A strong Maratha seat, a city that’s growing and sprawling and being stretched, the IT hub of western India or the cultural capital of Maharashtra. Pune is known for many things. How long have you lived in Pune? You probably grew up here or perhaps moved to study or work. But if you want to be a true-blue Punekar before 2019 ends, here’s a bucket list that you must tackle.
Pune Bucket List: Things You Must Do Before 2019 Ends
The information in this post might be outdated
Sip On Tandoori Chai at Chai La
If fast-paced big brother Mumbai, has cutting chai, Pune shows that there’s always time for a good cup of chai. Chai La in Kharadi pours a hot cuppa!. The kulhad is heated in a tandoor and semi-cooked tea is poured in. The hot kulhad bubbles up the rest of the tea and it’s later poured into a clean kulhad for you to sip. Coffee lovers, they serve a tandoori coffee version too!
Shop Around The Peths
If you’ve lived in Pune long enough, you know that these heritage markets are where you go for stuff that won’t damage your pocket. Shop for home decor items in Tulsibaug, for books and stationery head to Appa Balwant Chowk, shop for jewellery and clothes on Laxmi Road and get your home furnishings at Shanipar Chowk in Sadashiv peth. THe more you meander down the streets, the more you’ll find.
Bar Hop In Baner
The city is growing and with it, its outskirts. Sure, there are a lot of places you can go to in KP or Viman Nagar. But Baner is becoming hipper, as we speak. You can guzzle down on a rooftop at The Tenth Floor, sample Pune brews at Effingut Brewerkz and Independence Brewing Company, get a great deal at Linkin Barrel or at Mr Rabbit’s Bar & Burrow.
Visit Unique Museums
You’re in the cultural capital of the state, so you’ve got to douse yourself in some cultural activity. And, Pune has quite a few unique museums worth touring. Look at miniature trains and tracks at Joshi’s miniature railway museum or go to a fire-department dedicated museum, Keshavrao Jagtap museum. Vikram Pendse’s cycle museum can teach you a thing or two about wheels or if you bleed blue, you can step into the Blades of Glory cricket museum. And if you’re interested to look at palm-leaf manuscripts of the Marathas, written when they were at war, visit the Maratha History museum.
Play Sports Underwater
You thought you’d only see marine life underwater? Naw, you can play too! Finkick Adventures, which is a scuba diving training centre, also hosts underwater games: rugby, cycling and hockey. You’ll have to sign up for a PADI-certified dive course or you can do a two-hour Try A Dive too, to judge how comfortable you are in full gear underwater.
Visit Famous Wadas
Pune is known as the cultural capital of Maharashtra, so naturally there is a lot of history in this city. Visit all the famous wadas(forts) that hold the Maratha pride. Visit the Vishrambaug Wada that was built in 1807 and of course, Shaniwar Wada which is a major tourist attraction in Pune. An entry fee of INR 20 is applicable if you want to visit the wada and trust us, if you are a history geek, then you are going to fall in love with the architecture of the wada.
Food Hop In Camp
The cantonment area in Pune is a lush green area that we call Camp. Camp still has the old world charm, with cute Parsi homes and iconic Irani and Parsi restaurants. Take a day and go on a food trip around the area. Start your day at Marz-O-Rin, one of Pune's most famous Parsi bakeries started in 1965. From their chutney sandwiches to their vegan and gluten-free options, we recommend everything. Then head to Dorabjee and Son's for an authentic Parsi lunch and end the day by having scrumptious mutton dalcha at Baghban. A meal for two at all these places will not cost you more than INR 700.