What an introduction to our travels.
We were pre-warned about the chaos that is India’s capital, but it takes a stroll* down the Main Bazaar in Paharganj – Delhi’s ‘backpacker region’ – to fully appreciate the utter mayhem.
*That is if you can class a stroll as being constantly on edge trying to dodge meandering tuk tuks, sidestep plodding bulls (exhibit A below) and shake-off stalking touts trying to lure you into their ‘tourist information centres’.
In light of the warnings, and wanting to ease ourselves into the chaos, we booked into a half-decent hotel, Godwins, in Paharganj. It was about £20 a night, and we plan to write-up our best digs under the India accommodation tab - whenever we find a place with good enough internet.
It was well worth it – we had AC to take a break from the heat (about 34 degrees on our second day), a concierge who talked us through the sights and briefed us on Delhi’s dos and don’ts, and a nice clean toilet. (Sidenote: We haven’t had Delhi Belly yet!)
Anyway, one thing you can’t get away from is the constant honking. Traffic in the more touristy regions is unrelenting, as is the beeping, which is part of the driving culture. Tip #1 – take ear plugs.
After checking in around midday on Tuesday following an overnight flight, an exploratory wander, some food (we plan to blog more about food on the India food tab), and an early night filled our first day.
Even walking around was pretty daunting at first. Pretty much every local who notices us has a good old stare as we pass by, which is totally harmless - but does take abit of getting used to.
We've hardly seen any white/Western-looking tourists while out and about so far - so I guess we're a rarity.
The hotel arranged for us to have our own driver on day two (Wednesday) who took us around all the main monuments in Delhi. We only had to pay entry fees for monuments which required them – the Red Fort and Humayan Tomb, both 500 rupees (£6) each. The others were free.
I think most mid-range hotels offer similar services if you book a few days, and it’s a great way to see the sights. Our trip included New Delhi Gate, the Red Fort – where I became a mini celebrity after being asked for several selfies with locals - and the stunning Humayun Tomb (pictured below, it was a precursor for the Taj Mahal).
We’ve posted more pics of the trip on our Instagram page @DickensTravels
After two days of scoping out, we started to make better use of the tuk tuks to explore the further afield New and South Delhi areas - both a little calmer, with great spots that felt a world away from the bustle.
A particular fave of ours was Lodi Gardens, a sprawling green centre of tranquility dotted with stand-out stone temples (which made for great pics).
Although torrential rain meant we had to flee pretty promptly. There were sporadic downpours on most days as August/Sept is towards the end of rainy season in Delhi.
Tip #2 always take a brolley out with you, and rucksacks that have waterproof covers.
We visited the gardens on the recommendation of Rahul Kumar, a Delhi journalist who we had met for dinner on day three.
Rahul is the son of a good contact of mine while I was at the Slough Observer (Vijay Gupta, who ran the Slough Senior Citizens groups) and he kindly agreed to meet up with us on our trip at the Habitat Centre - a pretty complex in New Delhi that houses NGO head offices.
It also hosts various exhibitions and is worth a visit to stroll through the lush inside gardens.
We also had lunch at a super cool veggie restaurant just off the Main Bazaar in Paharganj called Tadka, which is recommended in Lonely Planet. Shared a veggie starter platter which was superb (400 rupees, £5).
Bharwa Aallo, oven roasted potato skins stuffed with dried fruit and marinated cottage cheese, were stand out.
Tadka also didn't add on any additional government taxes to the bill, which was a bonus. Tip #3 Always check if any taxes will be added on, especially budgeting travellers - most restaurants we visited added some sort, which can add up to 25 per cent.
With our four days done in Delhi, at the time of writing we were hanging around until 10pm to catch our first ever Indian train.
As we seem to have been for most of our time in the utterly mad Delhi, we're feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves - especially after recently watching Slumdog Millionaire and Googling pictures of India trains …
Four days felt like enough to get a good glimpse of Delhi, and it's not a place we would probably revisit. But its crazy ways feel like a must-experience for any India travelers.
Anyway a 12-hour overnight train to Bikaner (1,000 rupees, about £12 each) awaits.
