Hindi Sayings

Street Children
The term 'street children' is hotly debated. Some say it is negative - that it labels and stigmatises children. Others say it gives them an identity and a sense of belonging. It can include a very wide range of children who: are homeless; work on the streets but sleep at home; either do or do not have family contact; work in open-air markets; live on the streets with their families; live in day or night shelters; spend a lot of time in institutions (e.g. prison). For more information on Street Children in Goa and India please follow the link.

Places to visit
written by Rachel

Delhi

Delhi is definitely split into North and South or rather Old and New, the Old (North) end is home to most of the tourist attractions and the New (South) to the shops, cafés and nicer housing! Visit both, you should see both sides of Delhi, for me the two sides are what give Delhi its charm.

My opinions on the Tourist Attractions listed in the Lonely Planet:

Architecture:
• Red Fort – very touristy and very hectic, lots of touts vying for you’re your attention/money most with limited amounts to say; watch out for women pinning flags onto you and claiming they are from a school/charity. The architecture itself is more impressive from the outside than the inside, however the gardens are lush and green and if you can find a quiet spot can be peaceful. Delhi Fort doesn’t compare to Agra or Jodphur Fort.
• India Gate – looks a lot like Mumbai’s Gateway to India so if you’ve seen that it’s not worth stopping! An impressive monument and I’ve been told it’s a nice walk from India Gate up to the Parliament Buildings. I’ve only ever observed from a distance whilst driving past into Connaught Place!
• Humayun’s Tomb – definitely worth a visit, the tomb was the inspiration for the Taj so it’s a real spectacle. The gardens and beautiful, peaceful and full of chipmunks, a really good sight and setting.
• Hauz Khas Village – I just saw this briefly (after a shopping trip!) so I can’t comment fully, however from what I saw it looked fairly impressive and like it could be a nice walk.
• Jantar Mantar, observatory – recommended by a friend.
• Lodhi Gardens – visited more for the surroundings than the architecture. A nice walk though be warned it is known to be the hang out of numerous copulating couples and pairs of transvestites.

Religious Buildings:
• Jamma Masjid (the Friday Mosque) – opposite the Red Fort again very hectic and ridden with beggars due to its touristy location. Architecturally it is impressive and I think is the largest Mosque in India. On a Friday the steps are crammed with people it’s a real sight to see but it’s incredibly busy.
• Lotus Temple, Bahai Temple – an impressive very 70’s structure shaped, as suggested by the name, as a Lotus flower. Again the gardens are beautifully manicured and the walk up, especially at sunset, is beautiful. There is silence inside the Temple which is sometimes a blessing after the chaos of getting inside. The services are worth staying for if you’re there at the right time; though don’t hang around, they consist of 3 sung prayers which last approximately a minute each, the acoustics however are incredible.
• Qutab Minar – an impressive ruin and monument.
• Nizamudin’s Shrine –on a Thursday evening around sunset if you go to Nizzamuddin and follow the crowds they will lead you to a mosque where, after prayer, there is music and singing. The atmosphere’s really good and it’s interesting to see how the Muslims worship and pay tribute.

Museums/Galleries:
• Gandhi Memorial Museum and Gardens – the gardens are across a main road which I didn’t manage to cross, a friend made it across and said they were worth risking life and limb for. The museum is a manageable size with lots of photos and objects, I would recommend it to whittle away a stray afternoon.
• Gallery of Modern Art – the art is anything but modern and in some cases anything but good; however it’s a manageable size and situated right next to India Gate can be a good way of getting out of the sun. Student cards get you in for 1 Rs. so it’s anything but expensive.

Shopping - Tourist tat, Indian goods etc.
• Dilli Haat – really good tourist tat. This is a government run market, you pay 10 Rs. to get in but it’s worth it for the quality of product, pavement and peace! It runs on a 15 day cycle so it is ever changing, different states bring their traditional handicrafts and pay to have stalls for half the month. You should haggle, however they do charge reasonable prices so they may not come down too much.
• Chandi Chowk – Silver, Spice and General Market. A fantastic experience of a real functioning Indian market. The silver street has hundreds of little shops where they sell silver by weight – still haggle. The main Spice Market is out of this world and one of my favourite places in Delhi the sheer quantity of spices, the smells, the hustle and bustle, the coughing I can’t begin to describe do not miss this.
• Parharganj – a real tourist trap and I wouldn’t suggest overly nice place to visit, the Parharganj was set up for the tourists and very few Indians actually shop here, however some people love it so you may want to see for yourself. It sells all the usual tourist tat at very cheap prices. Watch out for your money and safety as it’s renowned for muggings.
• Janpath Tibetan Market – a much better version of the Parhagange, it sells tourist tat in the first section but then as you walk further away from Connaught Place up the Janpath you come to a line of really lovely shops selling everything from antiques to clothes to instruments. Shop number 12 belongs to a crinkled old woman who has owned the shop forever she sells antiques at very reasonable rates (by weight) and also has some cute jewellery though you’ll have to hunt through boxes!

Shopping - Boutiques
• N-Block Market – a really lovely group of shops mainly Indian and fusion wear surrounding a beautiful communal garden and interspersed with cafés. To the right of the car park there is an arcade which sells western and fusion wear, there is a fantastic shoe shop called ‘Skin Sin’. On the left hand side of the garden the first shop is a beautiful Men’s wear collection including suits, formal and sports wear. On the right hand side of the garden is ‘Fab India’ which sells good quality Indian wear (however the sizes are cut quite small), ‘Cottons’ sells fusion Women’s wear and accessories, next door to ‘Cottons’ is a knitwear shop which has great accessories also.
• Hauz Khas Village – renowned for its antiques and silver jewellery but also has some beautiful Fusion wear.
• MG1 – a plush designer mall where you will find the top Indian designer collections. Most prices are equivalent to UK upper high street though can rise to designer as we know it. There are some really beautiful shops and it’s definitely worth a visit if you spare the time it takes to get there.
• Qutab Colonade – a small group of women’s wear, accessories and art boutiques situated very nearby the Qutb Minar and Olive Garden Restaurant.

Shopping - Western Wear
• South Extension – Mango, Nine West, Tommy Hilfigure, Lacoste, Wills Lifestyle, United Colours of Benetton, Nike, Rebok, Adidas. Interspersed with Indian equivalents; ‘Voi’ is a good choice for cheap basic tops and is very near UCB.
• Connaught Place –looks a bit worse for wear but is undergoing a re-vamp. Lots of jewellery and jeans shops! Very central with lots of restaurants and cafes.
• Khan Market – the place to go for imported foods and restaurants but also has some good shops selling everything from pants to suitcases.
• M-Block Market – used to be a great place to shop but is looking a bit worse for wear nowadays; still it has a good variety of shops. Closed on Tuesdays.

Shopping - Tailoring
• Lajpat Nagar – there are numerous tailoring outlets (I had 3 pairs of trousers and a skirt made and I am pleased with 3 out of 4, so the odds aren’t bad!) if you want something specific take it and they will replicate it in your chosen fabric. Shop around for the best deal/good material etc. made-to-measure tailoring takes approximately 3 days.

Food
My best advice if you are staying in Delhi a while is invest in a ‘HT Eating and Night Out Guide’. Bars have a very short life expectancy in Delhi so by the time you arrive the places which were happening in February 2005 may no longer be so hip! Similarly new restaurants and cafes are popping up all the time. Here are just a few of my favourites.

Cafes
• Mocha, GK 1 M-Block – fantastic coffee, milkshakes and cakes. Very chilled environment with Sheesha’s available throughout the day. They have an excellent and very cheap book shop downstairs also.
• Café Turtle, Khan Market and N-block Market – good lunches, snacks and puddings. Well stocked book store in both branches.
• Le Café, N Block – excellent food, ambiance and service.
• United Coffee House, Conaught Place – good place for lunch when you are in the centre of Delhi, a real haven though it is set up for tourists so be prepared for an amass of white people!
• Sweet and Crusty, Nehru Place Park Royal Hotel – fantastic cakes and pastry’s, good service.
• Maxims, Kailash Colony Market, GK1– renowned for its take-away cakes and pastry’s, though they don’t compare to Sweet and Crusty. Interior drab.
• Big Chill Café, Khan Market and next to Supper Factory opposite Kailash Colony – good Italian food, very chilled out, recommended.
• Branches of Barista and Café Coffee Day are widespread but lack character.

Indian
• Anapunas (or something very similar, I can’t remember the spelling!), Kailash Colony Market, GK1- café-cum-restaurant; fantastic and ridiculously cheap Indian food. I highly recommend the ‘Samosa Channa’ and all the Indian sweets!
• Karims, Kailash Colony GK1 and Nizamuddin – the place to go for safe meat dishes. The vegetarian menu is very limited; be prepared for a meat overload!
• Tri Kitchen, South Extension – there are three restaurants, the Indian restaurant is in the middle. Excellent Indian food at reasonable prices in pleasant surroundings.
• Dilli Haat – every state has a permanent food stand, choose where you want to eat from Kashmere to Kerela! Really good food, though be wary of meat.
• Park Hotel – highly recommended by friends.

Chinese and Japanese
• Chinese, Khan Market – I can’t remember the name of this place but it is on the front stretch beyond the HSBC cash point. Excellent foods, relaxed feel, no toilet!
• Japanese, N-Block Market – again I can’t remember the name but the restaurant has a posh door and is on the right hand side of the garden near ‘Cottons’, really good and very cheap Japanese food.

Italian
• The Olive Kitchen, 1 Style Mile – beautifully decorated Old Haveli which serves excellent food and drinks, extensive wine list. Bar separate.
• The Big Chill Café – good and very cheap Italian food.

Bars and Clubs

Most bars have a cover (entry) charge which is redeemable against food or drinks at the bar.

Bars and Clubs – with music and dancing
• Supper Factory – student bar, drab interior, bad food, very very cheap.
• Agni, Park Hotel Connaught Place – the hottest place to be in 2004, really good drinks and food menu, good music, good atmosphere, lots of informal seating.
• Athena, Nehru Place, Park Royal Hotel – newly decorated in tough competition with Agni, extensive drinks menu, good music, limited seating. I found it a bit pretentious but it’s still a good night out.
• Elevate, Noida – within a mall, club, good music, good drinks menu, their speciality is a 3 foot test tube filled with goodness knows what, definitely one way to ensure a good night!

Lounge Bars – with music less dancing
• Shalom, GK1 N-Block – the perfect lounge bar, chilled music, Sheesha’s, great food, snacks, and extensive drinks menu.
• Casablance, Nehru place, Park Royal Hotel – re-opened recently, good atmosphere, drinks and service.
• F-Bar – a has-been place however its worth a visit on Wednesday as its Ladies Night so free entry and cocktails all night girls!
• Olive Kitchen, 1 Style Mile – good bar with music, great place to have snacks and drinks with friends.

Mumbai

Mumbai is a sprawling city, very long and thin which makes it difficult to travel unless you move as you travel up/down. I visited two main areas: Colaba and Bandra, and took in the sights around each.

Colaba is advertised as a ‘vibrant, fashionable suburb’ in reality it’s a ‘shabby sheek’ area consisting of winding back roads, boutiques and varies tourist attractions including: The Gateway to India, the Taj Hotel and numerous Museums and Galleries. I really loved the ‘downtown’ feel of Colaba and it was a great place to be based being in close vicinity to amusements day and night. Moreover it’s a great place to wander and just take in city life.

I stayed in a Hotel called ‘Shelleys’ which was well located, reasonably priced and very clean. My choice restaurants would be: Indigo, located behind the Taj it offered good food, good service and a good drinks menu and Café Royal, on the Taj roundabout, great sandwiches, good wine list and late night bar. I visited a few night spots though didn’t rate them much, so much so that I can’t remember any names!

Chowpatty Beach is a lovely walk at sunset, the promenade leads to a small bay which gets packed with families at night. It’s a bit dirty and smelly but a good place to sit and people watch.

From the outside Crawford Market looks as though it’s been plucked from Hertfordshire and placed in central Mumbai but inside it is as Indian as it comes there are market stalls selling anything and everything you can imagine. The fruit market smells incredible, the meat market not so! It’s definitely an interesting wander if you’re in the locality.

The Dhobi Ghats were a real spectacle and this was probably my favourite attraction in Mumbai. Everyday 5000 dhobi wallahs (washer men) gather below Mahalaxmi Station to beat the dirt out of goodness knows how many items of clothing. The sheer quantity of laundry is incredible and how they remember which items belong to whom I have no idea. Highly recommended.

Elephanta Islands is Mumbai’s major tourist attraction though has mixed reviews. You travel by boat to the Islands then walk up seemingly endless stairs until you reach the rock-cut temple caves. The intricacy and sheer spectacle is enough to satisfy some, however, the long walk up, entry fee and state of disrepair can be an off-putting factor. I would advise not to visit if it’s very hot as the walk up was a killer!

Bandra is described as the ‘queen of the suburbs’; it wasn’t suburbia as we know it but it was a cute location. The Hotel I stayed in was a disaster, I can’t remember the name but it was located directly next to the Olive Kitchen. Bandra is home to boutiques, cafés and socialites and is a great place to while away a few days. I would highly recommend the Olive Kitchen and Out of the Blue for food and a bar opposite Little Italy on Juhu Road for drinks.

Juju Beach, a nicer beach than Chowpatty, is home to fine hotels and shops. The walk along the beach is nice, though the sea is full of rubbish, there are numerous shacks to re-fuel along the way. Just back from the beach on the road running into Juhu are some beautiful boutiques – definitely worth a look.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a long way up but is worth the distance for a total change of scenery. The Park isn’t protected and in its natural state as we know National Parks but it’s still a good place for a shady walk or picnic. There is a Lion and Tiger safari which cost 30 Rs. and last around 20 minutes; I would recommend this.

Punjab and Harayana: Amritsar

Amritsar is the home of the Golden Temple. I visited Amritsar around Guru Nanaks Birthday so the Temple was buzzing with people; however even without the crowds it would be a real spectacle. Smaller than I expected but not by any means unimpressive. The atmosphere was fantastic; I found the Sikh people to be very friendly, interesting and open to foreigners.

Amritsar is a fantastic night bazaar town and my favourite thing to do of an evening was wander the bazaars taking in the sights and sounds, stop at a Dhaba and have Punjabi food before heading to the Temple to see the lights and night reflection.

I stayed in the Hotel Grand, opposite the Train Station it was a central location but way overpriced for what it was. If I was to return I would stay in the Temple which you can for, I think, 50 pence a night.

When you are in Amritsar you absolutely must visit the Wagah Boarder; every evening around sunset there is a changing of the guards ceremony at the Indo-Pakistan boarder, go for the music, go for the marching but more importantly go for the atmosphere – an incredible evening and one which made me proud to be a part-time Indian!
Rajasthan: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mt. Abu and Udaipur

Himachal Pradesh: Shimla

I visited Shimla in early January, it was absolutely freezing. The hotel I was in had no heating, cracked windows, limited hot water and charged for extra blankets. Be careful with your choice of hotel and don’t get scammed, if you’re visiting after the Christmas season bargain hard for room charges and they’re likely to bring the price down.

Shimla itself is the first hill station you come to from Delhi it is not the most beautiful if you can get further into the Himalayas do, the journey will be worth it. Shimla is a funny town I named it ‘the town of the damned’ the majority of the time it is eerily silent and hoards of people spend all day walking up and down ‘The Mall’ carrying random objects such as oversized glass sheets and fluorescent cartons.

I did lots of day trips away from Shimla (further into the Himalayas) through an agent just next to my hotel, again bargain out of season and if you use them twice ask for a discount for a ‘loyalty’ discount!

There were very few good restaurants, though I was only there for a short time so didn’t have masses of exploration time. The Indian Coffee House is worth a visit it’s invariably packed with locals and serves good coffee and toast. Shopping is pretty awful don’t expect much.

I generally spent my time away from Shimla town hiking and day tripping, get your hiking boots on and explore the open countryside. The views are amazing so make sure you take a camera.

The best day trip I did was Narkanda, a fair drive away but was the closest to the Himilaya’s I managed to get; there was even snow! The views were excellent, be prepared for quite a hike. Again limited food choice, I went to the Hotel Hatu and had an amazing potato dish ‘Ziri Aloo’ I think it was called – really recommended!

Jaipur, Easter Rajasthan is known as the pink city though I didn’t class it as overly pink. It’s one of the tourist triangles Delhi – Agra – Jaipur so it’s fairly commercial.

I stayed in an excellent Hotel called the Hotel Meghniwas, I would strongly recommend it – impeccably clean, good service, good restaurant (excellent marmalade!), peaceful location and gardens a pool and croquet lawn.

The old city is constructed of red sandstone, hence the pink city name. The City Gates are impressive, however driving through is enough time to look! The City Palace is a good place to start it’s of a manageable size with interesting architecture and exhibitions my favourite was the door courtyard where there were a number of elaborately painted doors, great photo opportunity. Opposite the City Palace is the Jantar Mantar an observatory which is of astrological interest to some; for me the views from the towers were the clincher! Hawa Mahal or the Place of Winds is a ‘pink’ spectacle definitely worth a visit; it photographs really well too.

Around Jaipur up into the hills are some spectacular views and interesting forts, I would recommend both the Tiger fort (Nahargarh) and the Amber Fort where you can take an elephant up to the Fort as the royals did in more regal times. Take a taxi not a rickshaw as the drive is fairly steep and rickshaws have to take cooling down breaks!

Jodhpur, Western Rajasthan known as the blue city and boy is it blue! It is notably split into Old and New; the Old city being the blue part. The only way to fully appreciate the ‘blueness’ is to go up to the fort and look out over the old city, the fort is fairly impressive too.

I stayed in a Hotel called Devi Bhawan which was just outside the New city but a beautiful Hotel with beautiful gardens. There were plenty of rickshaws around so getting to and from the Hotel was no bother.

The Umaid Bhawan Palace is worth a look and if you can stretch to it lunch it’s a real treat as well as good food it will allow you access to the beautifully manicured gardens and lounge amongst the finery.

I managed to slot in a Polo Match which was a real treat, look for posters in the Palace or ask at the Hotel reception.

Mt. Abu, Southern Rajasthan is best described as the Indian equivalent to the Lake District, it’s not a bad place by any means but it’s not wildly impressive either! Unfortunately I was poorly for most of my stay so I only have limited advice.

The best thing I did was walk around Nakki Lake then up to Toad rock. The walk is very pleasant and the view from Toad rock is worth the climb. The rock formations, except the Toad, are fairly dubious though they’re worth a visit if you’re interested. I didn’t make it out to Sunset or Honeymoon Point but I was told there had good views also.

I stayed in the Hotel Lake Palace which was perfectly located. Bargain hard and you should be able to get a good deal. There was a fantastic restaurant (the name of which escapes me) opposite Café Coffee Day which served the best Thali I’ve eaten at rock bottom price, definitely recommended.

Udaipur, Southern Rajasthan –a beautiful winding city known as the ‘Venice of the East’.

I stayed in a hotel called the Hotel Raj Palace which was outdated in décor but in a good location (opt for the rooms away from the main street); I bartered the price right down however I visited out of season. A good café is the Lotus Café, run by a really friendly Indian guy there are tables downstairs and a cushioned lounge area upstairs; they make excellent and very cheap continental food and moreover it’s inside for when you can’t brave the winds of a rooftop restaurant.

The Lake Palace is one of the main attractions and a lovely place to have afternoon tea or a posh dinner. The lake was dried up when I visited so the photos weren’t as impressive as they could have been; however it meant I could wander right around the palace and have a pleasant walk.

The city palace was impressive from the outside but I didn’t go inside to the exhibitions; I heard the stuffed animal section is a real joke!

The Monsoon Palace is really worth a visit, especially at sunset. The views are fantastic – highly recommended.

I took a local bus out to Jaisamand Lake (one of the largest artificial lakes in Asia) and had a really good walk around, it’s definitely worth a visit if you like walking. Take a picnic however as there are little or no food outlets. The bus back will pick you up on its way through the town just stand where you were dropped off and flag down any buses you see!

Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Haridwar and Rishikesh

Agra the home of the Taj Mahal (pronounced Mahel), the only reason to visit Agra! I did Agra as a day trip from Delhi and this was more than enough time too see all there was to offer. Agra itself is a ‘dive’ it’s dirty, smelly and totally contrasting to the magnificence of the Taj. You absolutely must visit the Taj if you’re up North it's a real wonder and doesn’t fail to impress even with all the hype. You can’t take phones or food into the Taj you will be made to leave them in security lockers, security is pretty tight so don’t think you’ll easily be able to sneak things through.

The fort isn’t a bad way to pass the afternoon if you have time spare.

There is an excellent restaurant by the West Gate, again I can’t remember the name but, if you are coming from the railway you will hit the West Gate roundabout; take the fourth exit and go down that road approximately 400 metres you will see a restaurant attached to a hotel (the name possibly has something to do with stars!?) there are loads of tourists and the interior is white with big fabric wall hangings – excellent Indian dishes.

Haridwar is a much busy town wholly set up for pilgrims wanting to bathe in the Ganges. The Ganges is very impressive here, extremely fast flowing, however it is banked up and looks very artificial. Chains and bars line the waters edge for bathers to grasp onto so as not to be pulled downstream. There are a large number of beggars, obviously trying to appeal to the pilgrim’s better natures, I found this fairly off-putting as they were sometimes quite aggressive.

There was a limited amount to do I was only there for one day and this (in my opinion) was more than sufficient to see all the town had to offer.

I went up to the Mansa Devi Temple the chair lift wasn’t working so I took the steps; not too small a feat. The temple was crawling with monkeys and sellers it was ok but the view wasn’t amazing and the temple very similar to other Hindu temples.

I’m pretty sure I stayed at the Hotel Teerth, which was adequate. The tea and restaurant were awful but the room and service were fine.

There was limited shopping, mainly tourist and pilgrimage tat (!) and a few average restaurants along the main stretch.

Rishikesh is a really chilled out hill station and a fantastic place to wander away a long weekend; it’s the kind of place perfect for wandering, eating, drinking from roadside chai stalls and reading! I didn’t try to shop but the choice looked limited.

It is the home of Yoga for hippies who want to meditate by the Ganges, however when I went (February) it was really quiet with very few other tourists. It would be a lovely place to do some yoga if that’s your taste I wanted to give it a try but wasn’t there long enough.

You can do various River sports: rafting, boating etc. however most things have to be booked a day in advance. Similarly pony treks into the foothills are available but have to be booked in advance; ask at your hotel or in a local tourist office.

We had two walking days: one around Rishikesh, over a foot bridge, round the back of the town into the foothills then back; this was a really cute day and I would definitely suggest you do this to acquaint yourself with the town. The second we walked out to a waterfall (I can’t remember the name, sorry!) which if you can locate is definitely worth a visit.

I stayed in a really lovely Hotel called Swiss Cottage/New Swiss Cottage. It was perfectly located up a hill so it had great views and was slightly out of the town which kept traffic noise down. The restaurant was excellent and did fantastic Set Breakfasts, Juices and Continental food as well as the usual Indian dishes. Beer was scarce so speak to the manager or buy your own in. The hotel offered internet, book shop, jewellery, tourist office, taxi service and possibly more.