Recently, the number of South Indian tourists in New Delhi is increasing. When we planned a trip to Delhi and Agra, we talked with some friends who have been living there and those who have gone for a trip in the recent years. These are some highlights of their advice:
1. Don't hire a taxi by yourselves. Taxi drivers will charge you a lot. Ask the hotel reception to get a taxi for you.
2. Always be cautious about the people surrounding you. They will try to bully you or rob you.
3. Don't travel to Delhi by train or bus as it is always packed up and difficult to travel with the locals.
4. Better travel between Delhi and Agra by a private taxi.
And, with my experience, I could say that these are completely wrong.
This is what I want to tell you.
What I want to tell you South Indian friends who are planning a trip to Delhi is don't be upset about what is waiting for you there. Delhi is in India, even though lots of differences are there between our place and capital city. please note that these are for those friends who want to make a trip to Delhi Agra by spending only the reasonable charges to your travel and stay. Those who are not willing to bargain or talk with the people around you, please don't read the following points.
Stay and travel planning
If you are for the first time in Delhi, make a good plan about what to do and where to go. Paharganj is the area near New Delhi railway station where the hotels are located in large numbers. The main bazaar road in front of the New Delhi railway station is one of the very busiest streets of Delhi, where hotels are situated on both sides of the road. You can see street vendors and shops on both sides. You can get anything you want from here. Low priced hotels to five-star restaurants are located here. You can find a hotel as per your need in this area.
1. Better get the hotels booked through some online sites(like makemytrip) as you can find a better price and check the reviews.
2. Must check the reviews(tripadvisor) on the hotels you have selected before going ahead for booking it.
3. If possible, it will be convenient if you take the entry tickets for monuments online. If you have mobile internet you can do it on the same day you are planning to go. But I advise to do it beforehand.
About transportation
1. If you are a group of people more than 4, I think taxi is a best and reasonable option to travel inside Delhi.
2. Hiring an autorickshaw/ rickshaw/ taxi in Delhi is reasonable or costlier depending on you. If you don't mind talking with the driver and fixing the price before entering the taxi, it is the best option to get paid with the most reasonable fare. Than asking the hotel reception to book a taxi for you(which will be costly), you can ask the reception how much it will cost between the points you are going to travel. You can ask the driver how much it will cost to go to your destination and compare it with that told by the hotel person. If you think it is fine, then only get inside and go.
3. Dot try to call a taxi from in front of your hotel, as the drivers could understand that you are a tourist and charge more.
4. There is a chance that the driver will tell you an amount far more than the original price. Be courageous to tell the last price(bargaining) to him. Sometimes, he will never ever agree with it. Or he will slip to your end. If he says a big NO, better call and talk with some other taxi(taxi is available in plenty on the roads of Delhi). For me, I don't like to travel with the same driver if we have talked for the fare a lot.
3. A lot of bus tour programs are there in Delhi which assures that they will cover the most important sites there. I am not sure about it. Even if they cove the places in their listing I wonder if they keep the timings or let you enjoy the places as you want to. I won't recommend it if you are conscious about the time and want the freedom to enjoy the sites. If you need not bother about where to go next, how to go etc. better go for such a bus tour.
4. HOHO bus is the sightseeing bus of Delhi which is a very convenient way for travelling there. It covers all the important tourist spots of Delhi. This is a chain of buses which reaches the destination in every 40 minutes. You can pay 530 rupees(it may be sometimes less than this depending on the season) for a day. You can spend as much time as you want on every site if your list of sites is less.
They will give you the time schedule and the list of sites the bus is travelling to. They will explain about the main buildings and sights seen on both sides of the roads(in Hindi). An English commentary is also played in between. The bus makes stop at every destination. You can get off at the places you want to visit, go around and watch everything as per your interest. After sightseeing, what you have to do is reach the bus stop according to the scheduled timing given to you(check the paper they give you when boarding the bus). They will take you the next place and at last drop you in front of the HOHO bus information centre.
5. Delhi metro is a nice option to travel around New Delhi tourist sites. The minimum charge is 10 rupees and you can travel around without bothering about the traffic issues. The main issue about metro is that it will be mostly crowded. If you have children's accompanying you, or if you are a group of more than 5 people, sometimes it will be difficult to manage travelling by Delhi metro.
To Agra
4. Travelling between Delhi and Agra in taxi or bus is the worst among the decisions made by you. It takes roughly 4 hours(may be more depending on the traffic).
5. Gatimaan express is the best option to travel between Delhi and Agra. It takes you from Delhi Nizamudhin station to Agra Cantt station in 100 minutes. Gatimaan is the fastest train in India with no transit stops. They will provide better service, meals(optional) and it is very punctual. It starts from Nizamuddin station at 7.10am and reached Agra Cantt at 9.40am.
6. Within Agra, there is no need of booking a taxi priorly. There are government verified taxi/ autorickshaw services available from the station. It costs 1200 rupees for a taxi car and 600 rupees for an autorickshaw for a whole day. It will depend on your driver, there is a chance that they may ask you for a tip. If you want to tip him or not is up to you, else pay as per the rule.
Food and shopping
Food is the prime thing that we have to consider while travelling. If you are a person having issues with stomach, you should take enough care. Better go for some good restaurants, even if you have to pay more. Health is everything, and without that, you can't make your trip fruitful.
1. You can try cuisines from the local vendors on the street. Pani poori and other items are found very common on the streets of Delhi. You can taste it from there or from some local stalls which are very cheaper. I am not sure how much hygienic it is. You can look around and evaluate the conditions from the surroundings itself.
2. Eating at the hotel you are staying will be convenient, check the menu and decide it as per your budget and interest.
3. Don't be lazy to walk around, search for shops/ restaurants nearby. You can find a better option outside while watching the streets and doing some street shopping.
4. If buying fruit items, please look around for some fruit stalls. Try not to rely on the fruit vendors on the streets, as it will not be tasty.
5. Shopping on the streets in Delhi is all about bargaining. You a bargain with the vendors, if you know Hindi it will be more convenient for you and them. Stay back and watch the way local people bargains. You can't do like them, but make a try. Isn't everything a new experience??
At the tourist spots
1. Photography: Most places in Delhi allows photography. You can take your camera(don't forget to charge your battery daily).
2. At Taj Mahal, Agra fort, India gate etc., you will come across so many professional photographers coming behind you asking for taking your photos. It is more worse at Taj Mahal. For me, it was irritating. They will not allow us to go ahead without them. If you are not professional photographers, and you want to have some good pictures of you and your family in front of Taj Mahal, you can ask one of them to take some photos for you. Of course, they will not stop with one or two. They will make you stand and sit in various position and take some 50 photos and ask you to select form it. They will give either the print out of those pictures or the soft copy. You can bargain with them for a better price.
3. Ask them to take photos on your camera(if you have a good camera) and tell them that you will pay some amount for that at he spot. This is a best option sot hat you will get a lot of photos in your camera, at a better price.
4. At Taj Mahal, they wont allow food, drinks and even papers or books inside your bags. They will open it and check the bag, will take off this kinfd of items if any. Even those travelling with kids are not allowed to take even water in Taj Mahal. At Agra fort and lotus temple also, food and water are not allowed. For those travelling with kids can request the security officers for carrying food or water. They will ask you not to open it or throw the wastes while you are inside the monument grounds. Please obey them, its part of cleanliness of our historical monuments nad tourist spots where lots of people are coming everyday.
5. Please don't behave rudely to other tourists around you. There will be Indians from other states and foreigners around you. You are going to represent your state or sometimes your nation. If you behave oddly, they might be bearing in mind that all Indians or all S.Indians are like this. So try to be kind and generous to all around you even if you are upset with the tiredness of the trip and the surroundings.
Happy journey. And safe trip...
1. Don't hire a taxi by yourselves. Taxi drivers will charge you a lot. Ask the hotel reception to get a taxi for you.
2. Always be cautious about the people surrounding you. They will try to bully you or rob you.
3. Don't travel to Delhi by train or bus as it is always packed up and difficult to travel with the locals.
4. Better travel between Delhi and Agra by a private taxi.
And, with my experience, I could say that these are completely wrong.
This is what I want to tell you.
What I want to tell you South Indian friends who are planning a trip to Delhi is don't be upset about what is waiting for you there. Delhi is in India, even though lots of differences are there between our place and capital city. please note that these are for those friends who want to make a trip to Delhi Agra by spending only the reasonable charges to your travel and stay. Those who are not willing to bargain or talk with the people around you, please don't read the following points.
Stay and travel planning
If you are for the first time in Delhi, make a good plan about what to do and where to go. Paharganj is the area near New Delhi railway station where the hotels are located in large numbers. The main bazaar road in front of the New Delhi railway station is one of the very busiest streets of Delhi, where hotels are situated on both sides of the road. You can see street vendors and shops on both sides. You can get anything you want from here. Low priced hotels to five-star restaurants are located here. You can find a hotel as per your need in this area.
1. Better get the hotels booked through some online sites(like makemytrip) as you can find a better price and check the reviews.
2. Must check the reviews(tripadvisor) on the hotels you have selected before going ahead for booking it.
3. If possible, it will be convenient if you take the entry tickets for monuments online. If you have mobile internet you can do it on the same day you are planning to go. But I advise to do it beforehand.
1. If you are a group of people more than 4, I think taxi is a best and reasonable option to travel inside Delhi.
2. Hiring an autorickshaw/ rickshaw/ taxi in Delhi is reasonable or costlier depending on you. If you don't mind talking with the driver and fixing the price before entering the taxi, it is the best option to get paid with the most reasonable fare. Than asking the hotel reception to book a taxi for you(which will be costly), you can ask the reception how much it will cost between the points you are going to travel. You can ask the driver how much it will cost to go to your destination and compare it with that told by the hotel person. If you think it is fine, then only get inside and go.
3. Dot try to call a taxi from in front of your hotel, as the drivers could understand that you are a tourist and charge more.
4. There is a chance that the driver will tell you an amount far more than the original price. Be courageous to tell the last price(bargaining) to him. Sometimes, he will never ever agree with it. Or he will slip to your end. If he says a big NO, better call and talk with some other taxi(taxi is available in plenty on the roads of Delhi). For me, I don't like to travel with the same driver if we have talked for the fare a lot.
3. A lot of bus tour programs are there in Delhi which assures that they will cover the most important sites there. I am not sure about it. Even if they cove the places in their listing I wonder if they keep the timings or let you enjoy the places as you want to. I won't recommend it if you are conscious about the time and want the freedom to enjoy the sites. If you need not bother about where to go next, how to go etc. better go for such a bus tour.
4. HOHO bus is the sightseeing bus of Delhi which is a very convenient way for travelling there. It covers all the important tourist spots of Delhi. This is a chain of buses which reaches the destination in every 40 minutes. You can pay 530 rupees(it may be sometimes less than this depending on the season) for a day. You can spend as much time as you want on every site if your list of sites is less.
They will give you the time schedule and the list of sites the bus is travelling to. They will explain about the main buildings and sights seen on both sides of the roads(in Hindi). An English commentary is also played in between. The bus makes stop at every destination. You can get off at the places you want to visit, go around and watch everything as per your interest. After sightseeing, what you have to do is reach the bus stop according to the scheduled timing given to you(check the paper they give you when boarding the bus). They will take you the next place and at last drop you in front of the HOHO bus information centre.
5. Delhi metro is a nice option to travel around New Delhi tourist sites. The minimum charge is 10 rupees and you can travel around without bothering about the traffic issues. The main issue about metro is that it will be mostly crowded. If you have children's accompanying you, or if you are a group of more than 5 people, sometimes it will be difficult to manage travelling by Delhi metro.
To Agra
4. Travelling between Delhi and Agra in taxi or bus is the worst among the decisions made by you. It takes roughly 4 hours(may be more depending on the traffic).
5. Gatimaan express is the best option to travel between Delhi and Agra. It takes you from Delhi Nizamudhin station to Agra Cantt station in 100 minutes. Gatimaan is the fastest train in India with no transit stops. They will provide better service, meals(optional) and it is very punctual. It starts from Nizamuddin station at 7.10am and reached Agra Cantt at 9.40am.
6. Within Agra, there is no need of booking a taxi priorly. There are government verified taxi/ autorickshaw services available from the station. It costs 1200 rupees for a taxi car and 600 rupees for an autorickshaw for a whole day. It will depend on your driver, there is a chance that they may ask you for a tip. If you want to tip him or not is up to you, else pay as per the rule.
Food and shopping
Food is the prime thing that we have to consider while travelling. If you are a person having issues with stomach, you should take enough care. Better go for some good restaurants, even if you have to pay more. Health is everything, and without that, you can't make your trip fruitful.
1. You can try cuisines from the local vendors on the street. Pani poori and other items are found very common on the streets of Delhi. You can taste it from there or from some local stalls which are very cheaper. I am not sure how much hygienic it is. You can look around and evaluate the conditions from the surroundings itself.
2. Eating at the hotel you are staying will be convenient, check the menu and decide it as per your budget and interest.
3. Don't be lazy to walk around, search for shops/ restaurants nearby. You can find a better option outside while watching the streets and doing some street shopping.
4. If buying fruit items, please look around for some fruit stalls. Try not to rely on the fruit vendors on the streets, as it will not be tasty.
5. Shopping on the streets in Delhi is all about bargaining. You a bargain with the vendors, if you know Hindi it will be more convenient for you and them. Stay back and watch the way local people bargains. You can't do like them, but make a try. Isn't everything a new experience??
At the tourist spots
1. Photography: Most places in Delhi allows photography. You can take your camera(don't forget to charge your battery daily).
2. At Taj Mahal, Agra fort, India gate etc., you will come across so many professional photographers coming behind you asking for taking your photos. It is more worse at Taj Mahal. For me, it was irritating. They will not allow us to go ahead without them. If you are not professional photographers, and you want to have some good pictures of you and your family in front of Taj Mahal, you can ask one of them to take some photos for you. Of course, they will not stop with one or two. They will make you stand and sit in various position and take some 50 photos and ask you to select form it. They will give either the print out of those pictures or the soft copy. You can bargain with them for a better price.
3. Ask them to take photos on your camera(if you have a good camera) and tell them that you will pay some amount for that at he spot. This is a best option sot hat you will get a lot of photos in your camera, at a better price.
4. At Taj Mahal, they wont allow food, drinks and even papers or books inside your bags. They will open it and check the bag, will take off this kinfd of items if any. Even those travelling with kids are not allowed to take even water in Taj Mahal. At Agra fort and lotus temple also, food and water are not allowed. For those travelling with kids can request the security officers for carrying food or water. They will ask you not to open it or throw the wastes while you are inside the monument grounds. Please obey them, its part of cleanliness of our historical monuments nad tourist spots where lots of people are coming everyday.
5. Please don't behave rudely to other tourists around you. There will be Indians from other states and foreigners around you. You are going to represent your state or sometimes your nation. If you behave oddly, they might be bearing in mind that all Indians or all S.Indians are like this. So try to be kind and generous to all around you even if you are upset with the tiredness of the trip and the surroundings.
Happy journey. And safe trip...
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