India Travel

Leaving India in Delhi

Related Properties from Gurgaon

Accommodation price codes in Delhi

All accommodation prices in this book have been categorized using the price codes below. Prices given are for a double room, and all taxes are included. For more details, see p.52. OuptoRs100 O Rs300-400 O Rs900-1500 Rs100-200 RS400-600 Rs1500-2500 Rs200-300 Rs600-900

By bus in Delhi

State buses pull in at the Inter-state Bus Terminal (ISBT), north of the railway station in Old Delhi. Auto-rickshaws to New Delhi or Paharganj take about fifteen minutes {around Rs50), cycle rickshaws twice that (around Rs30). Private buses from all over India terminate outside New Delhi railway station; some will drop passengers in Connaught Place if they pass that way.

As well as the agents listed below, check out the travel supplements of national papers, regional listings magazines and the Evening Standard in London and free giveaways like TNT. Aeroflot 9 020/7355 2233, Some of the cheapest fares around but you will have to change at Moscow for flights to Delhi, which are nearly always full, and Calcutta. Air France S 0845/0845 111, Fly to Pans and change for flights to Delhi and Mumbai. Competitively priced efficiency if you shop around. Air India % 020/8560 9996 or 8745 1000, Nonstop flights to Delhi and Vlumbai and a ieeder network to Chennai,Bangalore and

North of Cuttack in Orissa

As you head north from Cuttack and the Mahanandi, the profile of the Eastern Ghats recedes temporarily into the haze on the horizon leaving a flat expanse of paddy fields, palm trees and mud-walled villages. This area was particularly affected by the cyclone, leaving houses and livelihoods destroyed. The main railway line and NH5 twisting alongside it follow the path of the famous pilgrim trail, the Jagannath Sadak that once led from Calcutta to Puri. Until the end of the nineteenth century this now hectic route was no more than a mud track. Then, following the 1865 famine that wiped

The City in South Delhi

Delhi is both daunting and alluring, a sprawling metropolis with a stunning backdrop of ancient architecture. Once you've found your feet and got over the initial impact of the commotion, noise, pollution and sheer scale of the place, the city's geography slowly slips into focus. Monuments in sandstone and marble, which stand in assorted states of repair, make Delhi a veritable museum of Indo-Islamic architecture, seen at its best in the frenetic streets of Old Delhi and the venerable sites of South Delhi. Delhi today, however, as experienced by its many thousands of visitors, centres very much around the imperial

North America From Canada

The only direct flight from Canada to India is Vancouver-Delhi on Air Canada (via London, and taking under 20hr). All other routeings involve a plane change and more layover time. Air Canada flies during shoulder and high season from all major Canadian cities to London, where passengers can join the Vancouver-Delhi flight; the rest of the year they fly through Zurich. Other airlines offering services to India, via their capitals, include British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, KLM and Aeroflot. This list doesn't convey the full range of possibilities, however. A discount agent will probably break the journey into two using

City and regional tours in Delhi

The Government of India tourist office, 88 Janpath, organizes a/c bus tours of New Delhi (daily 8am-1pm; Rs147) and Old Delhi (daily 2.15pm-5pm; Rs126), and a combined tour of Old and New Delhi (8am-5pm; Rs231). All start at ITDC Indraprastha, Janpath (see p.108); their tailor-made packages including a guide cost Rs950 for a whole day. Tours are also available to Agra, Jaipur and Haridwar/Rishikesh. Similarly, along with long-distance tours, the DTTDC, Bombay Life Building, Middle Circle also offer city tours: their half-day tour costs Rs95 and Rs110 while the whole-day tour option is Rs180/Rs210. The Metropolis Hotel in Paharganj, amongst

Travel within India in Delhi

Whichever direction you're heading in, there'll be a plane, tram or bus to get you there. Buses leave Delhi extremely frequently, and tourists are usually ensured places on trains in a reserved tourist quota. Flights should be booked as far in advance as possible, but since most routes are covered daily, nobody should have to wait too long.

By train in Delhi

Delhi's main railhead. New Delhi Station at the eastern end of Paharganj. less than ikm north of Connaught Place, has regular departures to all corners of India, and a very efficient booking office (Mon-Sat 8am-5pm) for foreign tourists, on the first floor of the main departure building. They'll give you advice on the fastest trains, and you should have little difficulty finding a seat or berth: women travelling alone in second class may prefer to ask for a berth in the ladies' carriage. Foreigners must show passports, and pay in foreign currency or in rupees backed up by exchange certificates.

Arrival and information in Delhi

Delhi is India's main point of arrival for overseas visitors, and has two airports, one domestic and one international. State buses from all over the country pull into the Inter-state Bus Terminal in Old Delhi, while private buses stop in the more central location close to New Delhi railway station. Trains arrive at the railheads in Old or New Delhi, both well connected to Connaught Place, the commercial centre of the city, by rickshaw and taxi. For a summary of the kinds of accommodation available in different areas of the city, which may well determine where you head first, see p.

Some history of Ujjain in Western Madhya Pradesh

Excavations north of Ujjain have yielded traces of settlement as far back as the eighth century BC. The ancient city was a major regional capital under the[vlaurvans (Ashok was governor here for a time during the reign of his father), when it was known as Avantika and lay on the main trade route that linked northern India with Mesopotamia and Egypt. According to Hindu mythology, Shiva later changed its name to Ujjaiyini, "He Who Conquers With Pride". to mark his victory over the demon king of Tripuri. Chandra Gupta II, renowned for his patronage of the arts, also ruled from

By bus in Delhi

Delhi is at the centre of an extensive bus network covering much of north India's neighbouring states. Buses can often be quicker than trams, but the long-distance ones especially tend to be uncomfortable. On long-distance routes there's usually a choice between ramshackle state-run buses and smart soft-seated coaches run by tourist offices, hotels and private agents. Use these as much as you can — outside the main cities, all buses are state-run. The vast majority of state-run buses depart from the Inter-state Bus Terminal near Kashmiri Gate in Old Delhi, which has a cafe and left-luggage counter. However, services for some

Leaving India in Mumbai

In spite of its prominence on trans-Asian flight routes, Mumbai is no longer the bargain basement for international air tickets it used to be. Discounted fares are very hard to come by — a legacy of Rajiv Gandhi's economic reforms of the 1980s. If you do need to book a ticket, stick to one of the tried and tested agents listed. All the major airlines operating out of Mumbai have offices downtown where you can buy scheduled tickets or confirm your flight; see p.781 for a list of addresses. The majority are grouped around Veer Nariman Road, opposite the Ambassador Hotel,

Accommodation in Delhi

Delhi has a great range of accommodation, from dirt-cheap lodges to extravagant international hotels. Bookings for up market hotels can be made at the tourist desks at airports and railway stations, but budget travellers have to do their own searching. If you want to stay in comfort, try booking your ticket through the Travel Corporation of India (TCI), which offers substantial discounts on double rooms in select upmarket hotels (see p. 151)-

Leaving Patna

Patna Junction is the most important railway station in the region, connected to Gaya. Delhi, Varanasi. Darjeeling (NJP), Calcutta, Mumbai and Chennai. There is a foreigners' reservation counter on the first floor of the booking office. The best train to Calcutta (Howrah) is the fast Rajdhani Express #2306 (Tues S Sat); other principal trains to Calcutta are the Poorva Express #2304 (Mon, Thurs, Fri & Sun) and the Howrah-Amritsar Express #3050. Patna-Delhi-Shramjeevi Express #2401 also stops at Varanasi and most major trains stop at Mughal Sarai, not far from Varanasi. Among others, the Rajdhani Express #2305 and the Poorva Express

From the West Coast

From the West Coast, it takes about as long to fly east or west - a minimum of 22 hours' total travel time - and if you're booking through a consolidator there may not be much difference in price. Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Northwest, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines are the main carriers flying over the Pacific to India, via their respective hubs. Air India doesn't do the trans-Pacific route, but can book passengers on Northwest to any of several Asian capitals and then fly them the rest of the way. From Los Angeles or San Francisco, you're looking at a

By air in Delhi

If you don't already have a ticket for a flight out of India, you'll have little trouble finding one, except between December and March when it may be difficult to get a flight at short notice. While you can buy tickets directly from the airlines, who ail have offices around Connaught Place, it saves time and leg-work co book through an agency (see p.151); reputable agents abound in Paharganj, and there are several on janpath. The cheapest deals are to be had from touts on the street; make sure they're genuine by ringing the airline (see p.148) to check you

Delhi Zoo in South Delhi

Below the southern ramparts of the Purana Qila. the open-air enclosures and cages of Delhi Zoo (daily except Fri: April-Oct 8am-6pm; Nov-March 'Jam-.Spin; Rs40 [Rs5], Rs50 extra for video camera) cover an extensive area. A little toy train chugs through the grounds, stopping regularly so you can hop on and off as you like. The white tigers are the longstanding attraction but animal-lovers will be disappointed by the conditions m which the big cats are kept.

Delhi scams in Delhi

Delhi can prove a headache for the first-time visitor, with several scams to entrap the unwary. Arrival is always the most difficult, but for those arriving at New Delhi railway station a special word of warning is to avoid all touts and the false tourist offices opposite the Paharganj entrance to the New Delhi railway station, which have brought grief to many an unsuspecting traveller. Similarly, steer clear of those along Janpath that claim to be "government authorized" - there is no such authorization and you're likely to end up paying well over the odds for any services. Shoe-shine boys

Old Delhi and north of Connaught Place in Delhi

If you find Paharganj too much of a travellers' hang-out, or Connaught Place too impersonal, head for Old Delhi, where foreign tourists seldom stay. Here you'll find yourself swamped by the noise and smells of the least modernized area of the capital. Prices are low and standards not very high, but the hotels are well sited for visits to the Red Fort and Jami Masjid, and you can guarantee constant activity on the crowded streets, excellent food at long-established restaurants and superb sweets from roadside stalls. If the noise of Chandni Chowk proves too much, you could opt for a