From Wikitravel

For other places with the same name, see Delhi (disambiguation).

New Delhi (Hindi: Naï Dillî)[1] is the capital of India. It includes the area known as "Old Delhi" or just "Delhi" and the names are often used interchangeably.

Contents 1 Understand 1.1 History 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By bus 2.3 By train 3 Get around 3.1 By metro 3.2 By taxi 3.3 By autorickshaws 3.4 By cyclerickshaws 4 See 4.1 Monuments 4.2 Parks and Gardens 4.3 Museums 4.4 Religious Buildings 5 Dos 6 Buy 6.1 Bazaar's of Delhi 7 Eat 7.1 Ethnic 7.1.1 South Indian 7.1.2 Fast Food 7.2 Coffee 7.3 Hookah/Sheesha 7.4 Italian 7.5 Thai 7.6 NWFP & Tandoori Food 7.7 Dhabas (roadside stalls) 7.7.1 Chaat 8 Sleep 8.1 Budget 8.2 Mid-range 8.3 Splurge 9 Get out 10 By train 11 Stay safe 12 Cope 13 Get out

Understand

History

Delhi is one of the oldest existing cities (estimated to over 5000 years old) in the world along with Damascus and Varanasi. Over the millenia, Delhi is said to have been built and destroyed 11 times. The oldest incarnation of the city shows up in the Indian mythology Mahabharata as Indraprastha. The recognizable and the last eight versions of the city are:

• Quila Rai Pithora - This dates back to the 10th century as per available historical records. Also earlier known as Rai Pithora, this city was created by Prithviraj Chauhan, the local hero famous for his resisting the marauding invadors from central Asia (Muhammad Ghori in particular). Chauhan's ancestors are said to have captured the city from the Tomar Rajputs who were credited with founding Delhi. Anangpal, a Tomar ruler possibly created the first known regular fort called 'Lal Kot', which was taken over by Prithviraj and the city extended. Some of the ruins of the fort ramparts are still visible around Qutab Minar and Mehrauli

• Mehrauli - After many attempts, Muhammad Ghori finally managed to defeat Prithviraj Chauhan in battle in 1192. Ghori left his slave Qutub-ud-din Aibak as his viceroy, who captured Delhi the subsequent year. After Ghori's death in 1206, Aibak proclaimed himself the ruler of Delhi and founded the slave dynasty. The impact of this dynasty was felt by Delhi in terms of culture and faith for about the next six and a half centuries. Qutb-ud-din contributed significantly in terms of architecture by getting Mehrauli built. His most prominent contribution is the starting of Qutab Minar. This 72.5m tall tower was built across three generations and finally completed in 1220AD. A visitor to the Qutab Minar could also see the mausoleum of Kaki, Shamsi Talao and some other mosques. Aibak's heirs ruled till 1290, among them was Razia (his grand daughter) who ruled for just three years, but became a historic figure for being the first empress in India.

• Siri
• Tughlakabad
• Firozabad
• Shergarh
• Shahjehabanad
• Lutyen's New Delhi

Get in

By plane

The Indira Gandhi International airport is the arrival point for many visitors into Delhi. The airport has two main terminals, 1 (domestic) and 2 (international). The airport has all the basic airport facilities such as money changing, which is open 24 hours.

Most hotels, except for the budget hotels, will provide free transportation, so your safest bet is to arrange transport ahead of time from your hotel. If you want to arrange a taxi at the airport, make sure to get a prepaid taxi before exiting the airport, otherwise you will be accosted by hordes of taxi drivers trying to fleece you. The prepaid rates are set based on destination and are bona fide, however, be sure to count your change, since they may shortchange you.

The cheapest option is to book from the `Delhi Police' operated counter, straight through the airport and turn right immediately outside the front doors, where they assign a cab number to you, so its a bit safer too. Do not give the receipt to the driver until you get to the destination as it is what they are paid on. These are regular Non-AC cabs though. It is also possible to take a city bus during the day, or a private one run 24 hours a day.

Domestic flights will bring you to terminal 1, which is a little closer to the city than the international terminal. If you are making connections, it can take between 15 and 30 minutes once you exit one terminal to get to the other one by car, depending on time of day and traffic. Take a pre-paid taxi from the Delhi Tourism prepaid taxi booth. Ignore the taxi touts!

Getting to the right terminal can be a little confusing. The international (Indira Gandhi International) and the Domestic (Palam) terminals are a fair distance apart, though they share the same runway. The domestic airport itself has 2 terminals- 1A for Indian airlines (Govt owned) and Kingfisher airlines, and 1B is shared by everyone else, and can be pretty chaotic. The good news though, is that in a few years time, there will be new, modern terminals in place.

By bus

Buses arrive from Kathmandu and Chitwan in Nepal (36+ hours) and virtually every city in India. Not as comfortable as the trains, buses are the only choice for some destinations, mainly those in the mountains.

By train

Trains arrive at one of three main stations-- Delhi Junction, also called Old Delhi or Purani Dilli, the second at New Delhi which lies in Central Delhi, and one at Hazrat Nizamuddin a few kilometers to the south. Delhi Junction and New Delhi Railway Station are now conveniently connected by Metro Line 2, just minutes apart. It will also take around 40 minutes to an hour to travel from the New Delhi Railway Station to the airports by car, depending on the traffic. The New Delhi Railway Station is located just outside of Parhaganj, the tourist ghetto. A tourist ticket office is open during office hours, upstairs of the main New Delhi railway station. Ignore touts who will try to convince you that it has moved or is closed. Note that it is only for foreign tourists, so you MUST have a tourist visa (i.e. student and working visas are not acceptable). Bring your passport, and either foreign cash, traveller's cheques or money change / cash advance receipts (including ATM receipts). They will only sell you a ticket if you have these. To get a ticket, first get a form from the centre of the room, and fill it out. Then go to the information desk near the entrance. There, have the clerk check the availability of the train(s) you desire, and fill out your form accordingly. Then line up at one of the two u-shaped lines for the reservation desks. A ticket office open to all is on the road to Connaught Place with longer hours and often has waiting times not much longer than at the tourist booking office, you will need to know the number or name of the train you want to take.

Get around

By metro

Three lines of the new Delhi Metro are now open and provide a hassle-free way of zipping around the city.

Line 1 - Shahdra to Rithala Line 2 - Vishwa Vidyalya(Delhi University) to Central Secretriat (Driver-less driving) Line 3 - Barakhamba Road to Dwarka City

Line 2, in particular, is useful for getting to the Old Delhi (Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid) and New Delhi railway stations as well as the ISBT bus terminal. Fares range from Rs. 6 to 22.

By taxi

Taxis or hired car (usually with driver) are required to see many of the far-flung sites around and just outside Delhi. To get a taxi or a hired car, you have to go to a taxi stand; they are not usually flagged from the street. There is also a service called dial-a-cab. The number is 1090. You shouldn't take non-official taxis, sometimes they take you to a wrong hotel, or to a "tourist information center", and try to sell you overpriced things.

By autorickshaws

Autorickshaws (also called 3 wheeled Scooters or 3 wheelers) are good for shorter trips. Autorickshaws are three-wheeled partially enclosed contraptions(they don't have any doors) that can seat three people in the back and usually run on CNG, petrol or diesel, mostly CNG in Delhi. Although by law the rickshaw driver have to charge by the electronic meter in their vehicles, they will almost always try to haggle for price. If using a rickshaw, make sure you settle on either (a) paying by meter or (b) a fixed price in advance, or there will be no end of trouble. In general, they are much cheaper than taxis and can be hailed from the street.

If you have any trouble with them, go to the numerous tourist police in the city centre and they will give you a complaint slip which will result in a 500 rupee fine for the auto driver.

By cyclerickshaws

Cyclerickshaws are three-wheeled pedal powered rickshaws with seats in the back to seat Passengers and a driver in the front. They are good for short distances, or places which are too far to walk but too short for taking a bus/taxi/autorickshaw. Cyclerickshaws don't use meters, so establish a price before getting on.

See

The staff at the Delhi tourist office are very helpful and have lots of free information: The Government of India Tourist Office 88 Janpath , Connaught Place. Tel:332 0005, 3320008, 3320109, 3320266.

• Majnu ka Teela Tibetan Colony. One of the more accessible Tibetan resettlement areas in India, and certainly a nice piece of variety for Delhi; to get there head north along Ring Road just past Majnu ka Teela Gurudwara.

• Appu Ghar - Amusement Park
• International trade fair exhibition centre
• Connaught Circus/Place - Central Business District and retail shopping center that resides in a double circular road.

Monuments

• Rajpath. A main parade route that leads to the President's residence (Rashtrapati Bhavan). Wide avenue, the splendid India Gate, and many grassy lawns. Especially nice in the evenings and at night when the buildings are lit, and the vendors come out to supply the many picnicking families.
• Humayun's Tomb. [2] The splendid tomb of the second Mughal Emperor Humayun.
• Red Fort. A brilliant red sandstone fort built by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. See: Wikipedia: Delhi Fort. The fort is open for visitors only on monday
• Rajghat Memorial of Mahatma Gandhi [3]
• Lodi Estate
• Qutab Minar. A tall tower built in the early middle ages by Quli Qutub Shah, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Nehru House 'Teen Murti Bhavan'. The house of the first Prime Minister of India. Only for people interested in politics. Free entrance.
• India Gate. This monument has been built as a memorial for the Indian soldiers who died in World War One. There is also a fire ("eternal flame") burning for all fallen Indian soldiers.
• Parliament House

Parks and Gardens

• Lodhi Garden
• Nehru Park - a large park in the South Delhi neighbourhood of Chankayapuri

Museums

• International Doll's Museum, Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. +91 11 2331 6970, +91 11 2331 6971, +91 11 2331 6972, +91 11 2331 6973, +91 11 2331 6974. [4] Tue-Sun 10-6. A museum of dolls from all over the country. You get to see the costumes and art from all over India, as well as some nice craftsmanship. Rs. 10.00.
• India Habitat Center, Lodhi Road. +91 11 2468 2001—2468 2009 (all inclusive). [5] Most noted for its ever-changing art exhibits, Plays and film shows, as well as an international selection of food items in its food court.
• Tibet House, 1 Institutional Area, Lodhi Road. Tel:4611 515. E-mail:thouse@nde.vsnl.net.in - established by HH Dalai Lama with the aim of preserving the cultural heritage of Tibet. There is a museum, exhibition space and library.
• National Museum on Janpath is a must see. Contains plenty on Indian History, and archeology.
• Teen Murti Bhavan former residence of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, now a museum of his life.
• National Railway Museum collection of Indian trains from the past to the present, a worthwhile look into India's proud railway heritage.

Religious Buildings

• Lakshmi Narayan Temple or popularly known as Birla Mandir, located next to Connaught Place, is a big Hindu temple complex.
• Bahá'í Lotus Temple, located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi. [6]
• Chhattarpur Mandir Huge & beautiful temple complex with a big surrounding campus - located near Mehrauli area of South Delhi.
• ISKCON (Hare Krishna) temple, at East of Kailash. Centre for Krishna Consciousness, it has robotic shows and multimedia presentations, apart from the traditional temple complex. Lively atmosphere and excellent tasting sweets.
• Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, Off National Highway 24 in East Delhi. [7]
• Jama Masjid is a huge mosque opposite the Red fort, next to Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi - must see on the list [8]

Dos

• Take a walk at Connaught Place, the heart of New Delhi.
• Do a heritage walk in Chandni Chowk. Start at the beginning of the road near Red Fort and meander through Lala Lajpat Rai market, rows of camera repair shops, Gurdwara Sisganj, the fountain, the old movie halls, all the way to Fatehpuri mosque. Take detours into Nai Sarak and Chawri bazaar, or stop by at the Parathewali Gali, the jalebiwallah at Dariba Kalan, Annapurna (on the crossroads), or Ghantewallah. Might be a bit heavy on the senses, but a walk you will not forget

Buy

Bazaar's of Delhi

• Cottage Emporium, located near Connaught Place, is the main government-run location for selling handicrafts from all over the country. The prices are a little more than what you'd find if you went bargain hunting, but you can shop in air-conditioned comfort, all the sales people will know English, and the quality of items is quite good. You can pay with credit cards.

• The state emporia are the state equivalents of Cottage. They are all located on Baba Kharak Singh Marg, one of the radial streets coming off of Connaught Place, and each state specializes in certain kinds of crafts. Some are better on price than others, and you can bargain a little. Many of them will take credit cards.

• Dilli Haat, located in South Delhi near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), is a place where crafts fairs keep happening every few weeks. It is a wonderful place to get crafts from all over the country. What is distinctive here is that the artists themselves come to sell their goods, so your money goes directly to them, rather than to middlemen. Some bargaining may be necessary if you want the best price.

• Janpath is a bargain-hunter's dream. At 2 minutes walking from Connaught place. Think of it as a vast fleamarket, where you can get all kinds of knick-knacks and clothes. Janpath is not a place for those unwilling or unable to bargain ruthlessly. Also, as in any flea market, quality will vary greatly.

• Palika Bazaar is a large underground market in the center of Connaught Place. This is a great place to hunt for DVD's, VCD's and Audio CD's of Hindi, English and a few regional and foreign language films and PC based games. Vendors stock both legal & pirated wares (quite easily distinguishable).
  A few things you have to note: ** Purchase inside the enclosure. Shops outside the enclosures are mostly wholesalers who are less interested in bargaining with you. Drive a hard-bargain only for pirated wares.
  • If you are buying DVD's ensure that you buy at a place which has a DVD player, so you can check the quality. If you can't play a Non-English and Non-Indian DVD, it can either be defective or have a different regional encoding. You may be able to play it on your PC or a regular DVD player.

• Ansal Plaza is a mall and favourite shopping haunt for the local middle/upper class and is located in South Delhi. Great place to get bargains on international branded clothing & jeans (as these tend to be 30-50% cheaper than in the west depending on the brand and time of year). The mall also houses many Indian and Western eateries (including: McDonalds). International brands like Guess, Marks & Spencer, Benetton, Lacoste & Apple have retail outlets here.

• South Extension is another shopping mecca in South Delhi but is not a single mall and is spread out over a large area, but many international brands have stores here. International brands include the likes of Mango, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Benetton, Levis, etc.

• Malls in Delhi in the last few years there has been an explosion in the number of malls being constructed in and around Delhi. The best place to see this is Gurgaon a satellite town located south west of Delhi. On the main road you will find 3-4 malls all in a row and many others in construction, a goods one is MGF Metropolitan and DLF City Centre. Similar malls are found throughout Delhi as well as other satellite towns such as NOIDA, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. A recent trend has been to build Malls or department stores around large metro stations.

• Karol Bagh reputed to be the largest shopping area in Asia with 20,000 shops and traders. A growing area for accommodation as well.

• Other Places If you want to save (even more) money and find some cheap shopping possibilities, divert from the usual tourist places and dive into the small streets of Delhi.

Eat

Ethnic

• Dilli Haat is a great place to get samplers of cuisine from all over the country.
• Haldirams (a manufacturer of Indian snacks and sweets) has a large store/restaurant on Mathura Road, great place to savour many mainly North Indian favourites as well as western dishes.

South Indian

• Sagar Shop No 24, Defence Colony Market, Defence Colony, New Delhi - 110024 +91 11 2433 3815, +91 11 2155 1097 Considered by many the best place for authentic South Indian food, Sagar does justice to the reputation. Menue features dosas, idlis, vadas, uttapams, rasam and thalis. A/C. There's likely to be a queue for seats during peak hours and definitely on Tuesday nights.
• The upmarket version (quieter, better laid out and more expensive) is at Sagar Ratna, Ashok Hotel, 50-B Chanakyapuri +91 11 2611 0101
• Saravana Bhavan, 46 Janpath, +91 11 2331 7755 +91 11 2331 6060 [9] is a good South Indian joint located in Janpath very close to Connaught Place. They are a Chennai chain operating in Delhi. If you go at lunch time, prepare to wait a while. Recommended to eat are the various dosa's, the thalis (meals) and the sweet dishes.
• Andhra Pradesh Bhavan Canteen, on Ashok Road near Man Singh Road. Open for lunch and dinner the Andhra Pradesh Canteen is a favorite of local Delhi foodies who are looking for an authentic Andhra meal. They serve all you can eat veg/non-veg thalis for 50RS/100RS. For carnivores, you have a variety of non-veg options (chicken/fish/mutton) but the mutton fry is recommended. The service is quick and efficient.
• Naivedhyam, in Hauz Khas Village, offers quality meals and service at slightly higher prices.
• Sri Balaji Restaurant, 17A/41, W.E.A. Gurudwara Road, Karol Bagh, serves North and South Indian food for good prices, but offers only veg food.

Fast Food

• You will find McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut scattered at various locations (in malls and otherwise) through out the city. An Indian fast food joint worth going to is Nirula's, which serves a variety of western fare as well as ice cream. Fast food restauraunts in India do not serve beef.

Coffee

• For coffee go to Barista and Cafe Coffee Day, two of the large Indian Coffee Chains. The partly UK-based Costa Coffee has also made a recent foray into the market.

Hookah/Sheesha

• Visit 'Mocha' at Greater Kailash I and 'Hookah' in Vasant Vihar for some drinks, Indian bar food, hookah and an amazing lounge experience. The crowd that frequents these two places is young, hip and trendy.

Italian

• The Big Chill is located in Khan market and East of Kailash, Flavours of Italy is near the Moolchand Flyover, and Little Italy in Defence Colony Market, are some of the good and more popular spots for the tighter budgets.
• The West View at Maurya Sheraton, Olive near the Qutub Minar, Diva at Greater Kailash Pt.2, San Gimignano at Imperial Hotel and La Piazza at Hyatt Regency offer some of the best authentic Italian food in the South-Asian continent.

Thai

• EGO Thai at Friends Colony Market, Culinaire at GK2, Chilli seasons at Lodhi Colony market, and Ban Thai at the Oberoi hotel, are some of the restaurants to find great Thai food.

NWFP & Tandoori Food

• On tighter budgets, recommened are Moti Mahal Deluxe and Pindi or Havemore at Pandara Park.
• For the best that money can buy, visit Bukhara at Maurya Sheraton. This restaurant is featured in the book, "1001 Places to Visit..."
• Notable's include, Chor Bizzare & Punjabi by Nature.

Dhabas (roadside stalls)

Chaat

If you want to eat chaat, the North Indian streetside snack food, Delhi is the place to be. Chaat is hard to describe, really consisting of a number of different kinds of food, all spicy, and vegetarian, and all things that you will be hard pressed to find in Indian restaurants in other parts of the world.

Some typical chaat items are paapdi chaat (a mix of small round fried crispy things with yoghurt and other sauces), paneer tikka (cubes of cottage cheese baked in a tandoor with spices), pani puri or golguppa (small round hollow shells filled with a potato-based filling and a spicy sweet blend of sauces).

The best place to go for chaat is the Bengali Market near Connaught Place in the center of town. The restaurants are of high quality, the food is great, and there are ATMs there as well. One of the best known restaurants there is Nathu's.

Caveat: You should, if you are indiscriminately gobbling chaat sold by a man with a cart along Ridge Rd, be aware that the chaat might not have been prepared with bottled water.

The other place to get really good chaat that is also prepared fairly hygienically is at any one of the Haldiram's stores. Particularly recommended is the Raj Kachori - it is a mixture of different types of stuffing with sweetened yogurt and chutneys in a little basket made from fried potato-slivers.

But for the really good chaat you have to make your way to Old Delhi, and particularly to Ashok's near Chawri Bazaar.

Sleep

Budget

Paharganj

This street, named main bazar, opposite New Delhi railway station has many cheap hotels and is very popular with travelers, with a double room with attached bathroom costing between 200-300Rs, or less. Below is a list of a few of the more popular places:

• Hotel Namaska, 917 Chandiwalan, Main Bazaar, is located down a side alley Tel:7521234, 7522233
• Hotel Navrang, on a side street off main bazar at the intersection with the vegtable market, Tel: 7531922 - cheep and cheerful
• Ajay Guest House Tel:2522369, 23543125
• Metropolis, 1634, Bazaar Hand, Tel:23518074 - good restaurant - little more expensive than average Paharaganj hotel.
• Hare Rama Guest House, 298 Main Bazaar, down the side road near the Khanna Cinema. Tel:27433017
• Vivek, 1534-50 Main Bazaar, about a ten-minute walk from the railway station. Tel:23512900,
• Royal Palace - Clean and pleasant design/ style Tel:23586176. 200 meters down Main Bazar from New Delhi Station before Star Palace Hotel.

Majnu Ki Tilla

Majnu Ki Tilla is a Tibetan settlement and the place of departure and arrival for Dharamsala, the home of the Tibetan Government in Exile and the Dalai Lama. It is sometimes easier to stay in Majnu Ki Tilla if one's interest is Tibetan Culture, Polotics or Religion.

• New Peace House
• Peace House
• Wangden House
• Lhasa Guest House
• Ida Guest House

Other Areas

New India Hotel; 250 Rupees for single-bed and 350 for double-bed-room, noisy a/c, rudimentary shower, they watch bollywood-movies at night which can be somewhat embarrassing. It's is next to the red fort in Old Delhi

Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001

• • Asian Guest House, 14 Scindia House, 2nd. Floor, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi 110001 - Phones: 91-11-23313393 / 23314658 / 23310229 / 23313663. Contact Person: Mr. Abhijeet Gopal - Tariff range From: Single Occupancy non air-conditioned room for INR 425 to Double Occupancy air-conditioned room with cable TV for INR 1000* . * Tax 12.5%. Book through http://www.asianguesthouse.com official website and get 5% discount on room tariff. Clean rooms with homely atmosphere and a helpful staff, centrally located. This is a famly friendly place. There is an elevator to take you to 2nd Floor.

West Delhi

• • Ajanta Guest House, WZ-491, M.S.Block, Hari Nagar,West Delhi -110 064 (India), Phone : +(91)-(11)-25128937 | 25128948 Contact person Mr. Manoj Dewan Site Address: http://www.ajantaguesthouse.com Email: mdewan69@hotmail.com ajantagh@rediffmail.com -- Ajanta Guest House a guesthouse in Mayapuri New Delhi west, India, Asia near Palam domestic and Indira Gandhi International Airport offers clean comfortable budget accommodation of a luxurious style, 24 hrs room services the rooms comes with air conditioner, non a/c with colour tv with 24 hrs sattelite channels, with 24 hrs hot and cold running water. Travel Desk with direct facility and issuance of major domestic and international airline ticketing of Jet Airways, Spice Jet, Deccan Airways, etc. and have two registered cabs. Airport pickup/drop on charges payable. Ajanta Guest House has full time dedicated travel agency by name of Ajanta Travel Services providing airticketing, holiday resrvations, car rentals to dicerning foreign , dometsic , corporates and individual clients, cars can be hired for local run in delhi sight seeing, outstaion pacakges, i.e Rajasthan Package, Delhi- Agra same day , Himachal Pacakges etc, in total we at Ajanta offers you more than a good night sleep by taking care of your accommodations and all your travel requirements, we also provide hotel reservation as per the buget of tourists in Rajasthan Agra and Himachal Pradesh.

Mid-range

• Delhi Bed and Breakfast[10] Bed and breakfast 'homestay'-style hotel, featuring unique architecture, very central, private bathroom.
• Ashok Yatri Niwas, 17 Ashoka Road, Conaught Place - centrally located - rooms with A/C - clean - good value.
• Mehar Castle[11] 750 Rupees/night for one and 1500 for two persons, large rooms with a/c, tv, hot shower, room service,
• Bajaj Indian Homestay[12] 10 themed rooms hotel
• Hotel Sunstar Residency, 8A/50, W.E.A. Channa Market, Karol Bagh, New Delhi 110 005, Tel. 25853688, 89, 42503285, 42502767, hotelsunstar@yahoo.co.uk, [13], [www.sunstarresidency.com], 1300 Rupees/night for double rooms with A/C, TV, private bathroom. The rooms are clean and the bathrooms seem to have been renovated recently. Room service and a restaurant in the hotel are available for breakfast and dinner. Locker facilities are also available.

Splurge

• Hotel Imperial in Janpath near Connaught Place, houses the only Chanel store in India.
• Hotel Hyatt Regency in Bhikhaji Cama Place. Slightly aged but still five star hotel featuring an outdoor pool, gym, restaurant, and all the usual amenities.
• Hotel Maurya Sheraton in Chanakyapuri
• Hotel Taj Palace in Chanakyapuri
• Hotel Park Royal Intercontinental in Nehru Place
• Hotel Ashoka in Chanakyapuri
• Hotel Trident Hilton in Gurgaon
• Hotel Radisson on way to the Intl. Airport
• Hotel Radisson in Sector 18, NOIDA
• Hotel Claridges, near Pandara Road

Get out

Trains, planes and buses depart to all corners of India and the rest of the world from New Delhi.

• Mussoorie
  • Raj Hotel, Established in the year 1977 right at the Masonic Lodge Bus Stand near Picture Palace, Mussoorie. It has 36 Rooms and a 2 room flat with kitchen and a veranda for daily rent out basis. A passage to drive the car up to the hotel area for a safe car parking. One can bask in the sun through out the day that is from sunrise to sunset. Lots of open space to enjoy the sun and for the children to play. The rooms are nice and big with western style bathrooms with hot and cold water supply round the clock. One can enjoy the late evening / night scene of the Doon Valley from the comforts of the hotel premises. There is an exclusive lift from Masonic Lodge Bus Stand to the hotel premises.

Address - Raj Hotel, Masonic Lodge Bus Stand, Mussoorie - 248179 Email: rajhotels36@yahoo.co.in Website: http://www.geocities.com/rajhotel Phones: 0135-2632338; 2633459. Mobile: 9412431450; 9837163584 It takes about six hours by road from Delhi to Mussoorie - 'The Queen of Hills' - in the Shivalik Mountain range. There is a good train from Delhi that takes about 5 hours to Dehradun and from Dehradun one can hire either a private taxi or on seat sharing basis or can take a bus. Mussoorie again is a very popular retreat and gets full when there is a longish weekend.

Comments: Spent about four wonderful days amongst very friendly people in very well ventilated biggish rooms. Enjoyed great evenings watching the lights simmer in the Doon Valley, enjoyed sunshine while lazing around in the open space during the day. The lift is very handy after a long walk on the Mall. The location is ideal in all respects. Good quality breakfast and full food is available with in the hotel premises. This is one great accommodation option in Mussoorie.

• Agra and the Taj Mahal is a 3-4 hour drive or train ride.
• Jaipur and Rajastan are reachable by plane or overnight train.
• Kathmandu in neighboring Nepal is a 36+ hour bus ride.
• Rishikesh is a 5-6 hour drive or train ride. The ride is via Haridwar
• Dharamsala 10-12 hours north. Tickets can be purchased from Main Bazar Tourist offices, Majnu Ki Tilla Tibetan Settlement or the I.S.B.T.

By train

Despite what everybody you meet has to say, you can indeed buy train tickets at the train station! In fact going to the International Tourist Bureau on the first floor (first floor above ground level) of the New Delhi railway station is the only advice you need about purchasing train tickets. This office will provide you the most accurate information about seat availability and the best ticket prices. You can also book online through the Indian Railways Booking [14].

Stay safe

A notice posted at the New Delhi train station: ATTENTION OF FOREIGN TOURISTS Beware of Touts. Do not listen to those who attempt to tell you the tickets office for International Tourists is closed. Please proceed to the International Tourist Bureau on the first floor at New Delhi Railway station Buildings and ignore those who attempt to lead you to a booking office elsewhere.

Many first time travelers to India find themselves falling victim to scams and touts. Be on guard for anybody trying to help you by giving you directions or travel advice. If this is your first time to India do not admit it, as this will make you a mark for the scam artists.

Advice for women: Delhi is an increasingly unsafe place for women. If you are coming into Delhi at night, stay in the airport lounge, or well lit areas until daybreak. Try to avoid walking around alone or hiring cabs alone, dress conservatively, learn to shout, and consider carrying mace/pepper spray. Police vehicles (called PCR vans) are parked almost on every major intersection. Dial 100 in case of emergencies. Women travelers need to be extra careful in Delhi due to its bad reputition. It is not uncommon to receive lewd remarks or even physical touching and it should be noted that Delhi is ranked the least safe place in India.

Cope

• Laundry service is offered in most hotels, even budget accomidations. You'll have little luck finding a place to do it yourself.
• Exercising outdoors is not recommended due to the level of pollution and swimming in rivers is also not reccommended. You'll want to look for a hotel with a gym or a pool (many offer day passes).

Get out

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!