Under $100: Bangalore

Bangalore is a hotspot for expats looking to move to India for work in the tech industry, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t also have a fun side to offset its all-business attitude.

There’s plenty of culture and history to see in the Silicon Valley of India. Start your day with a stroll through the Lalbagh Botanical Garden, created in the 1600s. The glasshouse is the most popular site in the garden and was built to honor the Prince of Wales in the latter half of the 19^th century. The biannual flower shows are held in the glasshouse every January and August, but if your visit falls during another time of the year, you can still find almost 2,000 different species of plants on the garden’s 240 acres.

Government Museum © Noppasin Wongchum | Dreamstime

Grab lunch at Riwaz for their North West Indian cuisine lunch menu. The set menu includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert for about $20.

You could easily spend the rest of your day at Attara Kacheri and the surrounding museums. You can’t miss the bright red color of this government building’s exterior. While you can’t go inside, many tourists like to stop by and snap a picture before heading to one of the buildings in the vicinity. For only a few dollars, you get admission to both the Government Museum (also with the striking red exterior) and the Venkatappa Art Gallery.

For a little more than $30, you can end your day with a great fine dining option — Grasshopper, a gourmet and seasonal restaurant on the outskirts of the city. The outdoor dining is quiet and intimate, enveloped by a rural setting that reflects the simplicity of the seven-course menu.