Leisure

Nature Walks

With the invaluable heritage and greenery that surrounds it, The Taj West End invites its guests to intimately experience a nature walk with Vijay Thiruvadi, an expert naturalist who also conducts Green Heritage Walks at Lalbagh gardens regularly. The walk begins at an ancient rocky outcrop showing a ficus elastica tree, then heads to a massive rain tree on the south side. Next are the gulmohur (flamboyant) trees, an ancient Peepal tree and the gardens, a Cluster Fig tree and Sheesham and Jamun trees. So pervasive has been the influence of the surrounding flora that all the residential blocks of the hotel are named after flowers.

The walk covers the architectural beauty of two well-preserved century old buildings; the first of these is The Tulip block, constructed in 1887. The second is the heritage wing constructed in 1905. The buildings showcase the beauty of colonial architecture such as the gabled roofs, front ended by verandas, special floor tiles imported from Italy and decorated inner surface of the roof tiles that were some of the features of these two buildings going back almost a century. These buildings are today among The Heritage Buildings of Bangalore.

The final stop is at the magnificent 150 year-old rain tree on the south side of the hotel that is followed by a relaxing high tea, either under the tree or poolside.

Conducted for in-house guests on request, nature walks last 1 hour and 30 minutes and are best enjoyed at 9:00 a.m. or after 4:30 p.m.