An un-Indian surprise

Chandigarh, as umpteen visitors to the City Beautiful have said, is the most un-Indian city in the subcontinent. The country's first "planned" city - it was designed by master urbanist-architect Le Corbusier in the first flush of post-Independence idealism in the 1950s - it is spacious, green, geometric. And paradoxically, it continues to fuel debates on organic cities versus planned ones.

While that discussion rages, travellers could well be excused for enjoying Chandigarh for the aberration that it is. The roads are straight and clean, cutting across each other at right angles. The traffic is the most orderly in the country, the roundabouts are planted with flowers and well maintained, the residential houses rarely exceed a genteel two or three storeys. Unreal as it may seem to anyone familiar with the chaos of other Indian cities, Chandigarhians, justifiably proud of their home, are arguably the most civic-conscious people in the country.

In keeping with its global vibe, the city is now redefining itself from being just a bureaucratic hot spot - Chandigarh is the administrative capital of two states (Punjab and Haryana) and a centrally administered territory in itself - to an IT destination. The characteristics of the city spill over into Haryana as the suburb of Panchkula, and into Punjab as Mohali, which is home to the PCA Stadium, just across the border. However, the better options for accommodation and entertainment lie in Chandigarh.

Weather

Just like the rest of the country, in Chandigarh too temperatures are at a high during the summer months of April and May. During the day it's between 32 and 37°C, while evenings range between 28 and 30°C. Cottons are the way to go during this season in India's north.

Getting around

Chandigarh Airport has daily connecting flights to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Srinagar, Leh, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Chandigarh also offers great rail connectivity to the rest of the country, with the Paschim Express that connects to Mumbai, the Kalka Mail to Howrah, the Dehradun-Chennai Express to Chennai, and several more making a stop here.

Chandigarh is a fairly prosperous city, where every resident family has at least a couple of vehicles, so public transport isn't a strong point here. Cabs and app-based taxis are your best bet for getting around.

Where to stay

Apart from a couple of stray options in Mohali, Chandigarh offers a variety of accommodation across budgets. Traffic being not too bad, no place is too far away.

High-end
The best hotel here is undoubtedly the Vivanta by Taj Chandigarh (from Rs 7500), and highly recommended despite being some distance away from the stadium. The other option in this category is the JW Marriott (from Rs 8000), about 7.5 kms from the stadium. Run by the Chandigarh administration, Mountview (from Rs 5500) has elegant rooms and pleasant views, as well as what they claim is the best bar in the region.

Mid-level
The other government-run hotel, Shivalikview (from Rs 4000), promises good facilities and a location in the heart of the city. Hometel (from Rs 3400) is a new hotel with good rooms and excellent dining options, about 8km from the stadium. In Mohali, Hotel Majestic (from Rs 3100) is a stone's throw from the stadium.

Budget
Also run by the Chandigarh administration, Parkview (from Rs 2200) has a few rooms in this category. Hotel White Palace (from Rs 2400) promises all the basic facilities and is not too far away from the stadium. Hotel Mirage (from Rs 2500) is close to the stadium and gets great reviews.

Where to eat

Short of heading further north to Punjab, Chandigarh is probably your best bet for sampling hearty North Indian food. What's more, a good meal is very affordable.

High-end

Most of Chandigarh's fine-dining restaurants are in the luxury hotels, and the JW Marriot lays claim to the best of them - Saffron does great North Indian food, while Oregano brings an Italian trattoria to life. Dine on the best of Japan, China and Thailand at The Lalit or at Hibachi at Hotel Icon.

Mid-level
This is where Chandigarh spoils you for choice. Whistling Duck does everything from South Indian to Korean and does it exceedingly well. The live music nights are a bonus. Escape the city within the white-walled Virgin Courtyard and take refuge in its extensive Italian wine list, risottos and pasta. Ghazal, in the shopping and entertainment hub of Sector 17, is a long-standing favourite for its dal makhni. Swagath is a chain restaurant serving Mughlai and South Indian dishes.

Budget
Sagar Ratna, part of the Swagath family, offers great South Indian dishes at bargain prices in a clean environment. Among dhabas, you can't go wrong with the legendary Pal Dhaba or the Gopal's chain of fast-food restaurants.

Where to party

Nightlife is vibrant in Chandigarh, especially over the weekend.

High-end
Saturday nights at Paara, one of the city's most lively nightclubs, can be loud, crowded and just what the doctor ordered if you're looking for a crazy night out on the town. There's a regular lineup of live DJs and bands on weekends. More bar than lounge, Sattva also has live bands playing through the week. If you're looking to dance, Ten Downing Street Lounge at the Altius Boutique hotel is the place to be.

Mid-level
Chandigarh's caught the brewery bug and The Brew Estate is currently the best of them where you can pick between lagers, wheat beers and ales, along with a host of seasonal brews and beertails. The dubiously-named Ooze: The Brauhaus also does a range of pilsners, ales, lagers and the usual weisses and dunkels and good finger food, as does Hops n Grains. If sport is more your jam, Score screens matches and races during the evenings and turns into a nightclub post 9.00.

Budget
Chandigarh has no lack of budget drinking places, though they aren't always women friendly. While they could certainly do with more women customers, Wild West Pub at Khyber restaurant in Sector 35 has enough character to guarantee a good time.

Must-Dos

Go for a walk around Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh's pride and joy. The picturesque 3km-long man-made lake gives you an insight into the city's rhythms. Pick up a snack from the adjoining eatery and join the city's health-conscious in a brisk walk - or do it the other way around.

Visit the Rock Garden, local artist Nek Chand's innovative garden created from waste - picture frames, forks, broken bangles and the like. The weird and wonderful figures are testimony to the artist's ecological awareness long before the environment became a buzzword.

Drive up to the Himalayas. Kasauli, a charming Raj-era hill station, is just two hours away. Moments after leaving the city limits, the air develops a clean, cold nip. Stop for a fabulous lunch at Giani da Dhaba (don't miss the lemon chicken).

Admire Rose Garden, Asia's largest, where 50,000 bushes of 1600 species bloom in splendour. The Rose Festival is celebrated every year in February-March.

Try the unpretentious, calorie-rich and distinctly delicious North Indian dhaba cuisine. Go to Swarn Dhaba for the best mutton curry in town.

All information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication, but please make sure and confirm it independently as required. All prices mentioned are in Indian rupees. Hotel prices are for double rooms. Prices are indicative and subject to change