I'm headed to Bangalore in 30 days for a two week work trip. My company has set up the hotel and transportation, I have my visa and am set on vaccinations etc, but I have little questions.
Congratulations. First of all, the name is Bengaluru. Bangalore was the corruption of the name by the English. So, a lot of Indian cities are reverting back to their original names. Both names are commonly used. I would use Bangalore when I spoke English, but Bengaluru when I spoke in Kannada (the language of the state of Karnataka).
Do I need to bring shampoo and soap or will a Hilton have that in the room? Is is safe to assume if there is a washer/dryer in my room, that they will have laundry soap?
Nope. Just like any hotel, you will have soap/shampoo, etc. I believe that the service in an Indian Hilton will be much better than any in the US. I stayed at the Leela Palace and the Windsor in Bengaluru and the service was awesome.
I have never seen a washer/dryer in any hotel room. I'm sure they have a laundry service. Can you google the hotel and check the amenities?
My hotel is on Embassy Golf Links Road, across from the Karnataka Golf Association and it looks like offices for JP Morgan, IBM, Microsoft, PwC, etc are nearby. As a female traveling solo, will it be safe to walk around to get some exercise in the middle of the day? I'll be working UK hours so won't go into the office until around 2pm India time.
Bengaluru is very safe. I would ask you not to walk around in the middle of the night (like any other city around the world).
The sun will be intense around noon, so use a hat. If you are fair skinned, please use sunscreen.
Watch out for the traffic as you walk. Keep to the sidwalks or the gardens.
I'll have two free Sunday afternoons, any can't miss places or tours? I'd really like to do a couple walking tours to learn more about the culture and see the city.
Try to make a trip to Mysuru (old name, Mysore) which is about 80 miles away. The palace is lit up between 7-8pm on Sundays (Please verify). Beautiful town, but I am a bit biased since my parents are from Mysore. This is only possible if you have at least a day or more.
What do you wish you knew before you went? I won't be bringing any shorts or short sleeve shirts (luckily Nov is the least hot month) and was going to bring a scarf in case I go into any temples. Anything I should be aware of, tips, etc?
Be aware that November is cool by Indian standards. Probably still as warm as your English summer, or warmer (high of 82F or 27C and a low of 64F or 18C) Suggest you do not wear short skirts or revealing clothes. It is not as humid as Mumbai or Chennai (coastal cities) and is cooler since it is at an altitude of 3000feet.
As others have said, water is a dangerous thing. So, no salads, no chutneys, no cold foods. You should be good at the Hilton, but I am talking about other places.
Traffic is horrendous. 10km might take a hour or so.
@soopy and
@namasteyall both have great points. Also
@meghan88, except for the marriage proposals.