You would be forgiven if your first impression of Delhi was that it was full of smog. It is sometimes hard to look beyond the smog to see the aged beauty of this city. So as a traveller to this city you need to accept what you see and appreciate what you experience.

Our accommodation in Delhi was at the Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel. A lovely hotel, well appointed and the rooms were spacious. We opted for the room upgrades which gave us access to the Club lounge, providing free food and drinks 24 hours per day.

It is hard to get your bearings in Delhi, it is such a large city, but there are plenty of rickshaws and taxis that will take you anywhere you wish to go. Just remember to barter for the price, although the cost of using these is so minimal, in any event, that we were mostly happy to pay what they asked.

Some of the highlights for Delhi were:

  1. Jama Mosque – one of the largest mosques in India it was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656.  The courtyard can hold 25,000 visitors, so expect there to be a lot of people inside the Mosque at any time. Women must be covered when inside the Mosque so clothing is provided at the entrance.
  2. Khari Baoli – known as Asia’s largest spice market the sights, colours and fragrant spices will delight you. It is situated near the historic Delhi Red Fort if you are interested in finding it. Again, there are a huge number of locals milling in the spice market, so getting close to anything is a bit of a challenge.
  3. Humayun’s Tomb – built in 1565 AD it is now a protected UNESCO site since 1993. The tomb of Humayun was built by his first wife, Empress Bega Begum and cost 1.5 million rupees. She wanted to construct the most magnificent mausoleum in the Empire so grieved was she by her husband’s death. There is such a rich history behind this tomb, that it is well worth reading up as much as you can about it.
  4. India Gate – this magnificent structure stands as a memorial to 70,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in between 1914-1921 in various wars. It is counted amongst the largest war memorials in India.
  5. President’s Palace – or Rashtrapati Bhavan, is still the official residence of the President of India. The main building has 340 rooms consisting of reception halls, guest rooms and offices. It sits on 320 acres of land with large open spaces, gardens and residences for bodyguards and staff. It is the largest residence of any head of state in the world.
  6. Gandhi’s Smriti – a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi where he spent the last 144 days of his life. The museum houses a number of articles associated with Gandhi’s life and death. Visitors can view the preserved room where Gandhi lived and the Martyr’s Column on the grounds where he was shot while taking his nightly public walk.
  7. Dilli Haat – a large outdoor market where local artists from across the country come to exhibit and sell their beautiful creations. It is a permanent market situated on 6 acres of land with the small thatched roof cottages and kiosks giving the plaza a village atmosphere. Some of the items on offer are rosewood and sandalwood carvings, embellished camel hide footwear, sophisticated fabric and drapery, gems, beads, brassware and metal crafts.

Travel Tips

  • Delhi is thick with smog, so if you have any health issues then it would be best to pack a mask.
  • Some of the larger hotels will charge excessive amounts for laundry, so if you do need to wash as you travel, then best to do it at a hotel where the price is reasonable.

Travel Alerts

  • Don’t accept any dirty, ripped or disintegrating notes when using the local currency. Other vendors will refuse to take them, and you will be stuck with them.
  • If you don’t like crowds, then you won’t enjoy Delhi. There is no getting away from the fact that it is a densely populated city and everywhere you go you will have to battle with crowds.
  • You might also be surprised by the security surrounding hotels and other places of interest right throughout India. Only guests are permitted in hotels and are checked at gates, and bags are searched when entering tourist sites. In most places you also have to walk through security scanners, similar to those used at airports, so be prepared to stand in queues whilst everyone goes through this process.

Travel Adventures

  • There are plenty of places to visit in Delhi, but if you are travelling as a tour group then only the major sights will be visited.
  • We had some spare time and went to visit a local souvenir market which had just about anything you wanted to buy in it, and the small shops were all situated in the one building. If you do want to be adventurous and find some of these places then ask your rickshaw driver to wait for you to take you back to your hotel. It really doesn’t cost that much, and it gives you peace of mind that you will not get lost in such a big city.