Bangalore India – Your Quick Travel Guide

In a nutshell

The silicon valley of India, Bangalore, is a very welcoming city and whether you’re a first time visitor or have lived there for long, you will absolutely fall in love with it.

Why go to Bangalore

The city never ceases to amaze you. On a day off the Bangaloreans never stay at home because there is so much to do and see that you feel you have very little time to explore it all.

Sometimes it seems that there are more expats than locals living in the city and that gives Bangalore a wonderfully cosmopolitan feel shaping a very diverse culinary and entertainment scene.

One of the most frequented places by both locals and travellers is the Johnson’s market where you’ll find the most sumptuous, mouth-watering food.

Lalbagh in Bangalore is famous for housing India’s largest collection of tropical flora and fauna, making it a must-visit tourist attraction in the city.

The Thottikallu falls and the Omkar Hills are some of the most popular weekend escapes for the Bangaloreans and the guests offering breathaking views and captivating scenery. Maybe this is the reason why, instead of staying at home on a day off, people in Bangalore like to explore the very beautiful gifts of nature the city has in and around it.

When to go to Bangalore

Bangalore is known for its balmy weather. Any time of the year is good for visiting Bangalore. However, during winter season which runs from September to February the weather becomes even more pleasant and it is around this time that majority of the tourists visit the city. This is also the time to enjoy some of the best outdoor activities and sightseeing. If you do get a chance to visit the city in this time period, just don’t miss out the very beautiful flower show in January at Lalbagh. It is a real treat for the eyes.

Where to stay in Bangalore

Bangalore is one of the best cities to live in India. This probably also refers to accommodation – there are lots of options to choose from in all the price categories. Many hotels occupy very new properties and offer great value for your money. Whether you are looking for a shared room, a private room, a separate house or a serviced apartment, Bangalore has everything to suit every budget.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly area, then Ulsoor and Marathahalli are some of the best options out there. While Ulsoor is in the eastern side of the MG Road Terminal, Marathahalli is in the suburbs of Bangalore. Both these areas offer cheaper rooms than the other areas of the city.

A rule of thumb for any price category is that the farther you go from the city centre, the more reasonable deals you find. The choice is wide –from fully furnished rooms to semi furnished ones if you’re looking to rent on a long-term basis.

If you are willing to spend and looking for luxury, then you might as well head to Whitefield or Richmond Town. These are some of the most posh neighbourhoods in the city and you’ll find plenty of luxury hotels here.

Where to eat in Bangalore

When it comes to food, your choices of world cuisines are almost unlimited. The city is a paradise for food lovers. From kebabs to waffles, from masala dosas to pani puri, Bangalore has something to everyone.

When we talk about street food, the most useful address that every Bangalorean name first is the very famous VV Puram Food Street or eat street. Hearty meals go for under INR 150 and you’ll want to keep coming back again and again. For all thing meaty, especially seekh kebabs and biryani Johnson’s market is the place to go.

Budget-friendly eateries abound all around the city. Some of the best ones that top the list are MTR at Lalbagh which is known for its lunch and dinner menus and Kabab Magic at Jayanagar 7th block. If you’re looking for cheap Sunday brunch, head to the Eva Mall and go straight to Cafe Masala.

How to get around Bangalore

Although the traffic in Bangalore may not be as organised as you’d like it to be, there are many options for easy travelling. The public transport system is very efficient, with the BMTC (local bus operator) having its own app to track your bus route and find out your ETA to your destination.

The Bangalore metro has two lines – one running from north to south and the other one – from east to west.

There are both AC and non-AC taxis, the former obviously are always more expensive but both are readily available throughout the city.

However, if you plan to regularly commute in Bangalore, buying an Ola Share Pass would make your daily travel very affordable. You can buy it at INR 30 for 5 rides a month or INR 150 for 40 rides a month.

How to get to and from Bangalore

The city of Bangalore is easily accessible to both national and international travellers. The new airport of Bangalore, Kempegodwa Airport, serves both domestic and international destinations, making the travel within the country and abroad extremely easy.

30+ domestic airlines and international airlines fly to and from Kenpegodwa airport and 6 of them use Bangalore as their hub.

Some of the most commonly travelled destinations within the country from Bangalore are Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, and Chennai. Exemplary airfares from Bangalore are INR 1400 for Goa, INR 2500 for Chennai and INR 2000 for Mumbai. Flight fares to and from Delhi and Bangalore are a bit on a higher side, starting from INR 4500.

Bangalore has two large railway terminals with several smaller train stations in the outskirts of the city. Indian trains are painfully slow and it can take over 24 hours to reach cities like Delhi or even Mumbai. Expect to pay anywhere between INR 800 and INR 5000, depending upon which class you prefer. AC First class is the most expensive class with fares more or less the same as that of airlines. Second sitting, however, is much cheaper but you will have a hard time travelling for longer distances as the seats are not very comfortable. Considering this, it is recommended to take local flights wherever possible as they can save you a lot of time.

Is Bangalore a safe place to visit?

As with any other city, you’ll definitely find dark and dingy places in and around Bangalore. But that doesn’t make it an unsafe city. It is, for sure, one of the safest cities to live in India.

One of the main issues here is the traffic which is absolutely horrible. It is not recommended to rent a car if you are not familiar with Indian style of driving.