Insider tips
Delhi
- You have to have your wits about you when it comes to prices. Expect to be overcharged for everything and always bargain, especially when it comes to taxis and autos.
- For the most part Delhi is a late-rising and early-sleeping city, so if you want to get around anywhere by car, before 8am and after 10pm usually sees emptier roads. A sunrise drive around the city can in fact be a spectacular, traffic-free experience. But then you’ll have to wait a long time for the shops to open, so head for breakfast at a five star hotel or go for a walk in Lodhi Gardens.
- In places, Delhi is still a dangerous city at night, especially for women travelling alone. Caution is advised.
- You can eat really, really well in Delhi on a budget and on the street. Often it’s a daunting prospect knowing the good from the bad, but now there’s help in the form of food blogger Pamela Timms. Her blog, eat and dust, is invaluable.
- If you’re keen to experience the metro it’s best to avoid peak commuting hours, when it’s crazy.
- Most bars and restaurants offer happy hours between 3-6pm.
- It’s normal for everyone in the city to be running late, even the taxis, so when ordering give a time half an hour before you really need it.
- Delhi has a large number of heritage walks on offer. The website http://delhiheritagewalks.com/ is a great resource. If you’re interested in photography also see http://www.delhiphotographyclub.com/activities/heritage-photowalk/
- The city has a mindboggling array of flora and fauna, with hundreds of species of trees on display. Environmentalist Pradip Krishen’s Trees of Delhi: A Field Guide is an excellent and invaluable resource here, and can open up your understanding of the city in surprising ways.