General Info Section
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. Its rich history is combined with a serious high-tech business sector and Western-influenced areas of town.
Getting Around
Here's some info on getting to Bangalore.
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.
Accommodation
See
this website for a list of hotels in the area.
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 this site to check the current exchange 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.
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
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 our experience going dancing to The Club in a letter.
Coffee Shops
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.
About Us
You'll learn more about us through our letters, but here we are in a nutshell:
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.
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.
We're really digging living in Bangalore, though we confess to a bit of homesickness now and again.
