Passport to Delhi!

My First Visit to New Delhi.

If you are coming from an overseas country and are on your first visit to India, New Delhi here are some pointers to get you through.

  • Be prepared for extreme temperatures almost throughout, if you are arriving in summers the weather is extremely hot and humid, and in winters it’s extremely cold and bleak. As an added pointer be prepared to give your lungs a exercise because Delhi has pretty high level of particulate matter in air.
  • Do all the homework with respect to your hotel, its location and how you are going to reach there. Trying to find any of the above at last minute is an invitation to trouble. You could choose a not so perfect location and end up paying substantially more for the hotel and maybe take on a merry trip to hotel if you already are not aware of your directions to hotel.

 

Communication in Delhi.

As a general rule it is advisable to find your ways to communicate and be connected before arrival.

  • Are you going to use your regular number activated for international roaming?
  • Are you going to buy a local tourist SIM card?
  • Does the hotel feature WIFI?
  • How will you contact the pickup service or driver in case of any need upon arrival?

These are some of the questions, answers to which should already have been obtained by your good self.
It is worthy to note that you should find a hotel which features complimentary and free high speed Wi-Fi.

What to eat in Delhi?

One of the most important factors to include in your mindset is the ability to accept that your local food will not be available in Delhi, even though every cuisine and International food joints have an outlet in Delhi, the overall tastes and textures are tailored for Indian tastes.
Points to note:-

  • The general idea that all Indian food is spicy is not entirely true, but it is not a bad idea to have the cook/chef make it a little less spicy so as to not stun you.
  • McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Dominoes, Burger King all have outlets in Delhi, so if the local cuisine does not suit you for any reason you can fall back on these.
  • Avoid having from road side vendors, lack of quality control can make your internals go haywire.
  • Choose a hotel which serves continental breakfast at the minimum so that you can start your day with a full stomach.
  • Various grocery and super markets are located all around, if nothing suits you, bread butter can help you end your starving.
  • Have fruits, but be wary of having fruits which are already cut, they can be unhealthy if stale and not covered since being cut.

 

What to wear?

Delhi is a city of vivid and wide cultural diversity so you can probably get away with anything you wear.


 

Currency, Passport & other belongings.

This is trivial, and might I add a must whether you are coming to India or visiting any place else on Earth.

  • Keep all currency, card on your self.
  • Keep your ID, Passport on your self.
  • Anything in sling bags, waist pouches, bag packs is on the risk of being taken away.
  • It is ideal to store your extra currency and passport in pockets on the inside of your jeans/pants and maybe inside of pockets if you have them tailored to your vests.
  • It is not the best idea to let your credit card out of your sight at any POS.
  • Your phone and earbuds must be secured in pocket as well while roaming on streets, especially when you are on the roads, on foot path you are much safe.
  • If possible do not let any unknown person lug you luggage even for one second, they might pretend to help you but can have something else in their minds.

 

Choosing a Hotel in Delhi

It’s a daunting task to find a perfect hotel for your specific needs, nevertheless we can achieve the best hotel in we follow the following points.

  • Make up your mind the budget you will allocate to the hotel, it should be a range, say 2000 to 3000 INR.
  • Find hotel which are in famous localities, do not venture into residential areas, instead select hotels in market areas, this way you are never lonely.
  • Find a hotel with good proximity to the metro station, most famous and easy mode of transport.
  • Check for basic amenities and inclusions such as WIFI, breakfast, shuttle services.
  • Make a list of at least 3-4 hotels because it is possible that if you select one it might be sold out already.
  • Find the best rates for the hotel, send them a email directly, check all online websites especially local OTA which are region specific.
  • In case you have any unanswered questions send them a email and have their answers on record for future references.

 

Places to visit in Delhi.

There are various kind of points of interest which are worth visiting in Delhi.

  • The Red Fort
  • Qutab Minar
  • Akshardham Temple
  • India Gate
  • Chattarpur Temple
  • Jantar Mantar
  • Humayuns Tomb
  • many more such famous tourist spots of historical and architectural nature.


Among other kinds of interesting places are shopping malls and areas like

  • Karol Bagh Market
  • Sarojini Nagar Market
  • DLF Emporio Mall
  • DLF Promenade Mall
  • DLF Mall of India
  • Ambience Mall
  • Cannaught Place
  • Khan Market
  • Delhi Haat
  • many more such big markets, theaters and malls.

Entertainment in Delhi.

A necessary part of any trip is to have some recreational activities, some fun, some entertainment in places such as amusement parks, gardens, parks and museums, named below are a few.

  • Nehru Park
  • National Rail Museum
  • Crafts Museum
  • Worlds of Wonder
  • Drizzling Land
  • Adventure Island
  • Kingdom of Dreams
  • many more such avenues of entertainment.

Mode of travel.

This is very important factor in determining the final satisfaction level achieved, if an optimum selection is made for traveling your trip will be successful and enjoyable.

  • Use metro when traveling in non peak hours such as between 11 AM to 5 PM.
  • Buying a metro day pass or a card will help you save lots of time and money, but buy one if you intend to utilize it.
  • Avoid using over crowded public transport buses.
  • Using Auto rickshaw / Tuk-tuk for going to places which do not have access to metro, but be fully aware of the routes being taken, use your mobile.
  • In case of extreme weather it is advisable to use OLA/UBER cab instead of Auto Rickshaw to save your self from extreme weather conditions, you can also download India specific app for these services and pay in cash or card.
  • Hotel provided mode of transport though a bit expensive will be most easy and secure because the cars/drivers have responsibility and are used to ferrying tourists.