New Delhi is a chaos of people, lots of poverty, confusion, noise, dirt and intense smells. Sunlight is blocked by a thick haze of pollution. It is very intense, disconcerting and difficult to digest. But it is also full of kindness, peace, honest smiles and an inexplicable energy. It is a reminder of how lucky we are.
Note
Everything in India is negotiable. Initially, locals always ask a high price for anything. Always negotiate, whether a taxi, tuk tuk, food, clothes, whatever.
The water is not drinkable, take this seriously and always drink bottled water.
Be careful with monkeys, if you get close, never look them in the eyes. Be careful with bags and water bottles in your hands, as monkeys tend to attack to steal them.
New Delhi is a chaos of people, lots of poverty, confusion, noise, dirt and intense smells. Sunlight is blocked by a thick haze of pollution. It is very intense, disconcerting and difficult to digest. But it is also full of kindness, peace, honest smiles and an inexplicable energy. It is a reminder of how lucky we are.
Note
Everything in India is negotiable. Initially, locals always ask a high price for anything. Always negotiate, whether a taxi, tuk tuk, food, clothes, whatever.
The water is not drinkable, take this seriously and always drink bottled water.
Be careful with monkeys, if you get close, never look them in the eyes. Be careful with bags and water bottles in your hands, as monkeys tend to attack to steal them.
Hotel Cottage Yes Please - New Delhi: It's not a bad hotel, but it's not exactly what you see in the Booking photos. It costs around €25 per night, a little above the average price in Delhi, but honestly, if this one was a little different from what I expected, I can't imagine the cheaper ones... Don't run the risk of being completely uncomfortable just to pay a few less euros. The location is great, breakfast is included (although I didn't manage to eat it) and there's always a travel agency representative at the reception. You can always negotiate with him about various tour options, or just hiring a driver.
New Delhi has several forms of transport, that work quite well, according to some people I met there. When I first arrived, I was not very comfortable, so I decided to have a driver and then walk. Walking is always the best way to get to know New Delhi. Once you feel confident and safe, it takes on a whole new charm.
It only took a few hours for this to happen, so I only used a driver for long distances, as it is really cheap and saves a lot of time.
The tuktuk is another very economical option (and quite challenging and fun). You must always negotiate the price. It´s a great option for short distances.
Hiring a driver: 1500 Indian rupees (€14) to take us to:
1. Jama Masjid: the most important Muslim shrine and the largest mosque in India. It is open for tourists, costs 300 Indian rupees (€3.30) and it is open every day from 7am to 12pm and from 1:30pm to 6:30pm;
Going down the steps of the mosque, you´ll see the oldest part of the city (Old Delhi). The culture shock here is huge… crazy traffic, cows, thousands of people, honking horns, lots of trash, a bad smell, and especially, less tourism;
2. Chandni Chowk: the main street in Old Delhi, full of shops and markets. Lots of chaos, rubbish and vermin… be prepared for what you might find. Take the route to the Spicy market;
3. Spicy market: the most intense and dirtiest market I have ever been. Skip this market if you are sensitive to these points;
4. Red Fort: you can see it at the end of Chandni Chowk. The entrance fee is 250 Indian rupees (€2.80), but honestly I didn't think the entrance was important. If you go to Agra, visit the Agra Red Fort instead. Take advantage of this area to get lost in the streets of Old Delhi, instead of just visiting monuments;
5. India Gate & Rajpath Garden: stroll through the garden until you reach the India Gate (very similar to the Arc de Triomphe);
6. Indian Parliament: stop at the roundabout to observe the huge garden that surrounds the Parliament, as it is usually full of monkeys and squirrels.
Take a tuk tuk from the hotel for 100 Indian rupees (€1.10) to:
1. Connaught Place: one of India's financial and commercial centres. An area full of shops, vintage cinemas, bars, restaurants and many typical Indian markets. It's quite a large area, so just walk around;
Be careful, as this is an area with a lot of people asking for money (especially children), many men following you asking questions and many shopkeepers insisting that you follow them to a very cheap market. In these situations, I recommend that you show that you know the area very well and don't need any directions or recommendations.
2. Starbucks: there is a Starbucks in this area, and for those who normally drink coffee, after a few days in India, seeing a Starbucks is like a light at the end of the tunnel. A cappuccino and a latte costs around €5;
Take a tuk tuk back to the hotel area (always negotiate, as they always ask for completely unrealistic prices in this area).
Note: When the tuk tuks are stopped at the traffic lights, it´s very common, that women and children run up to you asking for money or just food. Here, the touching and insistence are impossible to avoid. Very harsh. They even begged me for water...
3. Bharat Nagar (the area where my hotel was located): explore this area calmly, which, as it is not very touristy, ends up being surprising. Lots of confusion, lots of people, but with very nice street markets, lots of cows everywhere and a very friendly elderly population.
1. Lodhi Garden: a super peaceful and cozy urban park, full of monuments. It doesn't even seem like it's located in the middle of New Delhi. Just walk around, and you can find: the Bara Gumbad (a beautiful monument that looks like a mosque), Mohammed Shah's Tomb & Shisha Gumbad and Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, all architectural works from the 15th century;
2. Akshardham Temple: a temple that is breathtakingly beautiful (they say) but since it is forbidden to enter with mobile phones, you can hardly find any photos. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm. Entry is free, but there are many restrictions: you are not allowed to enter with wallets, food, passports, phones, backpacks, etc. All bags must be left in a “baggage deposit”, which, in addition to having to be paid for, has no security whatsoever. There are several shelves, one on top of the other, and of course the place is not responsible for any type of loss. For all these reasons, I thought it was too risky and ended up not going in.
It was a bit frustrating, only because if I had known this information, I would not have taken anything with me and would have visited the temple instead;
3. Go to the rooftop of your hotel (or to another rooftop if yours doesn´t have this option) to watch the sunset. It is worth every second. It doesn't even seem real.
- Jama Masjid (the most important Muslim shrine and the largest mosque in India);
- Chandni Chowk (the main street in Old Delhi, full of shops and markets);
- Spicy Market (the most intense and dirty market I've ever been to);
- Red Fort (you can see it at the end of Chandni Chowk);
- India Gate & Rajpath Garden (walk through the garden until you reach India Gate);
- Indian Parliament (stop at the garden full of monkeys and squirrels);
- Connaught Place (India's financial and commercial center);
- Starbucks (a cappuccino and a latte costs around €5);
- Bharat Nagar (a less touristy area, with many street markets);
- Lodhi Garden (a super quiet and cozy urban park, full of monuments);
- Akshardham Temple (a temple where you are not allowed to enter with wallets, food, passports, phones, backpacks, etc. All bags must be left in a “baggage deposit”, which, in addition to being paid, has no security whatsoever);
- Go to your hotel rooftop (or to another rooftop if your hotel doesn´t have one) to watch the sunset.