The Sunday we arrived in Bangalore and had already prearranged a taxi (from the hotel one of us was staying at) to fetch us from the airport. This went without a problem, and the driver was waiting for us on the other side of baggage claim with a board with our names on it. The driving to the hotel was an experience on its own, but that is another story for another review.

Once at the hotel, I needed to get to the office I was working at in Bangalore, so called the front desk to ask for a taxi, 15 minutes later the taxi from Meru was there and they took me to office, although they got totally lost and had to stop for directions 6 times to ask the locals on the side of the road where the Cisco buildings were, I reached my destination.

The rest of the week however, was a totally different story. I would be finished work between 7pm – 8pm and on the first day, I naturally assumed I could just call a taxi and it would be there within a few moments. Monday I called the Meru taxi company in Bangalore and asked for a taxi to fetch me from the Cisco offices and take me back to the hotel, I was informed that the wait for a taxi would be 3 hours!!! Long story short, I called the hotel and had one of their drivers fetch me, and only had to wait 25 minutes for collection.

Tuesday, was a public holiday in India, and I knew a little better this time to order in advance, so I called Meru Taxi’s 2 hours before I needed collection, and they were able to assist. When the taxi driver dropped me off at the hotel, I asked if it would be possible for him to fetch me again at 10pm that evening. He assured me that this would be no problem, and he gave me his mobile number and said I should call him at 9:30pm to find out the exact time he would arrive. He explained that the traffic in Bangalore is so bad that he would either be there between 9:45 and 10:15 so calling him would be best to find out the exact time. 9:30pm, I call the cab driver and ask where he is, I was informed that he was now at the airport and that he can’t fetch me….end of story…he was just not willing to come all the way back for the fare. So I called Meru Taxi’s call centre and tried to book another taxi, I was informed that between 12:30 – 1:30 AM was the earliest a taxi could be there…. Yet again I used the Hotels private driver.

So to cut a long story short, Wednesday I had a similar problem and was informed a taxi would take 4 hours to arrive, so I booked my return trip at the same time, which arrived 2 hours late!!! Thursday I booked the taxi in the morning (9am) for collection at 8pm, he made it one time, but was unable to get another lift later that evening. Due to this, the rest of my trip I just used the hotel’s driver.

So in conclusion… If you need to get around in Bangalore, good luck with using the taxi service of Meru Taxi’s! Rather stay at a hotel that will charge you 5 times as much as the Taxi company, but will give you piece of mind, and will be able to get you from A to B in a sufficient time frame.

City: Bangalore

Country: India

Firstly, let’s look at living costs. We all know they’re high compared to SA (compared to pretty much anywhere for that matter!), but you need to stop converting costs to Rands as quickly as possible, or you won’t sleep at night and will probably starve to death. So long as you’re not on a fixed and limited income, it will usually be enough to have a reasonable life. A major new cost will be energy – heating your home in winter. These costs have risen dramatically in the past year, though if you’re 60 or older you get an annual payment from the government of £200-£250 towards these costs. There’s also fairly healthy competition amongst many energy suppliers, and you can easily change to make savings.

Another cost which can easily be substantial is transport, so bear that in mind if you plan to live quite far from work. Petrol costs are higher than SA, and public transport is also expensive – though it is generally excellent, and you may not even need a car. Food costs are fairly steep, but again there’s lots of competition amongst the major supermarket chains, so good deals are available. But best forget throwing steaks on the braai (remember it’s a “barbecue” here). Talking terminology, your cellphone is a “mobile” – possibly logical, but a little obscure.

One cost that South Africans will appreciate is Broadband internet. And it’s not just cost – it’s choice of packages, high speeds, and often unlimited downloads – allowing you to watch TV or anything else online.

Overall, whatever costs you’re looking at, there’s good competition, and there are many price-comparison websites that can save you a fortune on anything from broadband to car insurance to holidays and air fares, etc. Don’t just walk into a store to buy furniture, electricals, or anything else – check online.

Next, housing costs. These vary dramatically from one part of the country to another, with the south-east of England generally being most expensive. The credit crunch/recession has reduced prices a lot in the past year, though obtaining a mortgage is still difficult. But you’ll still find prices “ridiculous”, and standards lower than SA. But guess what? No burglar bars and security systems! And remember something that many people overlook, or don’t fully appreciate: lower interest rates means you’re paying off the capital cost of your home much quicker.

Now to education. Here I’m in difficult territory, as my family are married themselves. But quality of education seems to vary a lot over the country, with many couples choosing a home in an area with “good” schools. It’s a sensitive subject, with many schools insisting on local residence, so I can only advise that you check more deeply if this is important to you.

Next, climate. You know already that it’s a whole new ballgame from SA! But – perhaps surprisingly for a small country – temperatures can vary a lot from Scotland to England, as can rainfall and other conditions. For example, average temperatures in Central Scotland are generally 4-5 degrees lower than Southern England. But often, choosing the latter will result in higher house costs and congested roads, so like many things it’s down to trade-offs and personal preference.

Thus far, I haven’t mentioned job opportunities and salaries. These are clearly of huge importance to most people, but in the midst of global recession it’s dangerous territory. I guess I should restrict my remarks to saying that in normal circumstances there’s a massive range of opportunities, but moving to the U.K. “on spec” at this time could be highly risky. Personally, I’d recommend an “interview trip” initially, after hopefully setting up a few via online recruitment sites. As to salaries, these vary enormously like anywhere else, but the U.K. has some very high earners, and like I said at the beginning, converting anything to Rands is not a good idea.

So, anything good about living in Britain? For sure,  there’s the NHS health system, so you don’t have to pay high contributions to medical aid schemes, but know you’ll be taken care of if things go wrong. That can be particularly important in later life. And the social security system goes far beyond the NHS: this is a country that will not leave you homeless or starving, for example; I’d describe it as a caring society. The government is non-corrupt, and accountable – they appreciate that they work for us, and not vice versa. Employment and other policies are not hamstrung by such things as BEE.

A major reason for many people leaving SA is crime, so a few comments on that is appropriate. I guess most people will have already researched this if it’s important to them, but let’s start by saying that guns are illegal in the U.K., and only the most extreme criminals have them. Hi-jacking is unknown, and murder rates are a tiny fraction of those in SA. As I mentioned before, you don’t need burglar bars and security systems, as house-breakings are not a major problem. The U.K.’s major crime problem relates to drunkenness, street fights and knife attacks, but generally it’s not too hard to avoid that. One reason for the reduced crime levels is the attitude of society and the police services – serious crimes are frequently solved in days – rather than NEVER.

So that’s my quick summary. I’d only add that if you’re considering re-locating here, I believe it takes up to 3 years to adjust. You may accomplish it sooner, but that’s a good rule of thumb.

City: Helensburgh

Country: Scotland

I recently went to Mossel Bay on a holiday for a week and found the most beautiful “home from home” house to rent which has three double bedrooms, two bathrooms (both with showers) open living area, lounge, dining and kitchen. The views are spectacular and I really enjoyed lying in bed every morning watching the sun rise over the mountains and the bay. The house is equiped with two double beds and two single beds and a studio couch in the lounge which can also be used as a double bed. In other words it sleeps 8! Everything is new, neat and shining like a new pin! DSTV is also avaialable on request. The kitchen is well equiped and the house is close to shopping malls and the main “village”. There is so much to do in the area including visits to seal island (which you can see in the photo which I took from the main bedroom) visiting the museum (a must!!) and many many resturants beaches etc etc. It is about 45 mins from the George Airport and also very close to George, Knysna and Plett which we visited while we were there. You can contact the owners Fred and Maggie on 0724188780 for a booking. Very Very worth while but book early so that you are not disappointed!!

City: Mossel Bay

Country: South Africa

I recently did a trip down memorty lane with my sister to the Hogs Back. When I was younger, my grandfather owned a farm in Alice, Eastern Cape, and as children we would go up to the Hogsback for holidays.
This time I stayed in a bed and breakfast run by a really nice lady, Ingrid, called Granny Mouse House. It is in such a beautiful setting, the room we had was stunning and the food was fab. Ingrid is a great animal lover and she has the most beautiful dogs who kept us company by the fire but were not in the least intrusive.
I really recommend a stay in this lovely paradise. Check out the website at www.grannymousehouse.co.za or contact Ingrid via email for more information at ingi@iafrica.com. I’m sure she will look after you as well as she looked after us!

City: Hogs Back

Country: South Africa