2 days in delhi: clueless what to do!

hanka545

hi get to delhi airport 11th sept.

(i know its not the best thing to say and a little embarrassing) but i am not that into museums and history , so can anyone suggest places to go in delhi apart from this sort of thing?!

and shall i spend one or two nights there? considering we are staying in other cities around rajasthan and varanasi afterwards...

please let me know what you think! thanks

Haylo

It might help if you said what you were into!

PeakXV

Well that cuts out about 200 things to do/suggest in that giant open air museum. Let us know your interests/preferences/pastimes and some of us might be able to suggest a few hidden gems!?

__________________
What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

karuna

Hmmm...what do you mean by "history"?

There's a great thread full of all kinds of things to see here:
Monuments in Delhi
but I expect a lot of those fall under the label of "history" in some form or another.

Here are some other threads from in this very forum:

One day in Delhi
Things to do in delhi
(the one above includes shopping tips)
Boutiques
(the one above is all about clothes shopping)
and finally, all about places to eat! Delhi : The Foodies Paradise

__________________
Indiamike mod squad's odd bod.
Coexist.

[Indian Mona Lisa by Dinesh; can't find original uploader to credit in full.]

unclelach

Suggest Dilli Haat, an outdoor upmarket craft and food bazaar in South Delhi(roughly). Also, Khan Market, a good shopping centre favoured by expats. Try also Central Cottage Industries, a large Indian clothing and art/craft store on Janpath. It has a pleasant cafe. Cross Janpath to the Imperial Hotel for lunch or further refreshment. Disregard the copious historic artworks, memorabilia and ambience. The service is excellent.

To avoid culture shock, spend hours in one of several Barista coffee shops about town. Barista is an Indian chain now owned by Lavazza. They serve good cold drinks also.

dilbharatmain

Have to say, these sorts of questions make me wonder why people bother to leave home. 2 days in Delhi and don't know what to do - does the person actually know what they like to do anyway. And even if not into history - surely a day or two of ancient monuments is not going to kill anyone. Just wandering around is great - take the metro to Chandni Chowk, walk the length of chandni chowk and into the spice markets behind Fathepuri Masjid - that is sure to blow anyone away and there is a good 1/2 day gone. Whilst in this area there is India's largest mosque, the unique Jain bird temple and a sikh gurudwara - all working and all open to the public, and all free. Into New Delhi for lunch perhaps - and what about the Craft Market and Museum (opposite purana quila and the zoo) for the afternoon. Connaught place nightlife for the evening. On day 2 wander the markets on Jan Path, the Cottage Industries emporium as mentioned above, head to Birla House the sight of M. Gandhi assination and now converted to a moving memorial to the great man, and also a look into how the aristocracy lived in delhi. Take lunch in the Imperial Hotel for some 19th century grandure, then a wander down Raj Path and the imposing parliment, presidential palace etc etc etc - come on, capital city of one of the worlds oldest nations, can tell you, you wont be stuck for things to do.

hmm..whatcanthisbe

this might be a lil to late bu
than that there is a lot more to see / do in delhi depending on your taste,


cheers

Andrew
(bmwnnjguy@yahoo.com)

jyotirmoy

If you are not in to history & museums You won't enjoy Rajasthan much I guess

hal2004

I'll second this suggestion. Old Delhi is a great place to wander. Try Karim's for dinner. There's a comfortable hotel there as well - see the hotel reviews section for Tara Palace

Lodhi Gardens is nice for a stroll, and if you want just a bit of history, Indira Gandhi's house which is nearby is quite moving and inspiring.

Haylo

Yes, Milton Keynes.

Most of the interesting things in Delhi are old, how much are you "not into" history? Obviously you are not interested in going round museums, but are you hoping to actively avoid any history at all? Because unless you are going to do a tour of recently build suburbs, history is everywhere in Delhi, and affects everything, whether you are into it or not!

Nick-H

Can't say I'm that much into museums etc either, although I like an occasional dose.

For a newcomer to India, I'd say that a couple of days in my city (which is not particularly history-heavy) would be an experience even if they never went near a temple or a museum.

I don't know Delhi, but I'm sure I could wander there, without too much thought of history, just for the experience.

It's India: it's different!

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Haylo

Perhaps due to being so passionate about history, evidence of the past leaps out at me.

Maybe the eyes of others who do not share my interest would pass over these things, the way my eyes glaze over at details of the latest trendy fashions.

karuna

Plenty of history around Milton Keynes though. And of course, it's quite an important part of modern British history itself. What will it say about us in the future? Concrete cows. How very postmodern!

Very true. Standing around and gawping is a fine activity for the India first (and second, and third) timer. Of course, it's likely you'll be get gawped at right back, creating a kind of endless, self-perpetuating, cross-cultural gawping loop. How very postmodern!