Safe for Single Woman in Bangalore???

asiatraveller28

Hi all,

I will be travelling to Bangalore for a couple of weeks for work. I have heard conflicting stories about whether it is safe for a single woman like myself. Does anyone know anything about this? Is it safe for me to walk around the main shopping areas on my own during the day/night? Aside from basic common sense and precautions, do I have to be stringent about pickpockets and or men "accidently" brushing up against me? I have travelled extensivly in Malaysia and Thailand for work and have had only wonderful experiences...can I expect the same from Bangalore? Is the security in the better hotels and serviced apartments generally good?

Thanks for any advise you may have for me on this!

soulfood

Unlike their counterparts in North India, cities down South are quite safer. I mean in a place like Banaras [North India], you are *guaranteed* to be not only just brushed against but even grouped or sqeezed. Not so in a city like Bangalore. It might happen but it will be very uncommon.

Please do not mind if someone stares at you. If you find someone looking at you intently, even for a long period, he is NOT likely to be a stalker. We have a certain fascination for fair skin in this part of the world, so just try to ignore it.

As long as you use common sense and dont stay out too long [after say 10.30-11], you'll be quite safe.

Have a good trip!

sudheer poppa

Bangalolre IS the city of expats in India.

After the diplomatic area in Delhi, Bangalore is the place to find most of the long staying non indians in India. In my company there are about 20+ long stayin single wenstern girls and many many more visit us for 2weeks to 1 month period often ( by the way are you visiting us ?)

In the middle of the city it is completly safe upto say 9 pm to travel alone, but then it depends on where you are staying. Just that some auto guys are nasty beyond that. The only case of reported violence against single western woman (that I recall) happened about 5 years back. But if you go to night clubs and get royally drunk, expect your ass (and other places) to be pinched. Otherwise, I vote bangalore as the safest place for Single western traveller in India (Mumbai may be competing heavily for this post). Expcept ofcourse the tourist raunts of Kerala and Goa.

If you could pm me your mail id, I can give you the useful info directory maintained by us, used in our expat program.

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pooch

Bangalore is generally safe even after 9pm but exercise caution with auto drivers, avoid shopping areas in the city centre on weekends cos that's when the problematic sorts from Bangalore and outwith make their weekly trip. I still wouldn't say it's unsafe but chances are higher. I feel sorry for those who have to put up with men in the north, I haven't seen anything untoward in Bangalore myself and have only heard one negative account from a single female traveller in Bangalore and the culprit an auto driver.

asiatraveller28

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm looking forward to being there.

beach

To be honest, I’m a bit afraid of single women of Bangalore (more so in the Brigade Road & MG Road)

Chandra

You are? I've been many times in Varanasi and never experienced things like that. Actually, the only times I've had that kind of experiences have been in big crowds, and it has happened only twice in the six or seven months I've spent in the north.

India isn't that bad, really.

C

asiatraveller28

Having established that I should have no problem travelling around during the day and until 9:00is at night, I am looking for some shopping tips. I will not have a lot of free time, probably only over the weekend. I have been sent on a mission to find pashminas and tableclothes. Any recommendations where I could pick there up, preferably near one of the main shopping centers so that I can look around at the same time?

Also, I prefer making my own food. I will have a kitchen. Are there any better supermarkets that stock good quality fruit and vegetables? I know there is a large expatiate community. Is there anywhere that stocks food products imported from England?

pooch

Not everything imported from England nor all one would require for everything required to have your perfect British or continental meal but quite a variety of anything that can be canned , bottled or preserved can be found at Thom's, Wheeler road. I can't remember precisely what town it falls under though, there's like Frazer, Cooke and Cox town all within a 3 km radius .

soulfood

Pooch, Google tells me Wheeler road probably goes through all three.

AsiaTraveller, Thom's Bakery and Stores is 1/2 Wheeler road, Ph-5301860. For regular food stuff, there's nothing better than Food World. Look for the one close to where you're staying. Here's a list of all Food World and some other supermarkets in Bangalore. Cant say about pashminas and table cloths though. You could try calling up Just Dial free information service...I think the number is seven times 3. It's a useful resource.

Beech, I'm curious...what makes you afraid of single women of Bangalore?

Chandra, this is the general impression I have about North South divide...I would say women are comparatively safer in South. I could well be wrong about Banaras though. I read about it in Pankaj Mishra's travelogue "Butter Chicken in Ludhiana." In it he mentions *several* woman narrating harrowing experiences in the city and then goes on a long diatribe about the possible historical reasons for this and his own crooked explanation. If someone's thinking of reading the book, please don't. I would strongly recommend against it.

I mean this guy goes to every small town and all he sees is misery and dirt and inconvenience and hopelessness and hollow aspirations. Completely failing to recognise the essence of Indian humanity. The reason I picked up the book was because I liked his later novel "The Romantics." I was looking forward to reading Butter chicken... but it was such a disappointment.

So, have you read any interesting travel accounts of India...?

slonik

Food World is OK (there is one on MG Road). But if you are after an even more "Westernised" experience and better choice of Western-style food, I suggest you head to Food Bazar at the top of the Bangalore Central department store on Residency Road. They even have a cheese counter!

Travelingbhat

You might try commercial street area for shopping for your tablecloths. This link has an address for the Kashmir emporium that might be a good bet for Pashmina shawls. I know that Fab India had some cotton bedspreads and curtains and think they also have table linen.

Fab India in bangalore is a bit futher out from the city in Koramangla though.

Gurjari, Utklika and other state by state handicraft stores are mainly on residency road in the Pinto towers per the site. I have shopped there for things that arent local to Karnataka but regional.

Central Cottage Emporium on MG road is great for souvenier shopping under one roof at fixed price.

Virtual Bangalore web site had a good bit of information that you might find useful.

http://www.virtualbangalore.com/ShpI/ShpIEmp.php

crvlvr

i've heard stories about pretty girls getting brushed up against in the crowded Commercial Street and Brigade road. do what soem of the local women do.. Carry a sharp object and use it discretely to fend off the intruders. some innocent bystanders get poked every once in a while too.. .. (Maybe thats why Beach is afraid?) All this is pretty minor, nothing to be worried about..

Thoms used to the the place for imported stuff. its justa mile or so from Commercial St. head north/east from the east end of Commercial St. and Thom's Bakery will be on your left side as you approach the first big circle. The roads becomes Wheeler road at that point (I forgot what its called as you exit Commercial St)

Food World (supermarket chain) with locations all over the city now carries a lot of imported stuff too..

bangaloreboy

hey asiatraveller28,
Nice to know that you are keen to visit bangalore. Its definitely a good place to stay provided you take some precautions. the IT boom over the past 2 years has seen an influx of people from all over the country, and with it an array of problems to the city. I have lived all my life here(23 years) and can safely tell you that if you keep to yourself and do a bit of homework about bangalore, it should be a cake walk. Some the points below shold be of help :
a. almost 80% of the population in bangalore speak english, but if you can manage a bit of kannada ( the local language here ), it'll do wonders for you, for instance the taxi or auto guys will not be able to fool you by asking exorbitant price for a ride.
b. a trusted banglorean friend along is an ideal way to travel bangalore.
c. makes sure you know the prevailing rates of things in the city, be it taxi, artifacts etc.
d. People here are quite open to fashion and things, but generally localites respect people when they are aptly clothed. This helps to ward off the wrong elements too. So try to be in the local attire as much as possible.
e. There are very good places in bangalore where you can be absolutely freak out....some of the places are Brigade Road, Koramangala, Jayanagar, Commercial Street...
f. Koramangala has everything you'll ever need , from continental cuisine to european food, Huge Shopping malls( The Forum ).....and since a greater part of the place is a residential area, you might want to try and find a place here. Its very well accessible to all the other places i have mentioned above and its a quite place to live. However, the cost of a 2 bedroom house in koramangala is on the higher side...around Rs. 5000 i.e., 100$ per month...
g. Make sure you avoid place like city market, Tannery road, Shivaji nagar....these are usually the black spots in bangalore.

any other info you need, i'll be glad to give.

bangaloreboy

As i have already mentioned, Brigade Road is a decent place as long a you keep to yourself and even better if you move around with a friend....