Bangalore, India – July 1999
Bangalore! The “Silicon City”, the high-tech capital of India.
Cybercafes beckon and a surprisingly western culture permeates
sections of this 5.2 million person city. Thinking about visiting
Bangalore? You’ll find pubs, coffee shops, and dance clubs along
with vegetable markets, freely roaming cows, and rickshaws.
We are two Americans, one of Indian heritage, one
not, who have been living and working Bangalore for almost two
months. Hopefully, we can give you some pointers and share some stories and hard-earned wisdom that will make your visit here rewarding and memorable!
The way we’ve put this page together is that you will find brief
categorized info in the left-hand column with links to more detailed
info. If you’re looking for a more wandering introduction to the
city and what it’s like to live here, check out
We hope you enjoy the site and your trip to Bangalore!
color="#666633">Here’s
a map of South India with Bangalore highlighted,
courtesy of MapQuest.
src="http://www.bootsnall.com/images/southindiamap.gif" width="370"
height="263">
Bangalore’s high-altitude gives it a pleasant climate (24-32
Celsius), but you’re not escaping Indian weather patterns altogether:
weather authorities predict the twelfth consecutive
year of “normal monsoons” from May to October. Basically this means that most days in the afternoon, the skies open up and pour down buckets for about an hour. It cleans the air and mucks up the roads…
Check out
forecast for Bangalore. (note: this site doesn’t always have
data…)
color="#666633">
color="#666633">
Superfast history lesson for you: The city was founded in 1537 ruled by various Indian maharajas until the British took the
city in 1791. They gave the city back to Tipu Sultan (whose palace in Mysore is just a few hours away and stunning) eight years
later. It came under Mysore’s jurisdiction and rule after Tipu’s death and the Brits took control again 1830. Native rule returned
in 1881 with the Brits retaining a significant military force here
until independence in 1949. In ‘56, Bangalore became the state capital
of Karnataka and in the last two decades has established itself as
one of the most modern cities in in South Asia, attracting
foreign investors and multi-national companies.
color="#666633">Trains run daily from Bombay, Delhi, Hyderbad, Madras and most major cities. We did the Kurla-Bangalore Express from Bombay and that was about 24 hours. (Luke wrote
named “Majestic”) near the station will get you onto a bus to the center of town. Alternately, you can also get off the train at the “Cantonment” station and save 10 rupees or so on a rickshaw.
Bangalore’s airport is tiny and under construction. A few international flights come in and out but the airport mostly serves domestic flights. You’ll find that flying in India is quite a bit more
expensive than just about anything else! It’s about 4 times more
expensive than traveling 2nd Class AC by train (2nd AC is the
way to go, by the way). Pre-paid taxis run from the airport to
the city for about 170 rupees. Super-budget travelers can find
one of two buses that run from the airport to the city (#13 or
#333). Buses also run into Bangalore from all over.
color="#666633">Rickshaws are convenient and frustrating at once. These three-wheeled little brown and yellow vehicles are the best way to get from place to place in the city (besides walking). They’re required by law to use their meter. Sometimes you have to insist on it. The minimum meter charge is 7 rupees for the first two kilometers and than 3.60 each additional km. Try to carry change, because a rickshaw driver will inevitably say that he doesn’t have
change. Finally, don’t be afraid to argue with the rickshaw driver if they try to rip you off.
Imperial Hotel – On Residency Road.
Open ’til late, Imperial sports cheap eats (100 rupees for two people for dinner) and delicious food. The place doesn’t see many tourists but is a local favorite.
Karavalli – Behind the Gateway Hotel on Residency Road.
Traditional food from Kerala in a beautiful atmosphere. The food is the *best* we’ve had here and the prices are steep. 600 rupees for two for dinner and worth every converted dollar.
Sunny’s – Diagonally across from the Airlines Hotel off St. Marks.
Italian food. No, we’re not kidding. This place has the only good gazpacho in the city, perhaps in all of India.
Delicious authentic Italian food with a 200 rupee per person minimum.
We spent almost 800 for two people for Meeta’s birthday dinner.
Coconut Grove – On Church Street.
Yummy South Indian food. Nice outdoor seating, and a good pineapple halva with ice cream for dessert. Don’t miss their appums. 200-ish for two people for dinner. Drinks will cost you more.
Bheema’s – On Church Street.
Here’s how Andhra food works. You’ve got a banana leaf. They come and give you some rice on it, then three different kinds of vegetable curries, then sambar, then some white stuff, some yellow stuff. You mix it around with you hands and enjoy. They’ll refill your leaf until you’re full. Yum. And that’s exactly how it works at Bheema’s wear the
"vegetarian meals" are tasty, spicy and cheap. 90 rupees for two veg. meals. Carnivores pay more.
Ulla’s – Above the Symphony movie theater on M.G. Road.
Our favorite snack place. Cheap and tasty with an outdoor balcony. Great dosas, chaat, and good cheap North Indian meals for dinner (45 rupees) that’s enough food for two to share.
Canopy Restaurant – On M.G. Road.
The secret to eating well in Bangalore is the lunch deals at many restaurants and the secret to eating very, very well is the executive buffet at Canopy Restaurant, a nice rooftop place. You’ll find more food than you could possibly eat, with South Indian, North Indian and Chinese dishes to light up your taste buds and fill your stomach. Save room for the always yummy dessert. 65 rupees per person for unlimited
buffet. Dinner is pricier and, frankly, not as good.
color="#663333">General
Info Section
color="#663333"> Bangalore
is located in south India in the southern part of the state of
Karnataka [map]. It’s high altitude gives it
a pleasant climate. It’s rich
history
is combined with a serious high-tech business sector
and Western-influenced
areas of town.
color="#663333">Getting
Around
color="#663333">Here’s
some info on getting to
Bangalore.
color="#663333">Once
you’re here, you’ll discover that each area of the city has a
name. For example, we buy our veggies on
Shivajinagar, Meeta works
in Ragajinagar, but it’s all Bangalore.
If
you want to go somewhere here, first see if it’s close enough
to walk. Once you get the hang of crossing the busy
streets, being
on foot will let you discover all sorts of far out
stuff!
In
general, though, autorickshaws are the
best way to get around for travellers.
The
bus system is pretty good, but probably not worth
venturing into
unless you’ll be here for a while.
color="#663333">Accommodation
See
this website
for a list of hotels in the area.
color="#663333">Money
Citibank has over 30 ATMs in Bangalore, which is totally cool
because you can withdraw rupees with most bankcards.
There’s also
a Thomas Cook on the corner of Brigade Road and M.G. Road, and
a black market foreign exchange place in the alley behind it.
The exchange rates are such that most western currencies have
tremendous buying power in India. Bangalore is one of the most
expensive cities in the country but we still eat out
for two people
for less than US $5. Use
rates…
Besides accommodations, a traveller can expect to
spend 500 rupees
a day eating 3 meals out, having a few drinks at a local pub,
and rickshawing around the city. Non-drinking ascetic walking
types will find it considerably cheaper.
color="#663333"> Dining
Out
We love Indian food, and believe it’s one of the best parts of
travelling here. Vegetarians find eating in India to be simple
and worry-free, with most restaurants billing
themselves as “veg/non-veg”
or “pure veg”. Here’s a sampling of
our favorite
places to eat!
Pubs
and Clubs
color="#663333">Pubs
are a fascinating scene here. Our favorites are
PubWorld and the
Cellar. We hear that Black Cadillac is pretty cool, too. Meeta
wrote about
indialetters3.html">our
experience going dancing to The Club in a letter.
color="#663333">Coffee
Shops
color="#663333">Coffee
Day has a number of locations throughout the city including a
popular one on Brigade Road. It’s a cybercafe, too, where you
can surf the web for 30 minutes for 30 rupees.
color="#663333">About
Us
color="#663333">You’ll
learn more about us through our letters, but here we are in a
nutshell:
color="#663333">
height="100" align="left" vspace="3" hspace="3">Luke
Melia is native New Yorker and works as an internet consultant
and network marketer. He is currently consulting for Upline and
Network Marketing Lifestyles magazines and developing
his writing
skills. His work currently allows him to live anywhere there’s
a net connection.
color="#663333">
height="49" align="left" vspace="3" hspace="3">Meeta
Kapadia, whose family is from India, grew up in Virginia. She
is working in women’s development and microfinance,
currently consulting
on a project for the Bangalore-based Association of
Women Entrepreneurs
of Karnataka (AWAKE) and NABARD.
color="#663333">We’re
really digging living in Bangalore, though we confess to a bit
of homesickness now and again.
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