Unsure on where to stay in the centre of Delhi, we had opted to stay close to Connaught Place. It meant that we had shops and restaurants in walking distance. The smog of the city was particularly high and part of the reason was the recent Diwali celebrations. We had three nights and three days to fill, the flight wasn’t until 9.30pm and we had to checkout at 11am.
So the first day, we decided to walk to Connaught Place, for a bit of lunch and to browse some of the shops. Now we expected to have some hassle however it was off the scale. Randoms wanting to befriend us, who claimed not to be travel agents or shopkeepers but trying to send us on a diverted route or go to a specific office for a map. In the end we had to go in to a “chain store” to escape one of them. Absolutely hate to be rude, however the minute you engage that is it. We’d walked past a bar that we had been in when staying in Aerocity and decided to dip in there to escape, have a much needed alcoholic drink, some lunch and to plan our next move/escape! When we made the move, we didn’t have too much hassle.
On the basis of the experience of being alone in Delhi, we decided to book an evening tour in Delhi to cover off a few of the sights we had missed on our first round (due to the traffic). So in the morning, we finished off the trip planing for New Zealand and set off full of expectation for our tour. The guide seemed a bit chaotic, however listened to where we wanted to go and planned the tour accordingly. First up was the Stepwell Baoli then on to the Lotus Temple for a brief look from the outside. We weren’t surprised when we were taken to a shop, which annoyed us. G had a quick 5 minute look then we went on our way. Next up was the Safdarjung Tomb, a smaller mausoleum based on the Taj Mahl. Presidential Palace we had to view afar as there is a large exclusion zone around it but it was interesting to see it lit up. Our final stop was India Gate, the first time we went, we could only view it from across the road, as the area was cordoned off for a concert. That was it! Delhi done. In true Indian fashion though the guide had a final attempt to extract money from us, by wanting to take us to dinner – obviously he wasn’t paying and we would end up in an overpriced restaurant where he would get a cut. We said no thanks and we were dropped back at the hotel. Unable to stomach the thought of roaming the streets from 11am until 6pm, we did a bit of research and found out that the hotel we had stayed in at Aerocity offered dayroom for a 5 hour period. That was it, we booked one, rested there for the afternoon and was able to walk to the food court for a meal before leaving for the airport,
Was India Enjoyable? Yes
Would We Go Back? Possibly
Favourite Place? Golden Temple – Amritsar (Both agreed on this)
Favourite Driver? Ankit
Favourite Guide? The Little Doctor In Fatepur Sikri – Though All Guides Were Great
Best Pieces Of Advice Decent Guides/Driver, Keep Your Wits About You and Read Up On Common Scams. Get Smaller Bank Notes and Prepare To Tip Everyone
