India is a truly amazing country and if you’re considering a trip – DO IT! It is one of the most fascinating places I have visited to date, an absolute assault on the senses, a colourful array of taste smells sights and sounds.
On a more practical note the flights were much cheaper than I expected, you can fly return from Dublin for €550 and it’s a 9-hour flight which is completely manageable.
One word of warning check out the temperature/humidity as this could have a big impact on your trip, Dec/Jan is a great time of year it’s a lot cooler and mosquitos are few and far between!
I’ll be sharing a few pieces about my time in India but first up it’s the capital city and my first destination – New Dehli
HIGHLIGHT – CHANDNI CHOWK MARKET – KARIM’S
If you think Moore street is loud…just you wait! Chandni Chowk is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Dehli and based on the electrical cables (as seen above) it’s a miracle it’s still standing! But whether you’re looking for a widescreen tv or a knock off IPhone charger it’s the place for all your electronic needs.
We had the advantage of inside knowledge on this one, my pal Anuraag is a local and led us through the myriad of winding Chandni Chowk streets to the world-famous “KARIMS. It doesn’t look like much from the outside…like a lot of places in India! But the BBC recommendation posted to the door does not lie! Butter chicken and butter naan….yes its carby but worth every bite! And you’ll be digging in with your hands so don’t forget the old hand sanitiser.
DO – STAY HERE
If you want to strike the right balance of being away from the inner city madness yet close to the key tourist spots, the Sunder Nagar district of South Dehli is an ideal location. We stayed at a small boutique hotel called “La Sagrita” – affordable, comfortable with a great shower and excellent breakfast omelettes, you can’t go wrong.
*There are additional taxes you need to keep an eye out for even when booking through mainstream accomodation websites, they are often excluded e.g there is a 15% city tax and also sometimes a luxury tax in India. It’s also worth checking a hotel’s direct site sometimes I got a better rate but in this case I booked through booking.com and it worked out about €70 per night.
DO – VISIT
Humayun’s tomb… it’s like a Taj Mahal preview.
The Red Fort – No need to queue to get in, outside is enough plus I couldn’t find one Indian person who had actually been inside!…If anyone has been let me know 🙂
Qutb Minar – A UNESCO world heritage tower built in the early 13th century from red sandstone.
The Indian Gate and ginormous Presidential Palace (Rashtrapati Bhavan)…seriously if Michael D saw this place he’d be feeling verrrrry hard done by.
Connaght Place or “CP” as the locals call it – Right in the heart of the city CP is the slick modern business and commercial hub of New Dehli. It’s a nice spot for a stroll and you’ll find all the main Western brands here…incase you’re in need of anything before you hit the sticks of India!
NOTE – If you’re a “Foreigner” you will pay more for every tourist attraction and your price will be quoted as just that, “Foreigner price” just accept it. The bonus is you won’t have to queue that much but at times it does feel very divided.
DO – EAT HERE
SAGAR, Denfence Colony, New Dehli – a chain of South Indian restaurants, a whole cuisine within a cuisine, much lighter and often eaten for breakfast, we’ll talk more about it soon. But order the “Masala Dosa” – it’s a crispy rice based pancake stuffed with spicy potatoes, dreamy. Oh and don’t freak out if you see people eating what looks like noodles and ice cream (it’s Kulfi – traditional Indian ice cream and yes it is glass noodles, texture wise it’s weird but once you get over that it’s….interesting!) This was also my first taste of “Gulab Jamun”, an Indian classic, very sweet but very delicious, it’s a milk based sponge soaked in rose flavoured sugar syrup.
Plus if you’re on the hunt for a post dinner drink “Defence Social” next door is a cool hipster-esque bar, the local Kingfisher beer is good and cheap as chips compared to imported brands .
CAFE LOTA, Bhairon Road, Near Pragati Maidan Metro Station – Great lunch spot, order Palak Patta Chaat, giant spinach leaves fried in a crispy thin batter which you dip in chutney and cottage cheese! Need I say more.
DON’T – Get in a Tuk Tuk/taxi without agreeing a price, you may only get ripped off the equivalent of a euro but still haggle before you board…in Dehli that is – Mumbai has a slightly more organised metering system.
DON’T – Be alarmed if you happen to blow your nose at the end of the day and it’s black…or cleaning your face reveals a black residue! Dehli is pretty polluted so unfortunately this is a side effect.
DON’T – Freak out if people want to take selfies with you, I travelled with a red-head so he got a lot of attention, plus you feel like a celeb!
WARNING – It won’t take you long to realise traffic in Dehli is MENTAL! There are lanes yes…but people don’t follow them and there are many many cows, they can be pretty much anywhere on the road but remember they are sacred so you just leave them be!…and obviously you won’t find them on a menu anywhere in the country.
The Taj Mahal is also very accessible from Dehli via an express train to Agra which takes two hours…but a wonder of the world deserves it’s very own post!
Have you been to Dehli? or maybe planning a trip there soon? If so please feel free to comment below with any questions or your own recommendations, pictures experiences….
A coco travels 