Living and commuting and working in Bengaluru often leaves you with little time to appreciate all the beauty and wonders that this wonderful city has. When was the last time you took a day off and became a tourist in your own city?

Staycations are a much abused word, but you don't need to worry about the culture police if you're doing the right thing - visiting the greenest of green attractions in Bangalore. So I'm sharing with you these top 6 eco-friendly Bangalore attractions that you can visit and spend the day exploring.

Lalbagh is one of the top Bangalore tourist attractions, commissioned by Haider Ali in 1740 and completed by Tipu Sultan. There is so much greenery, flowers and natural beauty in Lalbagh that you can spend the whole day exploring it. One good way to explore all of it is to take a 'Green Heritage Walk' in Lalbagh with Vijay Thiruvady. The 3-hour tour begins at 7 am, at the base of Big Rock, and ends at 10 am with breakfast at MTR.

Time: 7 am to 10 am

Address: Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, Mavalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560004

Website: Bangalorewalks.com

Phone: 08026570181

Price: Rs. 500 per person (Rs. 400 for seniors and kids, with Rs. 250 additional for breakfast)

South of Bengaluru is the magnificent world of lions and tigers, leopards, deer, bears, peacocks and butterflies, and all the wildlife you want to see at the Bannerghatta National Park. Book your wildlife safari tour in Bannerghatta National Park. Your choices include the lion and tiger safari, bear safari, herbivore safari, or a Grand Safari that includes all of them. Photo credit: Abbas basil/wikimedia

Time: 9:30 am to 5 pm

Address: Bannerghatta Road, Bannerghatta, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560083

Website: http://bannerghattabiologicalpark.org/

Phone: 8884414268

Price: Rs. 260 for Grand Safari (Rs. 80 for Zoo, Rs. 30 for Butterfly Park)

According to wikipedia, Bangalore once had 280 to 285 lakes. That's incredibly hard to believe, because there are now only 17 left in the city, and most are so polluted that it's dangerous to take a swim in the white froth and industrial / human waste that foams out of the water.

Visiting these lakes is not an eco-friendly attraction in Bengaluru any more. But there are some spots of scenic beauty that are as yet unpolluted, such as Hebbala. The traffic intersection is maddeningly noisy and filled with a sea of people passing through, but the migratory birds still flock to the lake, as do nature lovers, boaters and ornithologists.

This is one place in Bengaluru where humans and nature are able to coexist on a massive scale that is somehow good to see because it gives you hope that we can support progress without destroying the surrounding environment. No steel bridges yet, but even if does come, the eco-friendly day out at Hebbal Lake will not be effected.

Here's a full list of all the water parks and lakes in Bengaluru where you can spend the day splashing in the water, having fun that is good and clean, and will not affect the environment. Photo credit - Dipanjan Chakraborty/wikimedia

Time: 7 am to 8 pm

Address: Hebbal lake Park, National Highway 7, Bellary Road, Outer Ring Road, Bangalore, Karnataka 560024

Website:http://travel2karnataka.com/hebbal_lake.htm

Phone: --

Price: Free

Cubbon Park is yet another of the top historical attractions in Bangalore, and also an incredibly beautiful green refuge that you can explore at your heart's content. Join the tourists and joggers on nature walks, and visit the Bangalore Aquarium, the second largest aquarium in India. You'll get to see three floors teeming with marine life. Photo credit: Sakthivel E/wikimedia

Time: 10 am to 5:30 pm

Address: Cubbon Park, Kasturba Road, Near Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001

Website:http://travel2karnataka.com/aquarium_in_cubbon_park.htm

Phone:08022867440

Price: Free

Top 6 Eco-friendly Bangalore Attractions

1. Green Heritage Walk at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens

2. Wildlife Safari in Bannerghatta National Park

3. Eco-friendly Boating Park at Lumbini Gardens

4. Farm Stay at Nandi Hills

5. Lakes in Bangalore

Eco-friendly Stay at Evoma Hotel - Green Stay with Outdoor Garden and Pool

6. Bangalore Aquarium at Cubbon Park

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