India Travel
Listings in Delhi
Airport enquiries International; domestic. Airlines, domestic Indian Airlines main office: Safdarjang Airport, open 24hr; general enquiries, prerecorded information,departures; booking offices: PTI Building, Sansad Marg (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm: Malhotra Building, Janpath (daily except Sat 10am-5pm;; Kanchenjunga Building, Barakhamba Road (Mon-Sat !0am-5pm:. Archana Airways. 41A Friends Colony East, Mathura Road. Jagson Airlines. 12E Vandhana. 11 Tolstoy Marg. Jet Airways.main office: Jetair House. 13 Community Centre, Yusuf Sarai: booking offices: N-40 Outer Circle, Connaught Place. Sahara Indian Airlines, Ambadeep Building. Kasturba Gandhi Marg. UP Air, A2 Defence Colony. Airlines, international Aeroflot. Tolstoy House. 15-17 Tolstoy Marg; Air Canada, 1st floor. ALPs Building, 56 Janpath; Air France, 7 Atma Ram Mansion, Scindia House. Connaught Place; Air India. Jeevan Bharati Building, opposite Palika Bazaar. Connaught Place; Air Lanka. Room 1, HotelJanpath, Janpath: Air Ukraine, C-37, Hau2 Khas: Alitalia, 2H.
DCM Bldg. 16 Barakhamba Rd: American Airlines, 105 Indra Prakash Building. Barakhamba Road: Bangladesh Biman. World Trade Centre, Babar Road, Connaught Place: British Airways. 1A DLF Centre. Sansad Marg; Cathay Pacific. Ashoka Estate: Egypt Air, GF-I. Ansal Bhawan, Kasturba Gandhi Marg; EI-AI Israel Airlines. 7th floor, Prakash Deep Building, Tolstoy Marg; Emirates. Kanchenjunga
Building, 18 Barakhamba Rd; Ethiopian Airlines. GF-I, Ansal Bhawan, Kasturba Gandhi Marg; Gulf Air, G-12 Marina Arcade, Connaught Place: Japan Airlines, 36 Chandralok Building, Janpath: KLM, 7 Prakash Deep, Tolstoy Marg; Kuwait Airways, 2C, DCM Building, 16 Barakhamba Rd; Lufthansa, 56 Janpath: Malaysia Airlines. 10th floor, Ashoka Estate Building, Barakhamba Road; Qantas Airways. Mohandev Building. 13 Tolstoy Marg; Royal Jordanian, G-56 Connaught Place; Royal Nepal Airlines, 44 Janpath; SAS.Amadeep Building Kasturba Gandhi Marg; Saudi Arabian Airlines, Hansalaya Building, 15 Barakhamba Rd; Singapore Airlines. G-11 Connaught Place; Swissair, DLF Centre. Sansad Marg; TAROM, 16 GF Antrikash Building, 22 Kasturba Gandhi Marg; Thai Airways. Park Royal Hotel. American Plaza. Nehru Place; Uzbekistan Airways. 3 Prakash Deep Building, 7 Tolstoy Marg.
Banks and currency exchange You can exchange money at the international airport, at the 24hr State Bank of India or Thomas Cook, but there are no facilities for withdrawing money on a credit card Changing money in the city is far easier than a few years ago, with several banks (Mon-Fri 10am-2pm. Sat 10am-noon or 1pm) sporting ATM machines which accept Visa and Mastercard; try Standard Charter Grindlays (Visa encashments and ATM). 10 E-Block, Connaught Place: Andhra Bank. 35 M-Block, Connaught Place: Bank of Baroda (Visa encashments); and the State Bank of India.
Sansad Marg. Thomas Cook is located in the Hotel Imperial on Janpath (Mon-Fri 9.30am-8pm. Sat 9.30am-6pm) and American Express on A-Block. Connaught Place (Mon-Sat 9.30am-6.30pm). Hong Kong Bank (ECE House, Kasturba Gandhi Road) has a 24hr ATM cash machine that takes Visa and Mastercard, in addition, you can change money at the DTTOC office, Middle Circle, Connaught Place, and all major hotels have exchange facilities. Numerous authorized exchange bureaux are available, particularly in Paharganj. including Cheque Point, just past the Star Palace Hotelow Main Bazaar (daily 9.30am-8.30pm). For money transfers, the Western Union office is at Sita World Travel, F-12 Connaught Place; it also has a forex counter.
Bus enquiries Delhi Transport Corporation, will also provide enquiry numbers for buses run by other state transport corporations. Churches Church of the Redemption, Church Road; Sacred Heart Free Church, Parliament Street.
Embassies & consulates Australia, 1/50-G Shanti Path: Chanakyapuri; Bangladesh, 56 Ring Rd, Lajpat Nagar III; Bhutan, Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri; Canada, 7/8 Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri; China, 50-D Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri; European Commission, 65 Golf Links; Indonesia, 50A Chanakyapuri; Iran. 5 Baraljaba Rd; Malaysia, 50-M Satya Marg. Chanakyapuri; Nepal, Barakhamba Road: Netherlands, 6/50-F Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri; New Zealand, 50-NNyayaMarg: Pakistan, 2/50G Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri; Singapore, E6 Chandragupta Marg. Chanakyapuri: Sri Lanka, 27 Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri; South Africa, B-18 Vasant Vihar; Thailand, 56-rJ Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri; UK, Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri; USA, Shanti Path.
Chanakyapuri. Hospitals All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar. SriAurobindo Marg,24hr emergency service and good treatment; East West Medical Centre. 38 Golf Links Rd, good private clinic: Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, also private; Lok Nayak Jaya Prakash Hospital, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Old Delhi, a government hospital near Delhi Gate.
Internet access Prices range from a mere Rs10 per hour to around Rs100 per hour but make sure you check your connection by surfing first. The British Council. 17 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, is by far the most eliable but there are several other good options ncluding Cyber Cafe. N-9/II Connaught Place (daily ).30am-8.30pm. A short dis-ance away you’ll find the small but friendly 3amson Cafe internet, 17/98 Scindia House. Connaught Lane. Paharganj teems with internet ;afes, all with very competitive rates, including “yber Station at Downtown Hotel off the Main Sazaar and close to the New Delhi station gates. vhile the internet cafe at the Hotel Gold Regency s almost as lively as the streets outside, .eft luggage Left luggage counters at the railway stations cost Rs5 per day. To deposit your bags ong-term ask at your hotel; most charge Rs2-5 ier day. Hotels Hare Rama, Anoop and Ajay in ‘aharganj offer access to a 24hr lockup, for a naximum period of six months, flaps The Survey of India Map Sales Office, in lanpath, sells guide maps of a number of cities ind states, some of which are grossly out of date md lack detail. dottier Teresa hostels The orphanage inspired jy Mother Teresa close to Qudsia Gardens north of )ld Delhi accepts voluntary help with teaching, vhich should be prearranged. Contact Missionaries of Charity. 12 Commissioner’s Lane, ihishu Bhavan, Delhi 110054, or call.
Motorcycles The Kami Bagh area is known for its nany good motorcycle shops specializing in new ir secondhand Enfields. The most reliable and rec-immended of these is Inder Motors, lari Singh Nalwa St. Abdul Aziz Road, while Lucky Auto Accessories, Shri ;ishan Dass Rd, also offers excel-3nt renovations of secondhand (ex-army] Enfield lullets.
Ipticians Bon-Ton Opticians. 13 Janpath Market, ind Lawrence & Mayo. 76 Janpath. both offer lood, expensive glasses and sunglasses: Medikos ipticians. 1588 Main Bazaar. Paharganj, has heap computerized eye-tests, prescription lenses md sunglasses made up in half a day, ‘harmacies Nearly every market has at least one iharmacy Those in Super Bazaar, Connaughl lace, and the All India Medical Institute, Ansari lagar, Sri Aurobindo Marg, are open 24hr, hotographic studios Delhi Photo Company, 78 anpath, for high-quality developing, printing, and fide processing, is second only to Kinsey Brothers eneath the India Today offices at 2-A Block, lonnaught Place.
Police S 100 [national number). If you have any problem that needs to involve the police, your otel reception or the Government of India tourist ffice will direct you to the appropriate station.
Postal services Poste restante (Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm| is available at the GPO on Hie roundabout at the intersection of Baba Kharak Singh Marg and Ashoka Road (known as Gole PO) and the Foreign Post Office, nearby on Bhai Vir Singh Marg, about fifteen minutes’ walk from Connaught Place, fou must show your passport to claim mail, and check the register for parcels. Letters sent to Poste Restante, Delhi", rather than to New Delhi, may end up in Old Delhi GPO. north of the railway line on Mahatma Gandhi
Road. You can also have mail sent to the Government of India tourist office, 88 Janpath, who pass any parcels to the main Gole GPO. Other post offices are on Janpath, Sansad Marg and A-Block, Connaught Place; all have a speed post service, and you can guarantee next-day delivery of parcels and papers to all international destinations with Ovemite Express Pvt Ltd, whose office is in Kanishka Shopping Plaza, Janpath.
State tourist offices Andaman and Nicobar Islands, F105 Curzon Road Hostel, Kasturba Gandhi Marg; Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Bhavan, 1 Ashoka Rd Arunachal Pradesh, Arunchal Bhawan, Kautilya Marg; Assam, State Emporia Complex, Baba Kharak Singh Marg; Bihar, 216 Kanishka Shopping Plaza. 19 Ashoka Rd; Goa, Goa Sadan, 8 Amrita Shergill Marg; Gujarat, A6 State Emporia Building, Baba Kharak Singh Marg; Haryana, Chandralok Building. 36 Janpath; Himachal Pradesh. Chanderlok Building, 36 Janpath; Jammu & Kashmir, 202 Kanishka Shopping Plaza. 19 Ashoka Rd, Karnataka, C4 State Emporia Building, Baba Kharak Singh Marg: Kerala, Information Centre, 219 Kanishka Shopping Plaza; Madhya Pradesh, 204-205 Kanishka Shopping Plaza; Maharashtra. A8 State Emporia Building. Baba Kharak Singh Marg; Manipur, C7 State Emporia Building. Baba Kharak Singh Marg; Meghalaya, Meghalaya House, 9 Aurangzeb Rd; Mizoram, Mizoram Bhawan, Circular Road, Chanakyapuri of; Nagaland, Governmenl of Nagaland. 29 Aurangzeb Rd; Orissa. B4 State Emporia Building, Baba Kharak Singh Marg: Punjab, 214-215 Kanishka Shopping Plaza: ftajasthan. Bikaner House, near India Gate; Sikkim. New Sikkim House. 14 Panch Sheel Marg. Chanakyapuri;Tamil Nadu, C1 State Emporia Building, Baba Kharak Singh Marg; Tripura, Tripura Bhavan, Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri; Iffiar Pradesh, Chanderlok Building, 36 Janpath; West Bengal, A/2 State Emporia Building, Baba Kharak Singh Marg.
Swimming pools Most luxury hotels are making it impossible or prohibitively expensive for nonresidents to use their pools with fees in the region of Rs700. The city’s main public swimming baths are the NMDC Pools, in Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri. and the Talkatora Pool on Talkatora Road.
Telephones and faxes Making international telephone calls from Delhi is easy with STD booths, marked with yellow signs, sporting direct-dialling facilities and LCD displays showing the length and cost of each call. Several will allow you to receive incoming calls, usually for a small charge. Most ST0 booths now have fax machines and the booths in Paharganj operate round the clock and store incoming faxes until collection. You can also send faxes from post offices and outlets in Connaught Place. Rates are usually Rs30 per page plus the cost of the call, with around Rs10 charged for incoming faxes.
Visa extensions and permits For visa renewal and permits for restricted states, go to the Foreigners’ Registration office. Hans Bhavan, Mathura Road, nearTilak Bridge railway station (Mon-Fri 930am-1,30pm & 2-4pm, with four passport photographs. Be sure to wait in the right queue - to pay either
Related Properties from Gurgaon
Information in Delhi
There are reasonably helpful tourist offices at the inCernational and domestic air por Cs, railway stations and bus tetminals, and the Government of India tourist office at 88 Janpath, just south of Connaught Place (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-4.30pm), is a good place to pick up information on Delhi's sites, city tours, shopping, cultural events and accommodation. They also provide free maps of che city; you'll find the same ones sold in the streets at negotiable prices.The information counter at the less busy DTTDC (Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation) office, Bombay Life Building, Middle Circle (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-lpm; )
Eating in Restaurants in Delhi
Delhi-its love to eat out and have a large variety of restaurants and cuisine from all over the world from which to choose. There's something for every budget, from delicious Indian snacks at roadside stalls in Paharganj, Palika Bazaar and Janpath, to traditional north Indian cuisine at one of Delhi's many celebrated restaurants, to Western food at the likes of instantly recognizable names such as Wimpy, McDonald's, Pizza Express, TGIF and Pizza Hut. The vast buffets of luxury hotels are worth the splurge, their coffee shops are surprisingly affordable and. if you can afford it, their restaurants superlative; their bakeries
Arrival and information in Himachal Pradesh
State-ran buses from Manali, Mandi, Pathankot, Kangra and Delhi pull into the bus stand in the very south of the lower town, though some continue after a short stop all the way up to McLeod Ganj - the usual arrival point for private and deluxe buses from Delhi and Manali. The nearest point of arrival for trains from Delhi, Punjab and Jammu Tawi is Pathankot - the narrow-gauge train linking Pathankot to Jogindernagar also stops at Kangra and at Nagrota. Dharamsala's airport, 11km to the south at Gaggal, has three Indian Airlines' flights a week to Delhi. The tourist office (Mon-Sat
Cultural centres and libraries in Delhi
There is nearly always some cultural activity going on in Delhi - check at the tourist office, or get hold of local newspapers and publications like First City and Delhi Diary. Alliance Franchise, D13 NDSE Part II. Hosts film shows and has an art gallery. British Council, 17 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Talks, film shows and concerts, plus a good library and reading room and internet. India International Centre, 40 Lodi Estate. Daily films, lectures, dance, and music performances; look up listings magazines or enquire by phone, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, 35 Firoz Shah Rd. Delhi's premier art academy, with an extensive
Buses in Delhi
Despite running more than three hundred different routes, the Delhi Transport Corporation's vast centralized bus network can seem totally inadequate. The Latest Guide to Delhi, Old, and New (published by Lai Chand and Sons; Rs10) is in English and has the most comprehensive DTC bus route listings available. You can buy it from magazine vendors in Connaught Place or Paharganj. The first digit of each three-digit route number shows the direction of each bus — thus routes starting with "5" head south from the centre towards Mehrauli, and those starting with "4" travel southeast towards Kalkaji through Nizamuddin, while those
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.
Dance and drama in Delhi
Dances ot India, Parsi Anjuman Hall, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. Excellent classical, folk and tribal dance. Daily 7-8pm. Habitat World. India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road. Popular venue for dance, music and theatre as well as talks and exhibitions; look up the local press for listings or enquire by phone. clubs, especially with the expats and especially on Saturday nights, with hip-hop, dnjm'n'bass and reggae. Occasional theme nights such as belly dancing. Closed Mon & Tues. Someplace Else, Park. 15 Sansad Marg. Popular place for those who want cheaper beer; and a DJ who is willing to play requests, especially more alternative
Listings Domestic Indian Airlines in Ahmedabad
Airlines, Domestic Indian Airlines, on the road from Sidi Sayyid's Mosque to Nehru Bridge 079/550 3061; Jet Airways. Ashram Road opposite Gujarat Vidyapith 079/754 3304.
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.
Nightlife and entertainment in Delhi
The nightlife scene in Delhi is in full swing, with the advent of pubs and private nightclubs. During the week, the clubs are empty - stick to central restaurants and the well-stocked bars at up market hotels if you want some atmosphere. Come the weekend, though, bars are full by 9pm and clubs take of at midnight. Most clubs are in five-star hotels and operate couples-only policies at the door; women usually get in free, and men pay Rs400. Another option is to take an auto to India Gate and Rajpath any night after 8pm for a nightly people's party
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
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
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
Travel details in North Bengal
Trains Calcutta to: Agra (1 daily; 30hr); Ahmedabad (1 daily; 44hr); Bhubaneshwar (10 daily; 8-12 fir); Chennai (5 daily; 27-35hr); Delhi (7 daily; 18-34hr); Guwahati (3 daily; 20-25hr); Gwalior (2 weekly; 26hr); Haridwar (1 daily; 30hr); Jabalpur (1 daily; 21 hr); Jaipur (1 daily; 30hr); Jalgaon (3 daily; 28-34hr); Lucknow (3 daily; 18hr); Mumbai (3 daily; 33-42hr): Nagpur (4 daily; 19-25hr]; Patna (5 daily; 7-10hr); Puri (2 nightly; 11-12hr); Ranchi (1 daily; 10hr); Shantiniketan (6-7 daily; 2hr 30min-4hr); Siliguri NJP (6-7 daily; 12-14hr); Thiruvananthapuram (1 weekly; 49hr); Ujjain (2 weekly; 33hr 40min|; Varanasi (5-8 daily; 8hr 30min-20hr], Shantiniketan (Bolpur) to: Calcutta (6-7
Moving on from Delhi
Delhi has good domestic and international travel connections. Anyone heading from the south to the western Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh, Kullu. Manali, Ladakh) will pass through Delhi; it seldom takes more than a day to arrange the onward journey. Scores of travel agents sell bus and air tickets, and many hotels (budget or otherwise) will hook private buses for you; touts, concentrated at the top of Janpath, waylay tourists with promises of cheap fares, but can't always be trusted.
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
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.
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 details in Mumbai
Trains Direct services to: Agra (4 daily: 23hr 15min-27hr): Ahmedabad (4 daily; 7hr 10min-12hr); Aurangabad {2 daily: 7hr 20mim: Bangalore (3 daily: 24hr 30min); Bhopal (4 daily: 14hr); Calcutta (4 daily; 33-40hr); Chennai (3 daily; 24-29hr); Coimbatore (1 daily; 10hr); Delhi (11 daily; 17-33hr); Hyderabad (2 daily; 15-17hr); Indore (1 daily: 14hr 35min); Jaipur (2 daily: 18-23hr|; Jodhpur (1 daily; 22hr; change at Ahmedabad); Kolhapur (3 daily; 11 -12hr): Nagpur (4 daily; 14-15hr): Nasik (15 daily: 4hr); Pune (25 daily: 3hr 15min-5hr): Thiruvananthapuram (2 daily; 42tir); Udaipur (1 daily; 25hr: change at Ahmedabad); Ujjain (1 daily; 12hr 25 min): Varanasi (2 daily;
Overland travel in Delhi
For journeys to neighbouring countries, there's always the alternative of overland travel, a long haul by train and/or bus. Crossings to Pakistan should be made from Amritsar, ten hours by train from Delhi, where buses cross, the border and head to Lahore (lifts with trucks are no longer easy to find). The twice-weekly direct Delhi-Lahore bus, inaugurated by Prime Minister Vajpayee in 1998, was short-lived, terminated by the Kargil War ot 1999; check with tourist information or the ISBT in Old Delhi. Those travelling overland to Nepal should make for Gorakhpur. to pick up a bus to the border, which