Preparation Before Taking the Bus
Let me start by saying please be careful and make sure to read all reviews before booking with any transportation company. Safety is most important when traveling.
In February of 2024, I traveled from Bangalore to Hyderabad via sleeper bus that I booked through 12goasia. I was very unsure about the company due to no reviews and assumed that it was much more comfortable due to the higher prices being charged. Usually while traveling I try to spend the least amount of money but in this case, I wanted the most luxurious bus with all it can offer. The company was called Swamy Ayyapa Bus Company. When booking through 12GoAsia, you are given bus times, routes, reviews, and photos of the bus. At the time, the photo that was presented online looked decent. As long as the bedding looks clean, and the A/C works then baby I’m fine. I booked the tickets and prepared with buying snacks and downloading Netflix videos just in case the bus didn’t offer Wi-Fi. I travel with my 40L Osprey Farpoint backpack that was packed to the brim after having a shopping spree hours before. The bus stop that I would be picked up from had no key instructions other than stating to go across the street from a specific hotel. To heighten my anxiety even more there were 3 hotels that were listed with the same name. After an hour of nonsensical phone calls to the number listed, I knew where to go.
My bus was estimated to arrive at 1:40 AM! Yes, 1:45 AM. A tuktuk was the choice of transportation as I tried to romanticize the city as I pass through it one last time. As listed, we arrived at the hotel among other people. The streets were dead only occasionally having a truck or tuktuk cruising by. The time passed and the bus didn’t arrive at the time designated making me worry if I missed the damn bus. It reminded me of the episode of SpongeBob when he was trying to catch the bus back to Bikini Bottom. I was afraid to move from the spot just in case I missed it, but I had a sinking feeling that we already did until a bus finally pulled up. I had my gear ready to board until realizing that this wasn’t even my bus. Standing back to allow those who were ticketed to board, I questioned if I got scammed. As my fiancé and I waited, a stranger confirmed that our bus was on the way but was running late.
All Aboard!!!!
After an hour of waiting, we were in line to board. Since we were the only visible tourist the bus driver called us forward to board first. Trying to avoid the stares from the locals, I hurried on board and found my bed. Seated right in front of my fiancés berth. The bed was on the floor which was coinvent for my size. The aisle was also wide enough to walk comfortably down with my backpack. I removed my shoes and got comfortable by drawing the curtains and placing my backpack in between my legs. Despite my luggage sharing some of my leg space, the bed was spacious with clean blankets and mini pillows. The bus was cold and offered privacy inside and out with curtains on either side. The only cons seemed to be not having a toilet onboard and the amount of time it took for the bus to arrive. Since there wasn’t a toilet onboard, this meant we were going to be making frequent stops.
Once everyone was on board, the bus wasted no time speeding down the highways away from the city. I curled in the fetal position drifting off to sleep until I kept being awaken by sudden breaking causing me to slide forward. After an hour of trying to acclimate to the constant shifting, I managed to get some peaceful sleep. The bus driver hours later made a call for a restroom break that was in a small village that was polluted with so much trash and industrial trucks. The women wore the most colorful sarees, and the men sold produce or congregated with other men on the streets. Most stops didn’t even include an actual toilet which only meant men were safe to go. I made it a point not to drink much water before boarding in case this issue happened. I closed my curtains due to the men not being shy to piss in front of my window! Our 8 eight hours was dwindling down as we crept closer and closer to Hyderabad. The sparse colorful villages started to become concrete villages that homed dilapidated buildings. I figured we were getting close as the driver began to yell out names of streets standing in the aisle of the bus.
Little by little people started exiting the bus until the driver stopped the bus and forced the rest of the passengers and my partner and I to get off on the side of the highway. Apparently, the driver was behind on time and could not take everyone to the remaining stops. We were 45 mins away from our actual stop. The highway was an overpass with over 3 lanes of traffic lined with tuktuk drivers waiting for us to hire them. The prices quoted by each driver were outlandishly high knowing we were stranded. Instead, I prayed uber would allow highway pick up because what do I look like taking a tuktuk in the heat for 45 mins paying triple the price of an uber ride. As I tried placing an order for Uber the tuktuk drivers became aggressive towards me, looking past my partner. I’m unsure if the bus and the tuktuk drivers work together and that was the reason for this being the last stop but the aggression towards us made it apparent that this wasn’t a safe situation. The road was surrounded by busy streets that fed into an intersection full of locals transiting. Our ride was on the way, but the men continued telling us we could only use them until finally the uber pulled up right on the side of the road and unlocked his doors to us. We were picked up at the border of Hyderabad city and made our way inward. We eventually made it to our hotel but the anxiety that lingered took hours to subside.
Thoughts?
So, would I recommend taking an Indian sleeper bus as a form of transportation? Yes, I would. Although, we did have some hiccups, the bus seemed very well managed and clean. I would make sure to have a plan and research all possible bus stops prior to booking so you can devise routes just in case you miss or get dropped off at the wrong location. If you have the money to fly greater distances than I would also recommend that option. I chose the bus to maximize saving. As I look back on it, I could have flown but the memories and landscapes were no comparison if I would’ve flown.
Tips:
- Make sure to call driver/company to confirm pick-up location!
- Bring snacks and bottled water
- Download videos/media prior to boarding
- Use the restroom prior to boarding