The moment we told our friends & family that we would move to India, there were a number of people who directly responded with a firm commitment: ‘wow, we will definitely be going to pay you a visit’.
I have been reading a lot of books about psychology in the last 20 years, so I’m aware of the big difference between ‘saying’ and ‘acting’. People can easily find excuses to postpone their travels, and India isn’t a very easy country to visit so a commitment could turn into a firm ‘no’ after reading different horror stories. The dirt, poor people on the streets and the constant honking of cars are not appealing to everyone and could even change someone’s mind.
Luckily we had some overseas guests the last year. Some of our friends were so kind to spend some time with us, combining a visit to Pune with a trip to Goa, Mumbai and/or other places in the Indian Subcontinent. We already had decorated and furnished a room in our house for guests; sleeping in a wonderful Airbnb in Sind Society, with an unlimited bar and a nice big garden was the offer that we made to our friends and family. And a big bonus off course: seeing us and spending some days in the wonderful city of Pune.
Time passed by until our first friends were to arrive in Pune and we started wondering: where should we take them? What places should we visit with them? We have travelled through this immense country over 5 times. It doesn’t feel arrogant at all to say that we ‘know India’ exceptional well. It is easy for us to weigh out various options and we have been very happy with Pune. In fact, it’s one of the finest cities to live in! The weather conditions are good (except for the very damp and hot months of April and May) & there are a lot of easy to access facilities within the neighbourhood. It’s the ideal place to live, and I still feel very blessed to be here!
However, there are some limitations, although Pune may be the ideal place to live in. It’s one of the largest cities in India without too many tourist attractions. Pune has no large temples, no must-see caves and no unique heritage buildings. We find living in a city without this very convenient. As a Westerner, you can easily walk around in the city without being approached by pan-handlers and that’s a big plus. Have you ever been in Mumbai or have you walked around or near the Taj Mahal in Agra? Then you know what I mean: you will find numerous people with other purposes rather than kindly talking to you; they want to sell you stuff. These people haven’t defined Pune as their hunting territory as yet.
But what should you do when your loved ones are coming over to see you? You want to take them a bit further than the society gate, right? And you definitely want to show them more than the H&M and Zara at the Phoenix Mall….? Are you with me? We had this challenge numerous times last months and found a 2-day tour that was appealing. It will give your guests some flavor of the city and it’s fun. So, what did we do? So, what Pune ‘highlights’ have we brought them?
The main highlight is to see each other after so many months again, of course. But after the cuddling and chatting, you probably want to go out and explore more of the city. I know a guy from the Netherlands, he told me e very funny story: when they had friends over, they would always take them to the meat market of Shivaji Market in Camp. It is an interesting concept but I must admit it: I have done it a few times and the looks on their faces tell if they like it or not. I don’t take them to Shivaji to annoy them. I want to explore the beauty of the market with them and show the magnificent architecture and hundreds of colourful shops in the area. A brief visit to the church opposite of Shivaji is also on our list, followed by a lunch in Koregaon Park. We recently found a new favourite hotspot in Lane 6: Indigo Delicatessen. It’s not a cheap place, but the food is awesome and you will impress your guests if you take a lunch break here. My advice is to go for a late lunch. It will allow you to visit the Osho Commune Park after lunch, as it re opens again at 3pm. The Osho Commune Park is a love-birds paradise, but the main attraction is the clean and green setup. It’s fun and relaxing to walk around.
Another Pune-area to wander around is the Tulsi Baug area. The beautiful vegetable market, the narrow streets with kitchen aid goods and Laxmi Road, which is the (traditional) fashion street of Pune, can easily fill up a whole day, especially if you have lunch in one of the thali restaurants. On Sundays or Wednesdays, one should definitely explore Juna Bazaar. It’s a predominantly Muslim area near Camp, with a large flee market. Please prepare yourself and your loved ones: it’s a bit of a gritty and messy place, with goats running around in small alleys and people selling second-hand stuff. But we have found some great catches for our house, of course for bargain prices.
Do you have a recommendation for us to explore in this lovely city? Please share your list of must-visits for tourists and residents. For more details about this city please visit www.lexagent.net
For more wonderful stories about India, through an expat eye please visit Jasper’s personal blog: https://bustlingpune.com/