India / Dubai 2008

In all fairness, the Hotel Grand Peepal was very nice and clean. It was however, very expensive and the hotel manager was always trying to scam! He would call a taxi that charged exorbitant prices that was linked to a travel agency through which they all earned commission. He even lied to say that South Delhi was too far to go by autorickshaw so we were forced to pay way more money than was really necessary. Other than the manager, the hotel staff was friendly and helpful. The food was good as well and they offered 24 hour room service. I would highly recommend the Butter Chicken for a meal! Karol Bagh is not really a good place to stay in Delhi because you really are not close to much. You would be better off in South Delhi, Old Delhi, or Connaught Place.

I thought it could be helpful for some people to have a few general tips on how to get by in India. These tips are not intended to turn anyone away from travelling to India because there are so many good things about the country too...these are just some things to be prepared for!

Tip #1: HOW TO AVOID SCAMS!
This might be your most important piece of advice when travelling to India. As soon as [some] people know you are a foreigner they will try to get as much money out of you as possible! I think it is best to have accomodation booked in advance or at least a general idea of where you will be staying before you arrive at any city in India. Taxis and rickshaw drivers will try to take you to a 'less expensive' hotel where they make a commission...if you already have accomodation booked you can be firm and tell them exactly where they need to take you. They will most likely keep telling you about how much better their recommended hotel is but just tell them you have already paid and do not want to waste your money. DO NOT let your taxi or rickshaw driver try to take you to any 'travel agency' because again, they will try and make you book expensive tours and hotels from which they will receive a commission. You will also have to deal with taxis that try to take you to shops and government emporiums...though you are not obligated to buy anything, if you REALLY do not want to go, tell them! When finding a taxi, get one with a meter. Airports and train stations also have prepaid taxi booths where you pay set prices. If your hotel calls a taxi for you, they most likely will send one that is costly and will try and take you places you do not want to go! Lastly, everybody will try and be your 'tour guide' at any tourist attraction. Just say no (unless you really want one)...people will even start explaining things to you and you think they are just being friendly but will soon ask for money for being your 'unofficial guide'.

Tip #2: WHAT TO PACK
I cannot say what to pack for travelling around the entire country, nor in specific seasons, but I found that most of what I packed became useful at one point or another.
- Toilet paper!!! this is a must! I don't think I used one public bathroom (even in some hotels) that had toilet paper in them.
- For girls: a scarf or shawl...for covering your head up if you enter a mosque or for keeping dirt, dust, and weird street smells from your face!
- Spare camera batteries - while it was easy to find normal AA/AAA batteries all over, it was very difficult to find a Lithium battery when I needed one. To avoid searching all over, I would recommend bringing a spare!
- Pepto Bismol - I think these saved my life :) or some other stomach pills/antacids
- Guidebook - while some India guidebooks are big and heavy, it was still good to carry around because often things at tourist attractions are not labeled so you will end up walking around a fort like "cool...we are in a fort". The guidebook usually has a description so you can at least know what you are looking at!
- Torch or headlamp - I maybe only used this during a power outtage in Varanasi but I imagine it could be useful when staying in hostel dorm rooms or in trains at night.
- Oral rehydration powders - mix with water for instant rehydration. Works great for hangovers too!
- 1 or 2 small padlocks for your bags. I felt much safer knowing that my backpack was locked behind me!
* If you are travelling around via train, bus, etc it is best to pack as light as possible because you won't want to be weighed down with a large, heavy pack!

Tip #3: TRANSPORTATION
Trains: I have never been so confused in my life than in an Indian train station. I would suggest booking your train tickets in advance online (http://www.irctc.co.in/) if you want to travel in a class with air conditioning. You can get e-tickets online that serve as a printable ticket. Arrive at the train station early and make sure you know what station you are departing from (as most cities have multiple stations).
Taxi: Only use taxis with meters!
Rickshaw or auto rickshaw: obviously, rickshaws do not have meters so just name a price you are willing to pay and they will name something higher. Start to walk away and suddenly, your price is ok. Some autorickshaws have meters and some do not, again, just name a price and be prepared to walk away.
Metro in Delhi: the metro was very fast and efficient. Easy to use
Hired driver: You can hire a driver to take you around and between cities for fairly inexpensive. Most hotels can book this for you...but you will probably be ripped off in some way or another. Having a personal driver is good because you can ask them to stop just about anywhere and leave your stuff in the car when you get out.
* I don't know about hiring a car or riding a bus!

No matter how prepared you are, there are some things that are unavoidable...like staring. People will stare at you and laugh and you just have to deal with it!

I am normally all about eating street food from local vendors (when my stomach permits) but the United Coffee House was highly recommended to me so I had to try it. From the outside it looks like nothing special, you could actually almost miss it. When we were there, there was a man standing out front who gave us a wait time and would not allow anyone to enter. I figured if there is a wait, it must be good. When we finally were sat inside, it was such a nice relief from the busy streets of Delhi. The decor looked very posh and it made you feel like you were in some really fancy restaurant, without the hefty prices. The menu had a wide variety of foods to choose from and they had an extensive drink menu to follow. The menu said that alcohol would not be served to people aged 25 and under, but we were able to order a beer without a problem. I ordered the lamb rogan josh and roti which was delicious. Mains were around 300 to 500 Rs and beer was 125 Rs. Apparently the United Coffee House is a favorite among locals and tourists alike.