[Travel Advice] New Delhi & India

Do you have family there??

 

Well first of all I would recommend you stay in a 5 star hotel. In fact, there is no question about it. You don't want to fall sick. Delhi really isnt that big of a tourist city but it is overcrowded so no matter where you go, you'll be in the mainstream. There really isnt any point of you visiting various neighborhoods. But the nice ones that I know of are GKII, Vasant Vihar, and Defense Colony. I would also check out downtown and make sure to shop at South Ex. Out of the 3 weeks I was there I only spent one day sightseeing. I really don't know what you are going to do for 5 weeks without family!

You should definitely visit Goa and Bombay. Unless you want to see various temples, there is no point in going to South India. They're lifestyle is completely different than what you will see up north. You should play golf and check out some clubs. Also, make sure to try their Pizza Hut. Its delicious.

I actually had a blast in India when I went. Weather should be nice though in December. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

Also, you can stay at my Grandmother's place if you want. Im being serious too. No formalities. She's real cool. Plus shes got a great cook and a driver who can take you around...

 

Don't drink the water.

 

I have to disagree ... I thought there was a lot to see in Delhi, and I thought I was rushing to see everything in the 4 days I was there. However, I guess it depends on what you like to do and see. I'm into the historical sights and stuff, and there are tons of those around.

You have India Gate, the Parliament building area ... Qutub Minar, The Lotus Temple, The Red Fort, etc. If you like shopping, you have to visit the Connaught Plaza area, and the underground mall. The chandni chowk area was a total blast, although it is culture shock to the max ... the smells, the rush, the sights, etc.

The various temples were also fun to visit, although for me, having to take off shoes and socks, belt, etc got a lil tiring after awhile.

I stayed in the Crowne Plaza in Friends Colony which was a very nice place, and far enough from the city to be peaceful, but close enough that going downtown wasn't a huge hassle.

As far as going around the area ... Agra is definitely worth the trip to see Taj Mahal, and can easily be done in a day, although you would enjoy an overnighter just so you can see the Taj at sunrise/sunset. The train ride is about 3-4hrs, and a private taxi can be had, but be sure to haggle to the last penny.

I'm a HUGE Rajasthan fan, and that is also very close to Delhi. You can catch a flight to Jaipur or the various other cities for VERY cheap thru the various local air carriers. I would recommend Jaisalmer on the western end of Rajasthan, close to the border, Jaipur and Jodhpur. You'll get the old time feel in Jaisalmer.

In December, the north will be absolutely beautiful with places like Kashmir and the various Punjab cities in full action, but of course the south will be just as appealing with the beaches, etc.

 

Forget Delhi. Go straight to Bombay.

 

I saw all those...in one day. I was definitely not thrilled by these monuments at all.

In fact, I'll save you all the trouble:

http://img421.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1aa9mh9.jpg - Parliament

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/1478/75d1nh3.jpg - Parliament again

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/7360/5fb2yf0.jpg - Qutab Minar

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/927/2401ip9.jpg - India Gate

 

I actually just got back from a month long trip to India 2 days ago. I was only in Delhi for 3 days, but there's a lot to see in town. Still, plan on being very, very cautious with the food you eat, and especially what you drink.

I was there on business, so the company put me up in a 5 star hotel, and I can only imagine what the lesser hotels there are like. I stayed in 3 hotels while I was there, and while the one I stayed in in Delhi (the Oberoi) was very nice even my western standards, the other two were no better than 3 star in my opinion. I mean, they were nice, but not THAT nice.

Bear in mind that around 70% of foreigners travelling to India get (spoiler tag ) traveller's diarrhea. Also bear in mind that India might be a lot bigger than you think it is. Staying in Delhi and wanting to take a trip to Goa is a little like going to Chicago and wanting to take a weekend jaunt to Hollywood. And distance vs. travel time is a little misleading. They don't have interstate highways in India, so the old 60 miles away means 1 hour away thinking doesn't work. For example, a trip from Delhi to Agra (to the the Taj Mahal, I'm sure this is on your agenda) will take you about 4-5 hours, even though it's only about 150 km away. And that's by car. You can take passenger trains, which are a lot cheaper, but they're a lot dirtier, make lots of stops, and it might be a little dangerous for you to be going alone as an American.

A few other thoughts:
- Be prepared to be fighting off beggars constantly, especially near any tourist destinations if you go to any. They're pretty aggresive, but if you ignore then they should go away eventually. It helps if you have a friend who is local to go around with you.
- I'm sure it's obvious, but don't eat the food from street vendors unless you really want to chance getting sick. Diarrhea is one thing, but you could potentially get some life-threatening diseases if you're not careful. Restaurants are much cheaper there anyway.
- One good rule of thumb about scams. If something is cheaper than it is everywhere else, there's probably a very big string attached. For example, and if you've done any research you're probably aware of this one, but if you hire a car, the driver will probably at some point or another suggest to you a stop by a souvenier shop. You might decline, but he'll press you as if it's no big deal, but that you should really check it out. In fact, of course, he has a relationship with the shop and gets kickbacks. This happened to me with every driver I had in India. You really just have to put your foot down because the shopkeepers are pretty aggresive, sometimes dangerously so.
- The pollution is pretty bad, but at least if you live in Houston you'll be a little more prepared for it.
- Get used to the conversion rate so that you can quickly calculate in your head how much something costs. It fluctuates, but the general rule is about 45 Rupees to 1 dollar. It takes a little getting used to because it's not an easy quick calculation.

Anyway, that said, India ruled. The people are great, the food is great (for the most part), and the culture is quite different. I'd definitely go again. You just have to be aware of the pitfalls.

Also, when in doubt, I'd not admit to people that it's your first time to be in India. It's usually the second question people will ask you. (the first is, of course, what country you're from) When you say you're an American and it's your first time, little $ signs appear in people's eyes.

Have fun!

 

Hey I was born in New Delhi and my family lives in Kerala. Kerala has a lot of scenic beauty. But alas, I haven't been back to Delhi/New Delhi since I came to the US in 1974 and haven't been back to Kerala since the 1980's. A lot has changed in Kerala in those 20-or-so years. Appreciate the culture for what it is by not comparing it to what it's not.

Hope you have fun, stay safe, and don't get "Delhi belly".

 

My advice: spend more time in the south than the north.

North is maddenning, south is more laid back. Go to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Do NOT skip Tamil Nadu - great history, monuments, plus the coast.

 

a 4 star hotel in india will give you a motel 6 experiance.

 

New Delhi is a madhouse, (as is many major Indian cities but urban planning in New Delhi was non-existant so its one of the worst). There isn't that much to see in the city itself because its actually a relatively new city without much of the history of other cities. And as someone pointed out, commute times are dreadful because of a lack of transportation infrastructure and major crowding issues on what structure that does exist. (although its much better now than 10 years ago)

Kerala is very very different. Its not as crowded and its much more laid back. I absolutely loved it when I went there. The people were great, corruption is actually very very minimal, and the auto rickshaw drivers were actually incredibly helpful and didn't try to screw us over. A lot of great scenery and places to visit around there.

My family is from the south so I'm not too familiar with the North, but I really recommend you spend time in the South. There's a lot of temples and cultural icons that are unique to the south, as it is an entirely different culture. Cities in Tamil Nadu and Kerala have really great temples and old infrastructure. Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh is a great mix of old Muslim architecture and culture that has been modernized substantially thanks to tech and biotech money. (That city is seriously a ton of fun) Bombay is Bombay. Similar to New Delhi in chaos but there's definitely some cool stuff to see around there. Bangalore is just tech money and is the new face of modern India. If you want a small taste of america again, that would be your place to see.

 

some more options not listed above:

*go on a safari - either Corbett or Ranthambore national parks

http://www.corbettnationalpark.com/
http://www.ranthamborenationalpark.com/

*go on a tour of some himalayan hill stations. these are some of the popular ones:

http://www.india-tourism.com/en_hillstation.0.html

my choices out of the list in the link above would be to go to the state of Himachal Pradesh and visit the cities of Kullu, Manali, Shimla, and Dharamsala
http://www.india-tourism.com/en_hpr.0.html

*Go on one of those trekking tours. I've always wanted to go to Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal (although this is probably a little far from Delhi). You can see Everest and Kanchenjunga from here

http://www.trekking.com.au/tourDetail.php?region=Darjeeling&id=7

another place I've always wanted to go to is Leh (Ladakh). I think SamFisher visited that place and posted pics on here too.

http://www.trekking.com.au/tourDetail.php?region=India&id=15

*if you really want to drop some cash and travel in style while visiting Rajasthan, you could take the tours available w/ the palace on wheels.

http://www.palacesonwheels.com/

 

I have heard that Kerala is the smartest of all the Indian states. Something like 99% literacy. Is this correct?

 

Yeah..

 

The far north and the far south are my favorite parts of India, but if the OP is going in December, unfortunately for him that rules out Ladakh unless you've got a dogsled team. I know the roads close in september and they slash the flight schedules.

 

Definitley go to Rajastan. Jaipur, Udaipur, all excellent places. In Jaipur, go to a place called Choki Dhani (sp?). I would compare it to the Rennaissance Festival, sort of. It is a traditional Rajastani village per say. They have different stations portraying Rajastani culture. You eat dinner there too tradiitional style, on the floor. The food was awesome!

Also in Jaipur, you can take an elephant ride to the top of a mountain where a palace is. Also a lot of fun. I don't remember the name of it though. Jaipur was hot during the day and really cold at night when I was there a couple of Decembers ago. All of Rajastan is like that weather wise.

Mumbai is a hell of a lot of fun too. Don't be suprised if drinks and going out is very expensive though. Cover at the popular clubs is around 20-30 US, and drinks 8-15 US. The rich in India are filthy rich by any standards. Also, nice hotels are going to be 100-150 a night. I am talking about 5 star hotels that are stunning.

In Udaipur, if you want to stay at a palace, you can stay at the Lake Palace hotel, I think it is by the Taj Group. It is a hotel in the midle of the lake, used to be a palace. Beautiful. Also, another gorgeous hotel is the Udaivillas.