We spent four nights in Delhi. This city was a half-way stop to other destinations in India - Rishikesh, Shimla, Varanasi. We stayed at The Hans Plaza Hotel which is of walking distance to Connaught Place and other famous monuments. The hotel is not a first class hotel but is clean and comfortable. Breakfast was ok.
Delhi is a shopper's paradise, however we preferred the Sarojini Nagar market. Dilli Haat is out of the way and a bit of a rip-off. We were also told about the Bengali Market which was not far from our hotel, but we did not get a chance to go there. Eating out in Connaught Place: Saravana Bhavan served delicious dosas and sold tasty snacks, and it is very crowded on any given day. We wanted to have lunch at Shiv Sagar to get a taste of their street food, and on that particular day we wanted to eat there, we were told they only open at 6.30pm.
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| View from hotel - Delhi |
The drive to Rishikesh was a bit bumpy especially passing through Uttar Pradesh. Our driver, Rajveer was good company though. The hotel that we stayed in Rishkesh was the Hotel Vasundhara Palace, which is a two-minute walk to the Ganges. We were served the most delicious masala tea on arrival. The hotel is clean and comfortable, with a good breakfast, especially if you intend on having an Indian meal. The walk from the hotel to the markets is hectic, as there are no proper pavements, and you feel as if the cars, buses, etc are going to come onto you, also the hooting that goes on can be quite disconcerting. The highlight off-course are the views around the Ganges. The restaurant attached to the Madhuban Ashram, which is next door to the hotel, serves the most delicious food.
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| Rishikesh |
Our next destination was Shimla. Our guide mentioned to us that we could have driven from Rishikesh to Shimla, which is a four-hour trip. But we were warned by others about the treacherous roads leading there. We decided to take the train. Chaos prevails at Delhi train station and we just followed our guide. We boarded the Shatabdi Express train to Kalka (a four-hour journey), which was a very comfortable ride. Looking out of the train window, one sees a very different India! The five-hour journey from Kalka to Shimla by toy train (Himalayan Queen) was torturous. There is not enough leg-room and the seats are not very comfortable. Shimla is hilly, luckily we had our guide to help us with our luggage. We were not looking forward to going back to Kalka by toy train again. Fortunately our guide suggested we drive from Shimla to Chandigarh as the roads were in good condition and quite wide. It wasn't a bad drive from Shimla. The roads to Ooty were windy, narrow and treacherous. It was a hell-raising drive there and back.
We stayed at The Clarkes Hotel in Shimla and we had a spacious and comfortable room. Shimla is about 6000 feet above sea-level and the air is thin, we could feel it in our chests, especially when walking up to the Hanuman Temple. The view of the snow-capped Himalayas was breath-taking. The roads in Shimla town are so narrow and windy that you need to do a three-point turn where the road forks. Shimla drivers are probably the most skilled drivers in the world.
We were disappointed with the Hotel Tulip in Chandigarh. It is in the middle of nowhere. We had to ask for another room as there was going to be a pool party, which was going to finish at midnight. The hotel staff very reluctantly agreed. Breakfast was good though.
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| Shimla |
The city of Varanasi was the highlight of our trip. At first it appears chaotic, underdeveloped and filthy. Upon entering the ghats, a different picture emerges. Watching the sunrise over the Ganges is nothing short of spectacular. We stayed at The Radisson Blu. The bed linen was extremely comfortable and soft, however the room had a musty smell. Breakfast was excellent though.
We attended the Ganga arathi at night, and although this was a spectacular event I felt very uneasy with all the crowds of people. I kept wondering how we were going to get out of the stadium and find our way back to our driver. Before the event was we made our way back to where our driver was going to meet us.
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| Varanasi |
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| Temple in Varanasi |
In Mumbai we had a sea-facing room at the Taj Mahal Palace Tower Wing, and what a spectacular view that was. The hotel lives up to its five-star expectations. Service was excellent, breakfast was exceptional. The lobby area is beautiful and very inviting, and a beautiful fragrance wafts through the air, and it has an atmosphere like no other. We have stayed here before and this hotel does not disappoint.
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| Taj Palace lobby area |
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| Breakfast at the Taj - feast for a king |
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| Near the pool area |
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