REACHING NCBS, ADDRESSES, TRANSPORTATION

Not enough people responded to our questionnaire, but it is clear from the available numbers that delegates are arriving at Bangalore too staggered over days and arrival times to make airport pickup worthwhile. So we are cancelling the initial plan to set up an airport counter and to arrange mini-buses to take delegates from the airport to conference hotels. The following notes will help you arrange your own transportation from the airport and on subsequent days.

NCBS is approx. 25 km from the airport, with the conference hotels approx. 2 to 10 km farther towards town. From the airport you can take Uber or Ola cabs to reach your destinations. These cabs are available outside the arrival gate at the designated Uber/Ola taxi stands. If you don't use Uber or Ola, just hail any taxi cab waiting outside the airport. Almost all the airport cabs are air-conditioned. Most cab drivers speak a little bit of English, so you can get by. The cab should charge you Rs. 600 or so during the day, slightly more after mid-night if you are reaching NCBS main campus or the guest house (ca 150 rupees more if you are going up to your hotels further away) (you can draw Indian currency at the ATMs on the airport, or exchange at the money exchange counters). Travel time from the airport to NCBS is ca 30 minutes. When reserving Uber and Ola cabs, enter your destination either as "NCBS" / "National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore" if you want to go to NCBS campus or Champaka Guest House, "Mandara Hostel" if you want to go to your NCBS guest house rooms in Mandara and Sugandhi, or your hotel name and address. If going to NCBS, ask the cab driver to take you to "NCBS, GKVK, between Yelahanka and Hebbal". For this, you get off the airport flyover before Jakkur, take a U-turn at the Amruthahalli traffic light (before the traffic lights for Kodigehalli and Hebbal), pass the L&T entrance on the left side, and then turn left to enter the GKVK campus.

Once you are on the GKVK campus, almost anyone on the street should be able to direct you towards NCBS, and there are also small signs for NCBS along the road. However, if you don't want to ask (e.g., if it's late at night), here's how you get there: after entering GKVK campus, take the first left (this is after the mango orchard and a big play ground), and then either take the first left to reach the NCBS main gate, or turn right and then first left to reach the NCBS guest house. If any security guards ask where you want to go, just tell them "NCBS". At the NCBS security gate itself, tell security personnel that you are on campus for the Biology of Butterflies conference. If you are staying at the NCBS guest house, please carry a printout of our email confirming your room reservation.

Please note that Mandara and Sugandhi are two NCBS-owned apartment buildings in the same gated housing complex called Mandara Housing complex, which is in Yelahanka. If you assign your drop location as Mandara Hostel, your cab will take you there directly from the airport. If you have a reservation in the NCBS guest house arranged through Krushnamegh's lab, carry a printout of the reservation as a proof, and go straight to the guest house to settle down. Mandara and Sugandhi are about 4 km from the NCBS campus, and transportation will be via the NCBS-arranged shuttle/buggy service. The shuttles depart from the residential complex and the buggy departs from just outside the complex (check out the timings here), and either will drop you directly at the NCBS reception. For further assistance, you can download this NCBS app that will help you plan your shuttle and buggy trips. If you are unable to locate the transports, please ask the security officers on duty for directions. Champaka is a guest house that is located on the NCBS campus, so if your reservation is at Champaka, please come to the campus, sign in, and consult the reception staff. Afterward, there will be signage to guide you to the conference halls, and there is no shortage of people who can guide you to the assigned venues for the conference. If you have questions, please call NCBS reception at the phone numbers listed here. In case of an emergency, you can also contact our lab members at the phone numbers listed here.

Here are the addresses for the NCBS campus and the Mandra Housing Complex for your reference:

Once you are settled down, you can call Uber and Ola cabs from any of these locations to travel around Bengaluru. If you have any questions, feel free to ask NCBS reception, they are very friendly and informed folks. They also have contacts with several travel agents, so you can arrange for cabs for longer trips around Bengaluru if you like. Also, feel free to ask people from Krushnamegh's lab any time if you have any questions. All academicians (including students and young research assistants) and most staff you will meet on campus speak fluent English, feel free to ask if you have any questions. Overall, it's a friendly and safe campus where getting around should not be a problem even for foreigners who are visiting India for the first time (we receive a significant number of international visitors every year).

Welcome to Bengaluru, and enjoy the scenic NCBS campus and facilities while you are here!