Top Ten Attractions
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The Red Fort
The largest of the monuments in Old Delhi, a massive fort/palace whose thick red sandstone walls, bulging with turrets and bastions, have withstood the vagaries of time and nature. http://www.delhi-tourism-india.com/forts-monume...
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Humayun’s Tomb
Delhi’s Taj Mahal, a magnificent mausoleum dedicated to Emperor Humayun, who died in 1556. Surrounded by formal gardens. http://www.indiaplaces.com/india-monuments/delh...
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Jama Masjid
The largest and most splendid mosque in India, capable of holding 25,000 people. http://www.pilgrimage-india.com/muslim-pilgrima...
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India Gate
This triumphal arch is India’s main war memorial, carved with the names of some 85,000 Indian soldiers killed during World War One and the Afghan Wars of the same time. http://www.info2india.com/rajasthan/india-gate-...
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Chandni Chowk
Probably Delhi’s most famous street, lined with colourful shops and stalls.
http://www.wordtravels.com/Attractions/Countrie... -
Connaught Place
The heart of the new city and the commercial centre of Delhi, it comprises a series of graceful concentric colonnaded circles of shops and offices.
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Nizamuddin Aulia Complex
One of the holiest Islamic sites in India, this is the dargah (shrine) of the saint Nizamuddin Aulia (1236-1325). http://www.tourtravelworld.com/hot_spots/delhi/...
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Qutb Minar
A five-storey marble and sandstone tower – one of the tallest and most beautiful minarets ever conceived. http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=233/
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Mughal Gardens
Designed by Sir Edward Lutyens and consisting of the ‘rectangular garden,’ the ‘long garden,’ and the ‘circular garden.’ http://www.mughalgardens.org/
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National Museum
Allow a day to do justice to India’s national collection. http://www.nationalmuseumindia.gov.in/
Eating and Drinking
Westerners tend by nature to scorn the hotel dining rooms and try to hunt out the little backstreet bistro that no-one else has discovered. In India, this can be a serious mistake. There are a few exceptions, but most of the really good restaurants are run by the hotels. Here you will find not only the cream of cuisines, from Mughlai to South Indian, French or Thai, but lavish and incredibly reasonable lunchtime buffets and 24-hour coffee shops. Meat is almost always chicken or mutton. It’s forbidden for Hindus to eat beef (any steak will be buffalo) and pork is anathema to Muslims. Fish is best avoided in inland areas. Normal travelling wisdom says avoid street stalls. However, some of India’s most popular restaurants are street-side dhabas, with long trestle tables and bubbling cauldrons. They usually keep things simple, serving a basic thali (fixed menu and price) to everyone. The turnover is huge, so the food is always fresh and you can watch it cooking. Indians prefer using their fingers to forks (right hand only; using the left is a grave social blunder). If you’re not used to eating spicy foods regularly, don’t expect to be able to survive a solid diet of chillies without trouble. There are non-hot options if you look.
Food health - whether it’s called Montezuma's Revenge or Delhi Belly, a stomach bug can be debilitating and spoil a holiday. Here are a few tips to avoid such a situation:
- Never drink water unless it’s from a sealed mineral water bottle or one you have sterilised yourself. This includes ice and street-side fruit juices (diluted with tap water).
- Check out any restaurant for basic cleanliness and wash your own hands before you touch food.
- Stick to well-wrapped, and fresh-cooked hot foods. Never eat any fruit you haven’t peeled yourself.
- Most stomach bugs are minor and will disappear within a day or two. Eat basic food such as dry toast, chapatis and yoghurt and drink plenty of safe water with a little sugar and salt to help replace essential minerals.
Shopping
Shopping is one of the most enjoyable things to do in Delhi because the city boasts the finest jewellery, handicrafts and textiles from all over the country. The city's boutiques and shopping arcades offer access to a wealth of traditional and contemporary crafts. These include designer garments, silk and cotton weaves, precious stones, jewellery, leather, pottery and terracotta, brassware, ivory, woodwork in rosewood and sandalwood and antiques. The major shopping centres of Delhi are Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place and the Circus. New shopping centres include Karolbagh, Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar and a number of other places including fashionable shopping centres like the South Extension. Dilli Haat, spread over 6 acres, is the first permanent fairground in the country, showcasing the arts, handicrafts and food of the various Indian states. There are about 60 stalls. Delhi also has a very popular underground shopping centre called Palika Bazaar. It has a variety of goods on display and at a reasonable cost. However, while shopping here you need to be good at bargaining as generally the prices quoted are high.
Night Life
Delhi has a long way to go to compete with Mumbai (Bombay) as the capital of Indian nightlife. In Delhi, it is notoriously difficult to obtain an alcohol licence and many of the swishest bars and nightclubs are in the five-star international hotels - with prices to match. Apart from these hotels, the watering holes of Delhi are concentrated around Connaught Place, with various outposts in the more prosperous southern suburbs. Wine in Delhi is expensive and frequently of indifferent quality - those who wish to drink would be well advised to stick to beer, spirits or cocktails. Although there is no minimum drinking age, the minimum purchasing age in India is 18 years. The price of a beer while out and about in Delhi can vary considerably depending on the venue, but it averages out to approximately 200R. Local newspapers Hindustan Times (website: www.hindustantimes.com) and Times of India (website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com) carry daily and weekly listings and information on nightlife in Delhi.
Gays and lesbians - homosexuality is illegal in India, so the gay scene is extremely limited. However, several organisations for gays and lesbians do exist and they occasionally organise events.
