• How do I get there?
• Getting Around
• Tourist Offices
• When to Go
• Where do I Stay?
• What  to bring
• Things to do

How do I get there?

Getting Around

Delhi’s public transport system, mainly its yellow-green DTC buses are woefully inadequate for serving this vast city. Mostly overcrowded and dilapidated these buses are the cheapest transport available. The old city area and some parts of south Delhi have cycle-rickshaws, which are used only within a restricted area. Auto rickshaws are more convenient, though most have doctored meters and overcharge foreigners. The yellow and black-metered taxis are expensive, but more comfortable and easily hired from the numerous stands around the city.

Tourist Offices

When to Go

The best time to visit Delhi is between October and March, when the weather is very pleasant. During the peak of winter in January, however, pollution causes a thick fog to envelop the city..... be prepared for flights getting delayed. Asthma patients can be affected by this heavy combination of vehicular smoke and fog. Most cultural events take place in winter and Delhi is socially very active. By February the flowers are in bloom and the city is really quite pretty then. Summers are searing hot and dry, so do come prepared for the weather.

Where do I Stay?

Delhi has a wide range of accommodation, from the last word in luxury and comfort from top Indian and international chains, to first- class and standard hotels, moderately priced guesthouses to the economy youth hostels and lodges. Hotels in and around central Connaught Place cover all price ranges and are close to the tourist offices, banks, restaurants and shopping area.

Paharganj, close to New Delhi Railway Station, is lined with budget hotels and lodges. It is noisier and more congested than Connaught Place, but can be a great money-saver....... Do check the accommodation though, for there are no guarantees about cleanliness and safety! Most of the large luxury hotels are in South Delhi, with room charges upwards of $ 200 per night. For a decent room in the mid range category, try any of the guesthouses that have sprung up in residential colonies like Sundar Nagar and West End.

What to bring

Delhi is a city of marked contrasts. If you plan to venture into the conservative older settlements, pack in the right kind of clothes. Social occasions are very dressy. Business dressing is formal. For the rest, casual dressing is accepted. In summer, light loose cottons are a must, you certainly need your sunglasses and a hat if you are out in the sun. Warm woollens would be needed for a winter trip. Your camera and good walking shoes. Everything is really available in the city, do don’t worry if you forget things back home!

Things to Do

• Dining & Entertainment
• Shopping
• City Getaways

Dining & Entertainment

Delhi-ites love to eat and Delhi’s range of up-market restaurants in the central and southern districts and ones attached to the luxury hotels provide a great range of dining options. Choose from a smorgasbord of mouth-watering tandoori and barbequed food to exotic Thai and gourmet French cuisine. Mexican tortillas, Italian pizza, Japanese sushi and Lebanese falafel are all available – so take your pick!

For the more adventurous traveller with a cast iron stomach – there is variety of sweet and savoury "street food" available at almost every corner. From "chaat" to samosas; jalebis to gulab jamuns; dosas to idlis - the whole gamut is available for the asking! Now a lot of them use bottled mineral water, so its worth checking out before you eat. But watch your stomach and don’t say we didn’t warn you.

For Epicurean taste buds, the Great Kabab Factory at Radisson Hotel near the airport is luxury on a platter - guests simply sit back and are served an endless assortment of kababs. Put on your bib and tucker and tuck into Bukhara's northwest frontier fare at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel or stick to the tried and trusted Frontier at the Ashoka Hotel. TK's at the Hyatt is a Teppenyaki treat - an array of ingredients dished up on huge open grills, while you watch, drool and replenish your bowl as often as you want. Another restaurant for great  Chinese, is the Tea House of the August Moon at the Taj Palace Hotel. For authentic Thai food, dine in stlye at the Baan Thai at the Oberoi Hotel. Tantalize your palate at Pan Asian at the Mariott, which brings you the best of South East Asian cuisine, or Las Meninas at the Park Hotel where the Spanish food is unbeatable!

There are some remarkable restaurants for Executive lunches where you can linger over your meal as you clinch that deal! The Spice Route at the Imperial Hotel traces the exotic and aromatic cuisines along the Spice Route, in a fabulously ornate setting. Chor Bizarre on Asaf Ali Road in Delhi's business area has quaint décor and gourmet Kashmiri Wazwaan. Connaught Place has any number of restaurants for business lunches, like   Gaylord, Zen and the like. For the executive near Nehru Place, Blooms, the coffee shop at the Park Royal Hotel is unbeatable for it's buffet lunch, as is the Hyatt Coffee Shop if you are near Bhikaji Cama Place.

Delhi's Smorgasbord of restaurants includes old time favourites like Moët's, a multi-cuisine chain of restaurants that serve sizzlers, Chinese, Indian and Tandoori. Basil and Thyme at the Santushti (open only for lunch - bookings are recommended) dishes up lovingly prepared continental fare. Geoffrey's restaurant and bar at Ansal Plaza pulsates with blaring music and flashy décor. For a happy fusion of Indian and Continental food, try Yellow Brick Road at the Ambassador - the ambience is incomparable! And if you are looking for deadly South Indian/Chettinad non-vegetarian delicacies, Royal Dakshin at the DDA Mehrauli Picnic Hut and Dakshin at the Mariott are guaranteed to please.

Pub culture has caught on in a big way in the city. The PVR Saket complex is quite a happening place with restaurants and bars like Suede,Buzz and a number of fast food outlets. In south Delhi's  Greater Kailash area We2 and Twisters are the swinging bars where executives hang out and unwind over a drink. For a night on the tiles, spend a foot tapping evening at DV8,Blues or No Escape. Shake a leg with the swish set of Delhi at discotheques like Float at the Park Royal or the old time favourite Djinns at the Hyatt.

Finger-lickin' lip-smackin' 'chatpatta' food is great at Haldiram's; at Nathu's and Bengali Sweets in Bengali Market; and Evergreen at Green Park . Enjoy reasonably priced food from different states of India at Dilli Haat, which has food festivals and "specials" that you can indulge in after some ethnic shopping. For a quick bite try the reasonably priced India Coffee House at Connaught Place for South Indian fare or Ten at the YWCA. Pandara Road has deadly dhabas like Chicken Inn where traditional Punjabi food warms the cockles of your heart and lines your arteries with wicked cholesterol. The kababs and roomalis at Al Kauser are to-die-for as is the food at Colonel's Kababz and at Karim's in Nizamuddin. Besides Nirula's chain of takeaways with American and Indian style fast food, other favourites are Pizza Hut, McDonalds and Dominoes. Eatopia at the Habitat Centre is Delhi's first food court serving a variety of cuisines at their five express food counters.

Coffee bars are definitely in. Barista leads the way with several outlets all over the city. Sip aromatic Colombian coffee over a game of Scrabble, read a book or chatter away with friends here. These bars are open from 11 am to 11 pm and are popular with everyone, from age 15 to 55.  The best part of these bars, apart from the coffee, is that one can linger here as long as one likes and nobody bothers you.  Other popular coffee places are Qwiky's,Cafe Coffee Day and Star Beans. 

Among the restaurants that are Recommended, Karim's tops the list with Delhi's Muslim cuisine at its richest, non-vegetarian best. Lotus Pond in New Friend's Colony and Oriental Bloom are great Chinese restaurants, while Mehrauli's Thai Wok is unbeatable for authentic - you guessed it - Thai cuisine. Flavors next to the Moolchand Flyover in south Delhi serves genuine Italian and Nirula's Pot Pourri in Connaught Place has a wonderful salad bar and buffet, as well as an a la carte menu. The American style Diner at the India Habitat Centre has great food, ambience and reasonable prices.

Delhi has several good cinema theatres, including multiplexes at PVR Anupam in Saket and Priya in Vasant Vihar. Connaught Place too has a host of cinema halls. The Indian International Centre, India Habitat Centre and other international cultural centres also organise special film shows. The large Siri Fort Auditorium on Siri Fort Road hosts international shows besides cultural festivals.

For the sporty, Delhi has a Polo Club, the Riding Club, tennis courts of the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association and several swimming pools. The Delhi Flying and Gliding Clubs at Safdarjung Airport has facility for temporary memberships. In recent years, many snooker and pool clubs have also opened in posh residential areas. Golfers have a great option with the Delhi Golf Club, the DLF Golf Club, the ITC Landbase Classic Golf Course and the Noida Golf Club besides a number of other courses.

Shopping

Shopper’s Paradise! Where do you start?
The main shopping area is concentrated in and around Connaught Place, Palika Bazar, the underground airconditioned market in CP and Janpath. More traditional markets are in the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi and in Karol Bagh. With the expansion of the city, other shopping complexes, including the chic Hauz Khas village, Santushti complex, the South Extension market and Khan Market have been developed. For handlooms and handicrafts from all states of India, visit the state emporia on Baba Kharak Singh Marg and the Central Cottage Industries Emporium off Connaught Place. Antiques and art are sold at the Tibetan Market on Janpath and some shops in Sundar Nagar Market.

Delhi's first look at big time shopping malls happened when Ansal's Plaza opened in South Delhi with cafés,shops, boutiques and show rooms selling the best of Indian products and international brands under one roof.

For inexpensive cotton clothing, try the Tibetan Market on Janpath and Sarojini Nagar Market. Some exclusive boutiques sell designer outfits in upmarkets like   Greater Kailash, Vasant Vihar, Hauz Khas village, the Santushti complex and Khan Market. A craftsmen’s co-operative Dastkar at Hauz Khas village, the Crafts Museum near Pragati Maidan and stalls in Dilli Haat sell rural craft including terracotta pots, metalware, leather products, fabrics and handwoven saris.

City Getaways

Delhi shares borders with the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, both of which have interesting getaways that are easily accessible from Delhi. Just 11 kms from Qutb Minar on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road is a lake built by the Tomar rulers of Delhi. Known as Surajkund (Sun Pool), the Tomars are believed to have settled here before the new city of Lal Kot was laid out in the 11^th century AD. Surajkund is a perennial lake, surrounded by rock-cut steps. Alongside are the ruins of an ancient sun temple. The complex has been developed by Haryana Tourism as a picnic spot, with the facility of overnight halt at its small resort. In February an annual Crafts Mela (Fair) is organised at the complex. The fair displays handloom and handicraft items from all over India, along with folk music, dance and food. The Mela’s popularity has grown over the years, with huge crowds driving in from Delhi.

Beyond Gurgaon, about 45 kms from Delhi is the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. Comprising a lake with extensive grounds and fringed by reeds and water plants, the sanctuary is visited by migratory birds in winter. Several trans-continental species, including some cranes, pelicans, flamingoes as also indigenous birds like the slender sarus, the cormorant, painted stork and egrets come to nest in the sanctuary. Haryana Tourism runs a rest house with camping facilities and a restaurant.

Another lake resort in Haryana, just 5 kms  from the border, is the Badhkal lake. It is frequented by weekenders from Delhi for boating and picnic.

The Sohna resort is on the Delhi-Jaipur road, beyond the industrial township of Dharuhera. Known for its hot springs, Sohna has a motel with restaurant and swimming pool run by Haryana Tourism.

In Rajasthan, 135 kms from Delhi is the Neemrana Fort. Located dramatically on a rocky outcrop overlooking a village, the fort was built by the Chauhan rulers in 1464. It was bought over by a Delhi hotelier, who restored and converted it into a graceful heritage hotel. The rooms are furnished with antique furniture and offer fabulous views of the valley around. Walks up to the old fort or into the village are interesting distractions.

To the east the road from Delhi to Nepal leads into Uttar Pradesh and the lofty Himalayas. Garhmukteshwar, on the banks of the Ganga, is a sacred spot for Hindus. Associated with the epic Mahabharata, pilgrims throng the town to bathe in the holy river on full moon’s day in October.

Meerut, one of important commercial and administrative centres of Uttar Pradesh, is best known for its association with the Mutiny of 1857. With antiquity dating back to the time of Emperor Ashoka (1st century BC), Meerut was the flashpoint from where the revolt of Indian soldiers spread across the entire country. The cantonment, with its Mall, St. John’s Cemetery, the Garrison Church and a memorial to Sir David Ochterlony, are testimonials of its colonial past. Besides the British areas, Meerut has some ancient Hindu shrines and Muslim buildings worth a visit. The famous Nauchandi Mela is held at the Tomb of Salar Masa-ud Ghazi in the month of March. Close to Meerut is the sleepy town of Sardana, made famous by Begum Samru. A Kashmiri dancing girl, she married a German mercenary and became a Roman Catholic, to later inherit the district of Sardana. The church, built in 1822 by the Begum incorporates Islamic features like marble inlay along with the Italianate style. The Begum’s palace, built in 1834 and converted into a Catholic school with an orphanage, has a collection of old pictures.

Moradabad, famous for its brassware, was founded in 1625. Named after Shah Jahan’s son Murad, the town lies on the banks of the Ramganga river. Crowded and with not much to see, the town boasts of a growing metalcraft industry that supplies markets abroad.

Need to Know Facts