Known as the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore is a 21st-century city moulded by rich cultural heritage.
With the advent of the Information Technology industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s Bangalore embraced, still does, millions of immigrants from across the world every year. This influx of migrants also brought upon infrastructural changes in the city. But, Bangalore made sure that it held on to its cultural heritage while taking leaps in technological advancements.
An important centre of art and culture in South India, Bangalore is one of the few cities to have the theatre culture still alive. It produces some of the most excellent Indian Classical dancers and Carnatic musicians. The heritage of Bangalore is evident through its architecture too. One can locate Dravidian, Hoysala, Islamic, and modern-corporate architecture styles while touring the city.
The tropical savannah climate makes sure that Bangalore remains warm to hot with frequent spells of rain throughout the year. Bangalore is famous for its lakes and gardens and once had lakes and vast forests covering every corner of the city. As they say, to gain something, something must be lost. In its way of becoming an IT hub, Bangalore has lost much of these green areas and lakes. None the less, the city still has 17 lakes and several gardens and small forests.
The IT industry brought nightlife too. Bangalore now boasts numerous pubs and cafes filled with millennials who work through the day and party at night. Also termed as the beer capital of India, Bangalore consumes more beer than any other Indian city. Bangalore lives through Oktoberfest all year long.
Are you planning to visit Bangalore? Here are a few things and tips you might want to read before you begin your journey into a cultural confluence that is Bangalore.
The best time to visit Bangalore is the winter months. With the temperature dipping to a minimum of around 10° C, the weather is pleasant throughout the day. Bright sunshine makes the days ideal for roaming around while night breeze will take all the tiredness away.
Bangalore experiences moderate to heavy rainfall during these four months, and it’s the perfect time to visit waterfalls and western ghats around Bangalore. The Western Ghats is a global biodiversity hotspot which extends through the west coast of India, also known as Sahyadri Range.
Very Hot. Temperature can soar up to 38° C.
Accommodation –
Bangalore offers hotel stays, homestays, bed & breakfast, and hostels. The industry caters to guests with all budgets and requirements.
While cheap hotel rooms are available from Rs 500 – Rs 1000 ( $7-$15 approx.) per night, there are also five-star accommodations available starting at Rs 15000 ($200 approx.) or higher.
With the corporate influence, there are several hotels chains across the city, providing an enjoyable stay experience in a well-secured environment for around Rs 2500 – Rs 3000 ($ 30 – $ 40 approx.).
Paytm Hotels is one such aggregator of hotels where one can avail suitable accommodation at a decent cost.
Food –
With people from different cultures and communities settled in Bangalore (and visiting executives from around the world), the food culture exploded in Bangalore in the second half of the last decade. Think of cuisine, and you have it all available in Bangalore- be it Chinese, Lebanese, Continental, Italian, or Indian of course.
Again, just like the rest of India, Bangalore offers food for every budget. One can easily find a South Indian meal in a decent restaurant for Rs 150 Rs – 200 ($2 – $4 approx.)
We would recommend Empire Restaurants- a chain of restaurants in South India if you want to try some authentic South Indian food in all its variants.
Transportation –
Travelling within the city is a bit of a hassle. With the ever-increasing population of Bangalore, roads are getting narrow day by day, increasing traffic in the town. The one thing that Bangalore is infamous for is its traffic jams, especially during the rainy season. So, yes, travelling can be tough. Uber or Ola do make it easy for one to travel, but if you believe in being local and using public transport, then Bangalore is the place for you.
The city is well connected internally via a bus network run by the government. For every route, there is a bus every 2 minutes ( AC or Non AC), and all routes are well connected. One can avail a daily pass for unlimited travel within the city.
If you want to experience the real Bangalore, we would recommend at least one ride in an auto-rickshaw. It is a different experience altogether. And if you are lucky enough, it can be a crazy one too.
Suggested daily budget – Rs. 3,000 ($39.56) per person
There are two shades of Bangalore- one that moves at a rapidly fast pace between the tech industry and bustling nightlife while the other moves at a slower pace, more peaceful and well connected to the heritage.
Which shade would you like to see, or are you in favour of experiencing both together? Let us know in the comments!
Are you planning to check out other cities too? Check out our comprehensive destination guides on Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, and Goa as well!
May 26, 2020
abhimanyu
Very Informative 👍🏻👍🏻