In Focus: Bangalore Solar Slum Tour
Bangalore, India
From USD 47.00
Office phone number: +919900442242
In Focus: Bangalore Solar Slum Tour
Bangalore, India
Culture shock rating
Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.
Low
Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.
Medium
Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.
High
You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.
Physical rating
Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.
Low
Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.
Medium
Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.
High
Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.
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Tour snapshot
Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Pollinate Energy, a social enterprise that’s lighting up lives in the slums of India. Learn how they’re reducing indoor air pollution from kerosene and wood stoves, and bringing solar light to Bangalore’s tent slums. Chat with the people behind the project, meet locals living in these communities, and come away with a better understanding of social enterprise in India.
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Highlights
- Learn about and meet with the team at Pollinate Energy, an award-winning international social enterprise
- Head out into a local slum with one of our entrepreneurs and see how they’re bringing light to India’s urban poor
- Enjoy chai and conversation with a local family living in a tent slum
- Watch the slum community light up around you as the sun sets and families come home for dinner
Local Impact: How you will help the local community by joining this tour:
- All net proceeds from this tour will go directly to Pollinate Energy.
- A portion of each tour fee is given to the family that you sip chai with.
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Schedule details
- Duration: 4 hours
- Meeting point:
Blackberrys, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar. Opposite Bhartiya Jalpan Restaurant.
- Find the exact meeting point with what3words:
- Starting time: 4.00 PM
- Ending point:
MG Road, Shivaji Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001
Language: English
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, local transport between meeting and end points, lunch, chai with a local family in a slum (the family that hosts you receives a payment for their time).
Exclusions: Solar light (you may choose to buy one from your Pollinator to take home as a reminder of your adventure).
Bangalore is one of India’s most cosmopolitan city destinations. An entrepreneurial hub, Bangalore is thriving and growing. We love the can-do attitude, the ever-changing social scenes, and even the blossoming microbrewery industry! However, as a result of this rapid growth, Bangalore is also home to hundreds of thousands of people living in shanty-style tent homes, unable to access their basic needs — like electricity, water, and shelter.
Venture off the beaten track and experience first-hand the life of these Bangalore city slums with Pollinate Energy, a social enterprise that’s bringing light to India’s urban poor. Indoor air pollution from kerosene and wood stoves is the second-highest cause of death by disease in India. Pollinate Energy finds local people who are passionate about helping the families living in tent slums, and trains them to run a micro-business. They go from tent to tent, talking to families, introducing them to solar lighting and phone chargers, and helping them buy a solar light on an affordable payment plan to replace their kerosene lamps.
To start your journey, you’ll visit the Pollinate Energy office in Bangalore, a place bustling with activity as “Pollinators” pop in to pick up new stock, and while our team manages a growing network of hives across all of India. You will hear first-hand Pollinate Energy’s start-up story, learn how far the organisation has come, and where it’s going.
Following this, you’ll take off on your adventure. We'll grab lunch at a local restaurant and you'll be taken on an auto-rickshaw journey through Bangalore’s busy city streets, far from the downtown, to a tent slum on the fringes of Bangalore city. Under the close guidance of one of our Pollinators, you will enter a tent community and be welcomed into the home of one of our customers. You will experience life in a community as children play wildly and parents make their way home from work. Until recently, these communities relied on kerosene lamps to light up their homes after sundown. Now, thanks to the work of your Pollinator, they have clean and affordable solar-power lighting in their homes.
At the end of your tour, you’ll get a chance to witness the magic in action. Sit with a local family, enjoy a cup of chai, and watch the lights turning on as the sun begins to set. At that moment, you’ll understand what it means to light up a life. From there, you’ll join your Pollinator for an evening rickshaw ride back into the city, with this incredible experience never to be forgotten.
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Additional information
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, local transport between meeting and end points, lunch, chai with a local family in a slum (the family that hosts you receives a payment for their time).
Exclusions: Solar light (you may choose to buy one from your Pollinator to take home as a reminder of your adventure).
Dress standard: Please dress conservatively and with respect for the community visit. This means long pants and t-shirt/sleeves for men (i.e., no singlets), long pants or skirt and covered shoulders for women (i.e., no low tops or bare shoulders), and shorts and a t-shirt for kids. We recommend longer sleeves/pants to protect against mosquitoes. Please bring insect repellent as well.
Your Trip: For your In Focus Urban Adventure, you will be in a small group of a maximum of 5 people. We limit the tour to this size for safety in the rickshaws and so as to not over-burden the community.
Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point. Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.
Additional Information: You will be led by a Pollinator and at least one staff member whilst in the office. Please respect that while in the office our remaining staff are working and may not be taking out time to join you (though they will say a friendly hello!). Please also note that you will not be covered by insurance from Pollinate Energy when you visit our sites, and as such we recommend you come with your own travel insurance in place.
Child Policy: Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ above when booking. Children below the age of 6 are not permitted on this tour.
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Local contact
Office phone number: +919900442242
Email address: info@infocus.bangaloreurbanadventures.com
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