India Travel
Paharganj in Delhi
The Paharganj area running west from New Delhi railway station, a popular hunting ground for inexpensive and midrange accommodation, has a lively scene - sec p. 119 - that you’ll miss if you stay in Connaught Place, just ten minutes’ walk south. It’s also a place where you can buy from other travellers things they no longer need: Enfield motorbikes, rucksacks, camping gear, malaria tablets and so forth. However, some hotels, particularly those with all-night restaurants, are becoming more like 24hr parties, so if you want to sleep, choose carefully.
Lodges at knock-down prices are invariably poky, stuffy and grubby, with rickety beds, moth-eaten mattresses and thin partition walls, but if you’re intent on finding a budget room, there are exceptions on and around the Main Bazaar, which runs west from New Delhi railway station for nearly lkm. The area is crowded and noisy, unlike the spacious surrounds of the hotels south of Connaught Place, but staying here makes you feel more a part of the throbbing city.
Note, too, that Paharganj is notorious for hotel touts, and it’s not uncommon for rickshaw drivers to announce that the hotel you’re heading for has burnt down, gone bankrupt, changed its name or simply never existed. Be firm and stand your ground. The hotels listed below are marked on the Paharganj map opposite.
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By train in Delhi
Delhi has two major railway stations. New Delhi Station is east of Paharganj (Main Bazaar), and within walking distance of many of the area's budget hotels, though courists burdened with luggage often prefer to hail a cycle rickshaw to reach their hotel, which shouldn't cost more than Rs20 -negotiate the fare in advance. If you're heading for hotels south of the station, however, bear in mind that cycle rickshaws cannot enter Connaught Place. The station has two exits, with the Paharganj exit the more popular, useful for Connaught Place and most points smith, and the Ajmeri Gate exir more convenient
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.
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.
Ram Nagar in Delhi
Directly north of Paharganj, five minutes' walk from New Delhi railway station and just beyond the flyover section of D.B. Gupta Road, is Ram Nagar, lined with hotels and a few restaurants. Within easy reach of the bazaar, but spared the incessant noise and commercial atmosphere, hotels in Ram Nagar are worth considering if you want to stay near the station, but don't fancy Paharganj. However, crossing D.B. Gupta Road to get to the Main Bazaar can be more than nerve-wracking; it's wise to go the long way round, under the flyover. The hotels listed below are marked on the
Auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws in Delhi
Auto-rickshaws (or "autos") - scooters converted into three-wheeler taxis -can be extremely useful in Delhi's chaotic traffic, though they catch the worst of the polluting exhaust fumes since their open sides are level with larger vehicles' exhaust pipes. Autos are now, however, finding themselves in the forefront of the recent ecological drive, with most new vehicles being fitted with natural gas-powered engines instead of the old diesel ones. In theory autos should charge what's shown on the meter, but even on the rare occasions when their meters are working, the rates tend to be out of date, and liable to
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
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
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
Paharganj in Central New Delhi
With buzzing Main Bazaar as its centrepiece, the lively area of Paharganj. immediately west of New Delhi railway station, is a fascinating area to stroll around and, for many budget travellers, their first experience of the subcontinent. Renowned for its cheap hotels, it's also packed with restaurants, cafes, internet cafes, travel agents and shops selling anything from plastic toys and hardware to psychedelic clothing, carvings, bronzes and perfumed san-dalwood. There's a busy fruit and vegetable market halfway along, a multitude of stalls dishing up tasty snacks, and itinerant hawkers keen to sell you drums, sleeping bags or even whips at
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.
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
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
Car and cycle rental in Delhi
For local sightseeing and journeys beyond the city confines, the cheapest and most reliable oudets for chauffeur-driven cars are the tourist office, 88 Janpath, and the booths at the southern end of the Tibetan Market on janpath, most of which are willing to negotiate a price. Expect to pay from Rs500 a day which includes 80km mileage; in the high season the price rises to around Rs800 a day. Private travel agencies throughout Delhi usually charge more. If you want the option of self-drive, and don't mind paying extra to brave Delhi's notoriously dangerous roads, try Budget, G3 Arunchal Building,
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
Paharganj and Ram Nagar in Delhi
Food conies inexpensive and unelaborate in the lively market area of Paharganj. where the smell of pungent spices wafts from numerous eating places. You can guarantee finding some excellent wholly Indian joints, particularly in the alleys opposite die railway station, where cliatitta batura stalls do a raging business trading on their celebrated reputation, despite the flies. Restaurants geared to tourists offer typically poor Western imitations and under-spiced "curries", but are popular hangouts, and good for a tame breakfast of toast:, porridge, muesli or cereal if you can't stomach chillies too early. Many of the hotels in the centre of the
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
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
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.
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.