r/travel • u/AutoModerator • Jan 04 '18
Advice r/travel City Destination of the Week: New Delhi
Weekly topic thread, this week featuring the city of New Delhi. Please contribute all and any questions / thoughts / suggestions / ideas / stories about this travel destination.
This post will be archived on our wiki destinations page and linked in the sidebar for future reference, so please direct any of the more repetitive questions there.
Only guideline: If you link to an external site, make sure it's relevant to helping someone travel to this city. Please include adequate text with the link explaining what it is about and describing the content from a helpful travel perspective.
Example: We really enjoyed the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. It was $35 each, but there's enough to keep you entertained for whole day. Bear in mind that parking on site is quite pricey, but if you go up the hill about 200m there are three $15/all day car parks. Monterey Aquarium
Unhelpful: Read my blog here!!!
Helpful: My favourite part of driving down the PCH was the wayside parks. I wrote a blog post about some of the best places to stop, including Battle Rock, Newport and the Tillamook Valley Cheese Factory (try the fudge and ice cream!).
Unhelpful: Eat all the curry! [picture of a curry].
Helpful: The best food we tried in Myanmar was at the Karawek Cafe in Mandalay, a street-side restaurant outside the City Hotel. The surprisingly young kids that run the place stew the pork curry[curry pic] for 8 hours before serving [menu pic]. They'll also do your laundry in 3 hours, and much cheaper than the hotel.
Undescriptive I went to Mandalay. Here's my photos/video.
As the purpose of these is to create a reference guide to answer some of the most repetitive questions, please do keep the content on topic. If comments are off-topic any particularly long and irrelevant comment threads may need to be removed to keep the guide tidy - start a new post instead. Please report content that is:
Completely off topic
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u/puffman123 Jan 05 '18
I’m going to New Delhi end of February and look forward to reading this thread!
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u/Unkill_is_dill Airplane! Jan 06 '18
Good luck on your travels. Feel free to ask around in r/IndiaNonPolitical if you want tips from locals.
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Jan 10 '18
Me too dude- heading out on the 21/2 from London. Fourth trip-I’m a ‘budget traveller’ so if you need any hints & tips about that feel free to ask- Paharganj is where a lot of the budget places are located but it’s not for the faint hearted!
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u/dhaansulonda Jan 05 '18
wow what a time. I live in ghaziabad which is a city near Delhi. Near as in it lies next to Delhi when you leave the Delhi border. So I decided to travel most of the must visit places in Delhi all by myself. I'm m/21 year old. Travelled by metro for the most parts as metro connectivity is massive in delhi and nearby cities which includes my own Ghaziabad. So here was my schedule Wake up at 6:30 AM Reach Dilshad Garden Metro Station 7:10 AM
Took a metro to Red fort. Red fort is of great historical importance but it won't excite you much. Travel Rating: 7/10 for what it had to offer. It's huge so get ready to walk a lot. After red fort, I walked to Jama Masjid It was amazing and a lot of tourists were also there. Lovely place. I'm a Hindu btw. I wanted to go to the tower but waiting time was one hour which would've screwed up my schedule. Initially I wasn't planning to Jama Masjid, it was more of a detour. Rating: 7.5/10 From there I walked my way to Chandini Chowk to try out the paranthey at paranthey waali gali (street of paranthey) Found a lot of old shops there. Like really old. 19th century old. Bad part was that they serve the paranthey in minimum 2 number. So it was either 2 paranthey or none at all. Skipped that. I was also hungry as I left home by just having tea and bread for breakfast.
Anyway from chandini chowk metro station, I headed on to my next destination, Jor Bagh Metro station. On reaching that metro station, I walked to Safdarjung Tomb. It's also a monument. It was really less crowded for the time of day I was expecting. Anyway turns out it's not that popular because it doesn't have much to offer. Nothing bad about it, it's just that when you have limited time, you gotta visit the best possible places. Rating: 6/10 From there I walked to Lodhi Gardens Now. Dayummmmm That place is heaven. It has really a lot to offer to any traveller. I was blown by the quality of the places. There are a lot of tombs inside it as well. A lot of flowers. A lot of greenery. A lot of birds. A lot of nature. This place is quite popular amongst couples because of how it is. Great place. Will surely recommend it. Rating: 9/10 Also on my way to next destination, I spotted a yellow Ferrari. First sportscar that I ever saw. They're pretty common in Delhi but in my hometown. From there I walked to Hazrat Nizamuddin Ali Dargah. Again, as I said I am not a Muslim, I wasn't into the idea of going inside. For many reasons like what to do and what not to do. I had no idea. Also people outside of that place try a lot to leech some money by any means. So it's better to know what's necessary. I don't have any problem with the place, it's just not my kind. I'll probably visit it soon with my best friend who's a muslim. So from there I walked to Humayun Tomb. Now that was a great place. Kind of like small Taj Mahal and red in color. Will recommend this place as well. Rating: 9/10 Also my legs pretty much gave up by the time I entered Humayun Tomb. Walked around 10 KM or 6Miles in a day. That too empty stomach. From there I took e-rickshaw to the nearest metro which is Jangpura. From that metro station, reached Lotus Temple Great place. Not so big but love the design of it. Rating: 8/10 I was really hungry and could've taken a detour to a food place but the thing is most tourist places in Delhi close by 5 PM so that's why I had to leave home early. From lotus temple, the nearest metro is kalkaji mandir and from there I went to Moolchand Metro station. For the famous paranthey of Moolchand. Really enjoyed that. From there, next railways station was, Lajpat Nagar. Stopped there for the famous Dolma Aunty Momos. Momos were good if not average but certainly not worth going there.
I did all this from 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM P.S. I travelled alone and most of the time walked to reach places. This is not necessary as a lot of public convenience is available. It's just that I like to push the limits. Of course my legs hurt but I was doing this for myself. Worth it.
You can ask me literally anything about how to travel, what to expect, where to go, where to eat. I would love to plan your trip.
For pictures, check out my Instagram account: Here
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u/Unkill_is_dill Airplane! Jan 06 '18
As a Kolkatan, what I hate about Delhi : pollution, crime, general culture of people being assholes
What I love about Delhi :
Architecture is fucking gorgeous. I can spend days just looking at the intricacies in Red fort or Jama masjid or Akshardham.
Food is off the charts. We have a fantastic Bengali cuisine here in Kolkata but Delhi's cuisine is just too good to compete with. That blend of Punjabi+Mughlai+Central Indian cuisine is mouth watering. You can spend weeks dining at different places and won't run out of new dishes to try.
Public transport: Delhi metro is seriously gorgeous. Our Kolkata metro is way inferior compared to that. Plus, Delhi's metro is cheap, well maintained and run on time as well.
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u/atigerinafricaa Jan 08 '18
The metro was surprisingly nice. We did not expect how clean and efficient it would be! Toronto could learn a thing from it.
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u/kael101 Jan 04 '18
We spent a little time in the Lodi Gardens which showed a different side to the Indians we had met so far. Whilst (generally speaking) Indians in New Delhi aren't too overt in their feelings, the Lodi Gardens were full of young couples hiding away in dark corners or talking quietly on private benches.
It also has some great tombs and the like and despite being in the heart of a city was quite tranquil. Perfect if you need to get off the streets.
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u/atigerinafricaa Jan 08 '18
We really liked this part of the city. New Delhi was crazy and hectic, and even walking down the street to get a bite to eat could be exhausting. But Lodi Gardens was a little bit of peace and quiet.
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u/b-muff Jan 05 '18
I’m going to Delhi in 2 weeks and I’m wondering about the pollution issues going on now. I will only be there about a day and a half -will I really be able to feel the difference in air quality? To complicate matters, I already have (well controlled) asthma, and I’m pregnant. My in laws (Indian by birth) are coming with and don’t seem to think it will be an issue. It doesn’t seem like anything is being done about the pollution, does that mean it doesn’t really affect daily life?
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Jan 09 '18
I didn’t really feel it but you never really see the sun in Delhi and the sky is basically a thick layer of fog.
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u/Unkill_is_dill Airplane! Jan 06 '18
The pollution problem was at its peak during November/early December. Had gone a bit down after that. But a day and half shouldn't be that bad,I guess. Long exposure to that air might be dangerous though, especially in your conditions.
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u/piinsky Jan 06 '18
Buy a N95 rated mask. The pollution is bad there from what I hear and you can tell the difference.
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u/b-muff Jan 06 '18
Thanks. We just bought N99 masks yesterday actually.
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u/piinsky Jan 06 '18
Yea. Then you should be fine. You could also consider getting P 95 masks. Those are meant for oil based pollutants. Delhi's air is a blessed mixture of dust and exhaust fumes.
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u/piinsky Jan 06 '18
Also if you've had asthma or have asthma , then get your inhaler along. Till last year I hadn't needed an inhaler for over a decade, but that diwali pollution in Delhi made me have an attack. So err on the side of caution. This is NOT to scare you. This is to prepare you. The pollution levels are online btw.
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u/b-muff Jan 06 '18
Definitely bringing my inhaler. I’ve been checking the pollution levels online everyday and they seem awful, but no one is doing anything about it so I was thinking it just must be par for the course. I figured air quality is never good in these mega cities so maybe it isn’t as big of a deal as I think. My in laws don’t seem to think it’s an issue and they are quite protective of me.
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u/piinsky Jan 06 '18
The pollution certainly has become the new normal. People have just accepted it and moved on.
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u/Iamnotmybrain Jan 07 '18
I recently traveled to India and New Delhi was easily my least favorite city I visited. If I were to go again, I would probably skip New Delhi entirely.
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Jan 08 '18
If you're not freaked out by large crowds and stuff like that,I would highly recommend hanging around Chandini Chowk for a while,the food is incredible.'Parathe Wali Gali' is the best.
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u/Finch58 Jan 07 '18
I was there in July and the humidity was just oppressive. It made you not want to go out or do anything.
Also be aware of the train ticketing scams from the oh so helpful strangers at New Dehli Railway Station. If you're wanting to book tickets there's a dedicated tourist office on the first floor on the non metro side of the station.
Hostel suggestion would be for Madpackers, it's a little out of the way but a lovely hostel with good food and people.
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Jan 09 '18 edited Jan 09 '18
Was there in August. New Delhi is fucking insane.
I wouldn’t go out at night not because of the people but more because of the packs of feral dogs that seem to take over.
But other than that it was pretty cool. We stayed in Karol Bagh and we were the only white people walking around there. You get alot of stares but are usually left alone.
But of course you should be on your guard about pickpockets (especially kids) and shady tuktuk drivers.
We were there in August and it was unbearably hot.
It’s quite an experience to say the least.
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u/cannotaffordausernam Jan 09 '18
Visit Chandigarh , a beautiful city around 150 miles from New Delhi. Very close to the hills and Clean city. You will love it for sure.
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u/Mitaslaksit Feb 29 '24
FYI: SIM card at Delhi airport not available anymore
...rather, it is but not for foreigners without a residential address and phone number.
Airtel is the only company providing an airport sim service at Indira Gandhi and has previously set up travellers sim cards with only passport information. This is not the case anymore, so if you do get a local to help you get a sim you might as well do it anywhere in the city.
Direct quote from Airtel customer service regarding the airport branch: "We understand your concern. Please know that one local reference is required in order to get the new SIM card. Your understanding is highly appreciated. Thanks, Parmeet"
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u/cowsareverywhere USA (32 countries) Jan 04 '18 edited Jan 04 '18
As someone who has been to New Delhi a lot, do not be a single woman walking alone at night. The city has an incredibly bad reputation for being dangerous for women.
Try to also avoid going in the summer months (between April to June) as temperatures can go upto 110F or more. Delhi also has the lowest quallity air in the world(yes worse than Beijing).
I might sound overly negative about Delhi but the Taj Mahal is incredible and worth the trip IMHO. It's a 4-5 hour drive from Delhi , so be prepared to dedicate a whole day for that.