Category: Travel

Connection to the city: I am originally from Pune and have been brought up in the city. Best thing about Pune: Its pleasant climate, greenery all around and cool breezy evenings. Life here is peaceful. It is a small city so you don’t have to commute much for work. You get plenty of time to spend with your family or to visit close friends and relatives. Pune is a major educational centre. In addition, there are plenty of job opportunities here thanks to its many IT and BPO companies.
Favourite eating place: I am a big foodie. My favourite eating place is Cafe 1730 located in Serene Bay, Koregaon Park. I like the place for its amazing food, great service and live music. It is famous for Continental and Goan food. My favourite here is Mix Meat Lasagne. The dish is made with several layers of lasagne sheets and exciting sauces.
Best places to hang out: There is an active night scene here. The best places are Mi-a-Mi at JW Marriot in West Pune, as well as Swig and Mix@36, both in Koregaon Park.
Local attractions: I would recommend the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, a three-storey structure housing rare artifacts; the 125-year-old palatial Aga Khan Palace, where Mahatma Gandhi was incarcerated by the British; the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park (popularly known as Pune Zoo), spread over 130 acres and home to 362 species of animals, of which 147 are endangered; and the Osho Garden, a beautiful 12-acre park created from former wasteland.

Recommended places nearby: There are many well-known hill stations near Pune like Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani and Lonavala-Khandala.
Pune when compared to other cities: I have stayed in Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru but Pune is a much better place because of its bracing climate, especially during the monsoons. Pune is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. The tree cover here is extensive and I will have no hesitation in calling Pune the Green Capital of India. That alone makes it a lovely place to stay in.