Bangalore, “Garden City” of India
Air France offers flights from Montreal to Bangalore, Toronto to Bangalore, Vancouver to Bangalore… In short, you may leave from various large Canadian airports for this Indian city with a population of more than 8 million.
Plan on at least twenty hours travel time for a cheap flight to Bangalore and an eleven-hour time difference. Our flights always have at least one stopover in Paris.
This city located in South India in the state of Karnataka, has a tropical monsoon climate. The rainy season is from May to November, the dry season is from December to April. The last month is the hottest (about 82°F). The temperatures are lower in Bangalore than in other Indian cities because it has an altitude of over 960m.
Therefore, Bangalore is known as the “Garden City” of India because it has many parks. You can take a stroll through the Lalbagh Botanical Garden or Cubbon Park. However, like many other Indian cities, it has a high level of pollution.
Bangalore, the Indian Silicon Valley
When you arrive from Canada in Bangalore, you will land at a brand new airport, since it only opened in 2008, 40 km from the city. Currently, you have to take one of a dozen bus lines to go to downtown Bangalore. However, a high speed train connection should soon be operational.
The airport is especially important today because Bangalore has become a very important university and scientific center, attracting many businesses to the city. They call Bangalore the Indian Silicon Valley.
Bangalore, built in 1537, is worth the trip for tourists. It was one of the seats for British government until the 19th century, when India was still an English colony.
Today, you can walk along the MG Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road), one of the city's main streets that is filled with restaurants and shops. You may visit the Bangalore Palace, the Bull Temple (Hindu temple), the Shiva Temple or the Tipu's Palac, and shop in the City Market.
Travel to Bangalore: practical information
Practical information: the currency used in Bangalore is the Indian rupee, which cannot be exchanged. However, traveler's checks and major credit cards are accepted and there are ATMs in the city.
There is good health service in Indian cities such as Bangalore which is not the case in rural areas.
To enter India, Canadian citizens need a passport and visa that are valid for at least 180 days beyond the expected date of departure from that country, whether you are traveling as a tourist, worker, student, or for business.