First-timers in Delhi, Feb 09

greenasgrass

Hi all, we will be travelling to India for our first trip in Feb 09. We will be arriving on a Sunday at around 10.30 am. I'm guessing that we won't arrive at our hotel before lunchtime that day, and then we are staying until Tuesday, when we move on to Agra, Jaipur etc. By way of background, we are young but not seasoned backpackers, this is part of a 11 day Golden Triangle "taster trip" and we are staying in nice hotels, rather than trying to eek out the rupees.

So far, the plan is like this:

Sunday afternoon: Rajpath/Janpath/India Gate, Birla Mandir

Monday: Qutb Minar [I have heard conflicting reports about the opening hours for Qutb Minar - some say its open daily and some say Tues to Sun only - does anyone know?], Humayun's Tomb, Jama Masjid, Dilli Haat for some dinner [again, can anyone confirm opening?].

Tuesday: Red Fort, Baha'i Temple, National Museum, return to Red Fort for Sound and Light show [is it worth doing both day visit and Sound and light?].

We will return to Delhi for one day the following week, when we will visit the Lodi Gardens, Crafts Museum and do some shopping.

So, what do you think? Too much? Have I left anything out that you would really recommend? You can probably tell that we are looking to visit monuments etc rather than "find ourselves". I have also tried to build in some more restful things (Humayun's Tomb etc) rather than cram all the high octane stuff in one day.

Any input welcome - thanks in advance...

mikewill

I'm in Exeter too, so if you want to meet for a chat and some tips then pm me and we'll arrange something. It'd be easier than spelling it out here.

I'm sure I can persuade V to come too.

Mike

chiqui

Sounds like a packed schedule!

My only tip is that you've got yourself roaming quite a bit on day 2 and 3. It might be easier to pick things geographically located in the same vicinity.

To try and make things easier and cheaper, try starting your day at the Qutab Minar. Follow that with a visit to the Lotus B'hai Temple. (Use their washrooms) Next go to Humanyum's Tomb. It's a good place for a picnic lunch if you thought ahead. If you didn't, go to the Khan Market. It's an expat market so you'll find clean toilets at The Turtle Coffee Shop (above a bookstore) and a lot of the food there is going to be more safe for travellers. IF there's time, take your snack to the Lodhi Gardens (just down the street). Finish off your day at Dilli Haat. If you go, consider taking the tunnel just 100 meters north of the market to go under the highway. It leads to the INA market for a taste of a real working Indian market.

Here's a map so you can see what I mean:


Jama Masjid, Red Fort and National Museum are closer together. Since I find it handy to know safe locations with clean loos and safe eats when I travel on that day, see the Museum in the morning. On the way to the Red Fort, stop at the Bengali Market. It's abotu 20 little restaurants around one traffic circle and they are well known for their fantastic Chole Battura (Chickpeas with fried bread) or desserts. You can also try the pastel coloured building called Nathus, They have "clean" toilets and really yummy rolls and sandwiches in a calm diner style place where you can regroup, consult your map book, examine your finds from the museum. I recommend visiting the Red Fort in daylight and night. By why stray too far. Night fall comes at around 7PM, so why not see the red fort in the early afternoon, go to Jama Masjid for evening prayers, walk back to the Red Fort for the light show. If travelling with women, don't linger too late (past 9 or 10) in old Delhi, plan to sojourn back to your hotel/South Delhi/Connaught Place.

It's easier to try and avoid driving helter sketer around Delhi. The traffic is insane and short trips are easier/cheaper.

greenasgrass

Thanks for your feedback. I perhaps should have mentioned earlier that I am female, but I will be travelling with my boyfriend. Good to know what to be aware of when staying out late. And thanks for the info on loos - you never know when you'll need one!

In planning the schedule, I tried to take account of what is geograhically near to other sites, but the Baha'i Temple is a no go on the Monday, for the simple reason that it's closed!

You are right that we would start that day with Qutb Minar, as it's furthest away. I'm not too concerned about the cost of taxis or rickshaws in the grand scheme of things and we will probably try and hire a driver for the day than try and negotiate each and every time - seems to lower the stress factor

The reason for my questions about opening times etc is that there don't seem to be websites for these places. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

chiqui

Staying out late really only applies to old Delhi, and if you are a woman on your own but caution is always advisable. Renting a full day taxi is a great option. Keep in mind that in old Delhi, the streets are often too crowded and narrow for taxis and richshaws are the most convenient. A 1 day taxi cost about $25/day last year. Lotus Temple to Connaught Place cost about 60 INR.

The Qutub minar is open sunrise to sunset but you might have it right about Monday's. Most things in Mehrauli are closed on Monday's. For a surer bet, try to call a good Delhi hotel and ask.

As for reliable information on Delhi, try http://delhitourism.nic.in www.nic.in is an initiative of the Indian gov't to improve it's presence on the web. It's as close as you'll get to authoritative

Just a word of caution. In India, the best laid plans of mice and men, really do go awry. It's part of what makes India a challenge to visit but also what in the end will make you love it. So be open to giving the plan a "toss".

greenasgrass

Ha! I suspected as much - not so great for those of us who like to know what we're doing, when, what it will be like, how much will it cost, how long will it take, all in advance!

So how well do you think my plan of travelling round on the trains will stand up to this?!

Still, half the fun is in planning and I always think that if you plan before you go, you can avoid that whole "It's 11am and we still haven't got out of the door" thing. Such a waste of time when you only have two weeks to get a flavour of India!

greenasgrass

Sorry, Chiqui is that $25 Canadian or US per day for the taxi driver?

chiqui

These days, they are almost on par. $25.00USD.

Amalfi

Akshardham Temple - This is by far the most visited monument in Delhi and is the largest temple complex in the world as per the Guiness Book. Altho, its just 2 years old , the architectural detail and scale is extraordinary. Admission is free. Not to be missed. Check out their site www.akshardham.com mainly to save the photographs as photography is not allowed inside the complex. . Mondays closed. Try to go near dusk as the lights come on with darkness and is spectacular, especially on weekends.

April67

Greengrass.....the thing that really works for you is the time you have chosen to visit Delhi. Anything AFTER Feb is too hot. I travel to Delhi for business 2-3 times a year and just got back in April. 40'C average temp!!!

In your travels around Delhi, if you get a chance, try to visit a place called the Kabab Factory House. It's outside of Delhi...heck, it's outside of the state....in Uttar Pradesh, about 1 1/2 ride from central Delhi. Pretty cool place. They serve about 17000 varieties (of course I am exagerating!) of Kabobs before the main course.

Another piece of advise if you are going for the first time: stay cool. And I don't mean temp cool. I mean, a lot of things will not go your way simply because of the fact that you are in India. We are accustomed to taking a lot of things for granted here at home (Canada for me). You won't believe how hard you have to work for those same things in India. For eg. To buy a bus ticket here in toronto from town to another is about a 36.9 second chore. In India, that stretches to about 15-30 minutes. So take it easy, when you encounter problems or breakdown in communications, just laugh it off. Don't get to a point where you start comparing things in India to things back home...you will just end up making yourself miserable. And don't be like some of the other tourists I have encountered.....very mean to the local people (taxi drivers, waiters, etc). Be kind to them....they work very hard. But, be firm and alert for scammers.

Question for everyone reading this thread: why does everyone (waiters, travel sclerks, etc)in Delhi insist on speaking in English even when you simply can't understand them? hhmm....

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KABAARY

I think you mean "The Great Kabab Factory"...and the one in U.P. is in Noida. A restaurant of the Radisson Hotel with the original in their hotel in Delhi near the airport (but at a much higher price than the one in Noida...or far that matter, the one in Park Plaza hotel in Gurgaon). They are the ones who introduced gilauti kabab into Delhi, Tunde Mian in Lucknow being the one most famous for the same.

An inherent complex...

jyotirmoy

Delhi Transport Corporation a state owned company runs tourist bus from their office at Scindia House in Cannaught place. Take this bus to visit all the sights.
After that you can go for a walk in Chandni Chowk and very interesting lanes and bylanes of old Delhi.
Have a real Mughlai meal at Karim's near Jama Masjid.

radhey

All has been advised! Yet a point or two.
The idea of going by DTC toursist bus [Jyotirmoy's advice] is the best option to visit places in one go and in one day. Of course, you can come back the places you like the most. It is much cheaper too and you know first hand whether the monument would be open [and up to what time in the evening, etc] when you visit that the next day.
Markets in Delhi are closed by turn. The central parts [Connaught Place, Khan Market, Karol Bagh, etc] are closed on Mondays; Old Delhi [Chandni Chowk - near Red Fort] is closed on Sundays.
In Feb, Delhi is not as chilling as most American and European cities, but the chill becomes intolerable if you had earlier taken the liberty to ignore it in bravado. If you don't want to carry heavy woolens / jackets from home, you can buy them in Delhi at very cheap rates.

rhill1

weather in delhi at present please??
there in 9 days...........

brownboy66

wet and overcast. Temperature varies from the high twenties to the mid to low thirties (when its cloudy) - but the humidity is up around the 70 percent mark (bring a snorkel and some flippers)!

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