Foreigner says Bengaluru is ‘living in the future’, ranks Karnataka as his favourite state

A foreign traveller’s take on Bengaluru has caught the attention of social media users after he called the city “the only place in India that’s living in the future”. The man, identified as Jack Heaton on Instagram, shared a video from his visit to Karnataka, where he spoke about the city’s modern lifestyle, dining scene, green spaces and startup culture.A foreign man praised Bengaluru’s green spaces, dining scene and startup culture. (Instagram/ jack_ofalljourneys)(Also read: ‘Is Bengaluru chaotic?’: Foreigner busts myth, says city is ‘pretty calm’. Watch)Traveller praises Bengaluru’s modern sideIn the video, Heaton said, “I think I’ve found the only place in India that’s living in the future. I’m visiting every state in India to see which one is actually the best, and next up is Karnataka, home to the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore. I spent two weeks here and was shocked. Replace the trash you see on social media for high-end dining, green spaces, sci-fi looking temples, and more start-ups than there are potholes. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of culture once you get outside the city. For now, Karnataka is taking the top spot.”Watch the clip here:Along with the clip, he wrote that social media had “done India a little dirty”, adding that while some stereotypes may be true in certain places, they do not represent the entire country. He said his aim was to show the positives of every state he visits while also being honest about his own experience.‘Bengaluru surprised me’In his caption, Heaton further wrote, “I had no real expectations for Karnataka, but it surprised me, I found Bangalore incredibly liveable (minus the traffic), full of hardworking young people trying to do best for themselves whilst also still being pretty friendly.”He also said that he had friends in Bengaluru, which helped him gain more local insights. He added that spending Holi in the city made the experience special for him. According to Heaton, Karnataka had taken the top spot in his personal ranking, ahead of Tamil Nadu, though he clarified that the rating was based on his enjoyment and experience as a traveller rather than numerical statics.Internet reactsThe clip has received several reactions from Instagram users, with many agreeing with his view of Bengaluru while others pointed out the city’s civic issues. One user wrote, “Bengaluru is amazing if you can survive the traffic.” Another said, “Finally someone showing the positive side of India instead of only chaos.”(Also read: Woman shares how she found a PG in Bengaluru without stepping out: ‘Search, call, shortl’)A third commented, “The startup energy in Bengaluru is real.” One person wrote, “Traffic is a nightmare but the city has its own charm.” Another said, “Glad you enjoyed Holi here, Karnataka has so much more to offer.” A user also commented, “This is the balanced travel content India needs.”(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)