good with lights.
Needless to say the entire crowd was there but we deliberately decided to miss the first show. And we landed in the area around 7:30 pm. Each show lasts about 15 to 20 minutes. The hordes had lessened and we got seats around the fountain. We really enjoyed the show.
Tips:
1. Do sit on the high seats around the dancing fountains. The view is better.
2. Skip the first rendition of the evening's musical fountains. There is less crowd in the second / third round and you get to see without any jostling.
3. There is a hotel inside the gardens - if you want to see the gardens in the mornings without any crowd to disturb you - then this is the place to be. While we did not stay there - our friends did and they said they liked it.
Mysore Zoo:
We really enjoyed Mysore Zoo. We started in the afternoon next day and we got to see all the animals. We thought we would check the cart but there was a big queue and the last cart was supposed to be at 4pm I think. So we walked. And realized this was a better option. I had taken the cart in Katraj Zoo and when I compare with this - I think walking is the better option.
First you come across the giraffes ! No matter how much you have read about this animal's height - seeing it in first person is amazing ! :) They are so tall and their legs are not as slender as they appear in the National Geographic channel. They are muscular and you can understand how one well aimed kick can stun or even kill !!!
Birds, Animals, Snakes :) It is a big zoo - and we saw plenty and it was fun ! :)
Tips:
1. Consider going around 2:30 - 3 pm. Less crowd and you can still see all the animals.
2. Crowd for the cart tends to be higher and ends at 3 I think - but walking is still the best way to see all the animals.
3. It is a big zoo so plan for plenty of walking.
