Apart from consuming food in copious amounts, our trip to Bangalore also saw us explore Mysore in a weekend getaway. I  will happily admit that I enjoy nothing more than a good road  trip and truly believe long drives have therapeutic qualities. That being said, I wasn't sure what to expect of our three and a half hour drive to Mysore as its been quite some time since I last took a road trip around India.

Our path was beautiful. The road to Mysore was a relatively quiet one and the weather was on our side with a soft breeze and overcast clouds.On our way there, we also came across the same mountains that bore witness to the shooting of cult classic Bollywood movie 'Sholay'. Having ducked out quite early in the morning, we opted for a big south Indian buffet for breakfast en route.

Being surrounded by many beautiful cities and towns, when it comes to day trips from Bangalore, you really are spoiled for choice. . Although you could probably drive to Mysore for a day trip, if you want to spend some quality time exploring, getting through even one of the highlights would make for a very long day indeed. For us, we made our choice of Mysore owing to it being the most practical option during the rainy season and also its reputation as the 'city of palaces'. In keeping with this palatial theme here are all the things we got up to during our time there:

1. Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace 

 First cab off the rank was a visit to Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace in Srirangapatna. The palace is much smaller to what we came across later but it was a beautiful sight nonetheless.  Our visit to this little hideaway was a textbook case of 'don't judge a book by its cover'. The first sight that greeted us as we walked up the grassy path was a lemon yellow entrance that was hard to miss and to throw some more colour into this picture, the exterior of the palace was covered in curtains. As you can imagine, we didn't expect much. What lay behind the curtains however was a different story. There were embellished hallways and ornate walls with artworks covering every nook and cranny. The pathways that lead to its intimate rooms tell a similar tale and are aligned with sketches of historical figures that are definitely a sight to treasure. Unfortunately for us we had limited access with photography due to the renovations in the exterior of the building as well as the restrictions on camera in the interior.

2. Mysore Palace : Okay, let me begin by stating that this trip was nothing like what I had envisioned. I must say I'm a little embarrassed to admit that my plans for this visit were nothing short of delusional. Let us begin.

What I imagined: A grand and regal palace with no one in sight except of course yours truly. Dressed in a beautiful  traditional lehenga, I would be strolling around channeling my inner Rajkumari. 

What actually happened: We landed with full force in the middle of the Eid holiday. What we saw? A grand and regal palace packed to the rim with what appeared to be the entire population of Mysore and some more. The skies outside thundering down with rain and a morose, overcast grey tinge on anything and everything. Inside, the people pushing and shoving about the spacious rooms in collective admiration for the beautiful surroundings. 

With that being said, the palace still managed to muster quite a few "oohs" and "ahs" from me although I must  confess a couple of them came from the odd person stepping on my toe or the heel of my shoe. The colour, the grandeur, the detail, it all come together like a symphony and the effect was enchanting enough to make me forget the surrounding chaos. The palace inside was mostly green and gold making it not only striking but also quite different to my previous experiences. Another particular highlight was a gallery filled with artworks of the royal family members amongst which I spotted a painting by the iconic Indian painter, Raja Ravi Varma's whose work I have only recently come across. The particular artwork was a portrait which captured the subject with incredible softness and was a proof of why the artist is considered one of India's best.

Between the Gods playing spoil sport with the dreadful weather, the pushing, shoving and general chaos and the occasional rude tour guide, our time at Mysore Palace certainly mustered up many fond memories.

3. Stay at the Royal Orchid, Brindavan Gardens

The Royal Orchid is a hotel located in the midst of the famous Brindavan Gardens. If you're a bit of an old Bollywood movie buff, you'll notice that this particular place has hosted the shoot of many songs. So you can imagine our intrigue and accompanying high expectations. Today though, the gardens falls a little short of leaving such a huge impression on you. That said, staying at the Royal Orchid was a highlight of this trip owing particularly to the fact that I got to fulfill all my ~princessy~ fantasies. As we mentioned earlier, Mysore is a popular option for day trips from Bangalore. It is perhaps due to this that we found the hotel full of dinner and lunch guests but very few visitors that stayed. We certainly aren't complaining though since we had the palatial hotel almost all to our selves and that lead to plenty of exploring and day dreaming.The hotel comes complete with grand hallways and decor, not to mention some of the best views in town. After all it's not everyday you get to view Brindavan Gardens from your bedroom balcony. So if you want to treat yourself and go the whole nine yards with the princess routine, staying at the Royal Orchid is a must.

4. On our way back to Bangalore, we also did a detour to hidden gem. It became the most memorable part of our India trip but more about that later! Watch this space.