best area in dehli to stay--paharganj--connaught--old dehli?

best area in dehli to stay--paharganj--connaught--old dehli?

was planning to stay at hotel namaskar in paharganj. heard good things about the hotel, but heard paharganj is a pain in the ass. also heard that staying in other, more quiet, and less touristy places in dehli can really give you a good impression of the place. so, any suggestions for more laid back areas with less touts and hassle? any moderate budget hotels you can recommend with email contact info? and with airport pickups?

thanks

Check out my review on Sunny Guest House (Conaught Place) & Prince Polonia Hotel (Paharganj) on this website's Hotels & Lodgings forum.

I'd recommend staying in Conaught Place.

cheers,

a

no! i definately wouldnt stay in Connaught Place ...

... i was there recently and there was nothing there, just a big load of expensive souvenir shops ...

the action is most definately on paharganj. theres a lot of backpacker hotels, restaurants & 2nd hand bookshops, & travel agents, which was great for me after landing for the first time in India whilst I found my feet. Its not like KSR in Bangkok though, theres more 'locals' than tourists (at least when I was there) and theres loads going on, especially the stalls down some of the back streets.

Unfortunately I cant remember the name of the hotel I stayed in...

but connaught place just seemed a little 'dead' in comparison. maybe it was just me?

"paharganj--connaught--old dehli"
None of these could be called laid back. There are many other sections of Delhi with hotels ofcourse--it's a BIG city. But in our experience, people who say they don't want a touristy area don't really mean it. They mean they don't want to be hassled by touts. Most do want to stay where they will meet up with other travelers. Though these areas can be rather intense, they are also the best places to stay to arrange other services you might need.

Surprisingly no one on this forum has really mentioned the Karol Bagh area of Delhi.

Karol Bagh has some good hotels, a little higher on the price scale, but the area has a somewhat neighborhood feel to it.

Personally I haven't stayed in Karol Bagh but spent some time going through the area and looking at hotels and shopping (plus a lunch at Wimpy's). It's definitely a middle class area where middle class families come from overseas and stay while they attend weddings, meetings, and such. There are hardly any touts and a nice little outdoor market day, mainly selling household goods.

The downside is if you wanted to visit Connaught Place or Paharganj from Karol Bagh you would have to take a rickshaw or else it's a seriously good hike on foot.

Mike