Delhi, India

City Guide
Introduction | Attractions | Entertainment and Eating Out | Shopping| Getting from A to B| Tours| Events | Cyber Delhi | Tourist Information Offices

Introduction

India Gate

The capital of a country with over a billion people, Delhi lies towards the central north of India. Delhi is different things to different people. For uninitiated visitors, a visit to Delhi is worn as a badge of honour. Its not a terrible place, but as a first introduction to India, its not particularly flattering. Delhi can be chaotic and overwhelming at times, and many visitors retreat to the leafy order of the well-kept diplomatic enclave.

Although the attractions of Delhi dont match the stunning sites elsewhere on the subcontinent, it does have quite a bit to see. Theres a sprinkling of grand history and depth to the rather flat and sprawling capital, much more than many other big cities in Asia. And if you believe all the horror stories you hear about this crossroads of the subcontinent, you might just be pleasantly surprised when you arrive.

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Attractions
The city is large and fans out for miles. Manky Old Delhi is the historic heart, the walled city being cluttered, crowded, chaotic and full of life. Broad and well-planned New Delhi is an utter contrast green, quiet, modern and upmarket. Burly security guards with great big batons make sure that it remains that way by scaring off the under-classes.

Perhaps the most famous of Delhis attractions is the massive Red Fort completed in 1648. Set on the edge of untamed Old Delhi the imposing fort is difficult to miss. With high walls and turrets it looks quite formidable from the road. Once inside its actually rather forgettable and if it werent for one or two hollow historical palaces and a fair museum, it would be best appreciated from the outside. Theres a touristy arcade inside, and much of the fort is controlled by the whistle blowing army and is off limits. Expect to run the gauntlet of spontaneous guides and souvenir vendors before you get in.

Another imposing landmark is Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in the land. The mosque is a good eyeful when you first stroll into the vast open forecourt, but its appeal is limited and theres not that much to see on closer inspection. You can go in if you cover yourself up and there are some good views from the higher levels. It wont hold your attention very long.

Delhis most impressive building is probably the precursor to the Taj Mahal. A sizeable red and white structure, Humayuns Tomb laid much of the groundwork for the Taj, and has similar proportions and scale, if not its sublime grace. Unfortunately just about every cleaner or gardener will try to wriggle in to becoming your guide, and there are even bogus ticket inspectors who will inspect your tickets and then impart limited knowledge before you know it, and cheekily stick a hand out for a tip. Avoid all of them and enjoy the robust giant, clamber up to higher levels to take in the view over the surrounding gardens.

Almost opposite from Humayuns Tomb is Nizam-ud-dins Shrine. This area near Nizamuddin Train Station is predominantly Muslim and centred around the nearby shrine of the Muslim saint. The crumbling brick shrine is surrounded by satellite shrines of other historic figures and buttressed by thick walls. Inside, the 600 year-old structures seem hollow and derelict, and it smells like some have used it as a makeshift toilet. The large tomb and grounds is a reasonable diversion if you are in the area.

The historic Red Fort

The Qutb Ninar grounds cobble together several structures of historic importance dating back 800 years to the beginnings of Islam in India. Ruined arches and crumbling walls make for a pleasant wander. The 70-metre redbrick tower of Islamic victory is almost completely intact and stands proud over the calm squirrel-filled grounds.

The modern Bahai Temple, or Lotus Bud Temple, is a useful landmark, but nothing special. It looks fair from the distance but is actually very boring inside. The temple seems like a cross between a public swimming pool and a watered down Sydney Opera House, and as a modern effort lacks the depth that an older more traditional temple might have. Unless youre into modern temples, skip it.

On a green sloping bit of parkland is Raj Ghat, the site where Gandhis ashes have been laid to rest. Its a quite somber place, with the dignity of a war memorial. Theres a continuous trickle of local visitors paying their respects to one of historys greats and posing for snaps around his black marble slab and the eternal flame. A rather modest shrine to the man credited with bringing international colonialism to a close, but then perhaps in keeping with his spirit.

India Gate is the bold imposing arch you often see on the news and perhaps the symbol of Delhi. Its nothing particularly outstanding, although it might be worth a quick photo before the souvenir vendors and monkey handlers swoop in for your wallet. India Gate is worth a peek, but nearby Parliament House is a drive by attraction, not a lot to see.

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Entertainment and Eating Out
Unfortunately, Delhi and dodgy stomachs seem to go hand in hand for many visitors, and Delhi belly has had many scrambling in panic for the toilet. In truth its not too bad and for the most part illness is easily avoided if you stick to upscale restaurants and avoid street food. The capital is actually one of Indias best places for food hygiene, and the selection of food is also fairly broad. Having said that, if Delhi doesnt get you, somewhere else will. Definitely stock up on those bowel-blocking pills before you arrive.

The city is the capital of India in a political sense and is not as broadly developed as Mumbai. The hotels tend to be the pockets of order in Delhi and have the better restaurants and entertainment options.

For arguably the capitals best Indian grub head to the ITC Sheraton and Towers for their world famous Bukhara restaurant. It has some of the best Indian chefs in the business, anywhere in the world. With its incredible North Indian food, open kitchen and cosy tavern feel theres often a long queue get there early or book in advance.

Bustling Old Delhi

Grabbing a steak in Hindu regions of India is not easy, and hunting one down publicly isnt smart. The cow is sacred and when some Hindus admit to disliking foreigners they often cite murdering cows as their reason. The Imperial Hotel is a good place to get your fix in relative secrecy. The posh hotel offers a top quality grill, and has other international outlets including Italian.

For cheap bites, the familiar, and the mass-produced, head for the circular streets of the tourist heartland, Connaught Place. Its here you can find the reassuring comfort zones of KFC, Wimpy and McDonalds, plus chains like Pizza Hut and TGI Friday.

Connaught Place has several independent restaurants that should be quite safe in the digestive department. Yorks Restaurant is a dark and dated establishment with a varied menu, cheap prices and pleasant service. One of the better curry houses is Gaylord. The area also has one or two bars, including the evergreen favourite DV8.

The trendiest hangouts tend to be found in the top hotels again. Float Nightclub at the Intercontinental Parkroyal is a big swish joint with several layers of entertainment weaved together from the hip discos, bars, restaurants and cigar rooms.

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Shopping
Salesmen dont take no for an answer in many countries, but Delhis salesmen take this to another level. Expect hard sell tactics that spread beyond the showroom and enter your taxi or car. Although usually polite, they come at you thick and fast and many salesmen spin off total lies. And everything available in Delhi can be had much cheaper in Jaipur despite what they say. Expect various ploys, such as being glued to a seat and surrounded by a wall of forced grins, and excessive guilt trips. Its full on. If you are Japanese, or look it, its worse. Everyone should watch out for scams!

Its difficult to actually recommend places to shop as sampling the broadest shopping choices is often offset by having to endure the most overbearing salesmen. There are four or five cottage industry emporiums that every driver will take you to, most of them in Janpath. The range and choices are good but you must spend 15 minutes in a shop before your driver gets his commission this can lead to real problems with getting around at your leisure.

Tourist centre Connaught Place is the best place to browse, relatively stress free, for typical holiday buys. Sports outlets, shoe stores, banks and souvenirs shops are all represented and fan outwards from the central circle. This is also the place to pick up a second hand book or a cheap hair cut.

Delhi residents consider Old Delhi as the place to go shopping. The area is rather disordered and stuffed with markets, textile shops and cheap restaurants.

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Getting from A to B
Getting around this spread out city can be a pain. Traffic can get heavy and stressful, particularly in Old Delhi, where the enthusiastic horn blowing may induce the need for an aspirin. Junctions have dual functions, doubling as pit-stop street markets where you are presented with newspapers, fruit or toilet rolls, and the outstretched palms of the poor.

The best way to get around is clearly to hire a car and driver for the day. Its not that cheap, but Delhis public transport isnt fun, especially if youve only just arrived. Most drivers will try to take you to souvenir shops for commissions, which is okay if you are interested but not so if you want to fix your own itinerary. Some smile that its on the way which is only true if you dont mind driving all over the place. But generally, hired drivers are infinitely better than the taxi drivers. Unless you speak Hindi, make sure you ask for an English speaker as if you only ask for a driver then thats what you get.

Humayun's Tomb inspired the Taj

The capital has several train stations, but there are 2 main ones only 2km apart. The New Delhi Station is a little north of Connaught Place and the Old Delhi one is a little west of the Red Fort. A third one, Nizamuddin is named after the famous shrine nearby and is closer to the diplomatic and business districts of the south. Indian train travel is a true test of endurance, but it is amazingly cheap.

The most convenient way to get to Agra and the Taj Mahal is to catch the Taj Express, the superb and very economical service especially laid on for tourists. The Taj Express train service leaves at 7.15am and arrives a little before 9.00. It pulls out of Agra at 6.35pm giving you most of the day, but youll miss the sunrise or sunsets.

Scruffy Delhi International Airport is half an hour away from the outskirts of the city centre when the roads are reasonably clear. Its a bit of a scrum getting into the terminals, and reassuringly there are numerous security checks. Many Delhi residents say you need to arrive 3 hrs before departure, excessive perhaps, but getting through is certainly very laborious.

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Tours
Cheap one-day city tours are readily available in hotels or through operators at Connaught Place. There is little of interest outside of Delhi that can be reached in the way of daily tours.

The glaring exception of course, would be one of the highlights of India - the stunning Taj Mahal. It lies within easy day tripping reach off the capital. The Taj Express is the easiest way to get there, although lots of operators can lay on a car for you at a price. The world famous white marble mausoleum is an absolutely fantastic sight and despite Agras reputation as a tourist minefield, you simply cant miss it perhaps the most beautiful building anywhere in the world.

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Events
India is awash with colour, splendour and tradition, and there are countless festivals throughout the year. One of the biggest Hindu festivals in the calendar is Holi, also known as the Festival of Colour. Bright and colourful, it celebrates the onset of Spring with dye fights. It is one of the few times of the year when the usually conservative collection of segregated castes and social groups indulge in a free for all broadly with one another.

Oil lamps flicker throughout the nights of Deepavali, or the Festival Of Lights, a visually absorbing 5-day Hindu celebration falling around October and traditional time of goodwill.

India celebrates its Independence from Britain on 5 August. Independence Day sees a speech from the Prime Minister from the historic rallying point of the Red Fort.

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Cyber Delhi
Its harder than you might think to log on in Delhi. There are plenty of signs advertising email and internet facilities in and around Connaught Place, but when you enter, expect a significant proportion of them to tell you that they dont actually have it after all, or that its broken.

Most hotels offer net access at 4-7USD an hour, but many of them are as slow as the street operators. Exceptions where you get your moneys worth include Intercontinental Parkroyal, The Oberoi and The Sheraton the more reliable of the expensive options. Some other top hotels are a waste of time with top prices and terrible connections

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Tourist Information Offices
The government tourist information office is just off Connaught Place, along Radial Road 8. Radial Road 2 has the Delhi Tourism Office, again only a couple of hundred yards from the centre circle. The airport also provides touristy leaflets.

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