Delhi Airport
Ahh Delhi, My heart, my love. I can never get enough of this city. I live on a farm, where it's just peace and quiet, no neighbors, and nature but there's something about Delhi that I just love. It feels like coming home. Delhi literally has EVERYTHING you could want plus more. There is a lot you will find in Delhi that you can't get in a lot of other areas and I had come to realize this even more so on this last trip.
CP Villa
We landed, grabbed our Sim cards from Airtel (they have E-sims now too) Got an UBER and were on our way to CP Villa. It was the first homestay I booked on my first solo trip to India so it's literally like coming home. I don't know why but there's something just so comforting about this place. They have a great big courtyard to relax in and such a nice little outdoor kitchen and seating area. Obviously it's much better in say February/March when it's not so humid and there aren't any torrential rains, but we still enjoyed every minute of our stay.
India is changing rapidly! Every time I visit there is something new and more changes. As a Canadian I can tell you that we are far behind the times in terms of the technology that India has. Everything is so Digital and convenient. Some things that I noticed was that Delhi was a lot cleaner this year, far less street dogs, and less litter in the streets. Also NO MONKEYS IN SIGHT. I couldn't believe it! I did not see even one monkey while in Delhi compared to an abundance of them in 2022. Not that I missed them, yes they're really cute! but they can be quiet aggressive too and you should NEVER make eye contact with those brown monkeys. You can see the video below and what happens when you do. Yes, she had a baby but it happened again with a male too so I don't think it really matters. The black face monkeys are generally safe!
In 2023 G2o summit was held in Delhi and the majority of the street dogs were round up, neutered (confirmed this when seeing male dogs) and some were relocated. I believe the monkeys were scared away and possibly relocated as well.
The Monuments
We visited some of the main attractions and places I had already seen but I was playing tour guide on this trip for the husband. We missed a few that were originally in the plan because of the heat. We did return for 4 more days at the end and did plan to do more site seeing but all my shopping trumped that. It was just too hot for both, and shopping was necessary. Indian wear and jewelry is just soooooo overpriced in the West. It actually makes me kind of sick to see the 300% mark ups. A Lengha could run you about $800 - $2500 (I'm being modest here, seriously) and for the same quality in India, it will run you $80 - $350. Makes my head hurt! I'd much rather support a small business in India than get ripped off by people who seem, quite greedy IMO. End of rant, back to stories and the places we went to...
Qutab Minar Complex
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I've been to the Qutab Minar Complex three times now, and I never get tired of it. I make it a point to visit every time I go to India. I will admit, I have a small obsession with Alaaudin Khilji, he was a very interesting guy and his tomb is located here. He was trying to build another Qutab Minar tower but died before it was completed. You can see where he started the build of the tower close to his tomb; Alai Minar. It's just the base and what looks like a window. According to legend, he was murdered by his slave turned general, who wanted the throne for himself. I wrote a blog post about Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, that includes an interesting story about him.
Humayun's Tomb
Humayun was the second of Mughal Emperors to take Delhi. His father Babur was the founder of the Mughal Empire and passed the reigns down to Him. Humayun was also the father of the most powerful of Mughal emperors, Akbar the great! Which happens to be the father of Jahangir and leads to my favorite love story of all time, Jahangir and Mehrunissa (Nur Jahan). I personally find this one deeper than Mumtaz and Shah Jahan, I said what I said. They're actually all intertwined and you can read all about it in my favorite trilogy starting with "The twentieth Wife". After Humayun's passing, his Favorite wife Hamida Banu Begum (also the mother of Akbar) commissioned the build of his tomb and rests beside him there. You can find a really cool article here on his legacy. On this trip with the husband, I was able to explore more in this complex and realized how much I had missed the first time around. I found a very old mosque inside and some beautiful tombs, including Isa Khan's that I hadn't seen. Not sure how I missed these things but at least I was able to see them on this trip. That's what I mean though, You may think you've seen everything a place has to offer but then you revisit and discover something new.
India Gate
India Gate is India Gate. It's a must see and its absolutely HUGE! Obvs! It's a war memorial for all the lost soldiers. Etched on its walls are the names of Indian troops who died in the Afghan Wars and World War. It's always pretty busy unless of course you visit quite early. They have now built an underground walkway for pedestrians so it's safer and easier access than waiting to cross the street at the traffic lights. There is still a lot of people asking if you want a photo taken for print out, doubt that will change. We didn't go for that option as I feel it's a bit of a waste and there's always a chance you'll get ripped off or suckered into paying more than originally quoted like we did in Agra at the Taj Mahal, but that's another story I'll be telling you later. There is a huge walking garden with waterways and fountains to walk around in. Quite a beautifully landscaped area to relax.
Red Fort
The vision was initiated by Emperor Babur, then Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally red and white, its design is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal. Although I am seeing some conflicting information about it's color, on the UNESCO site it is mentioned "Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone" makes me believe it is indeed red sandstone and not "painted red by the British". Sounds a bit ridiculous really that anyone would build a Fort with White marble walls that are meant to keep invaders out like soldiers, canons, elephants etc. In fact, The Taj Mahal was covered with jute fibers in 1971 against the war with Pakistan in order to protect it from destruction, and the same thing was also done by the British during World War 2 when Taj Mahal was covered with Bamboo scaffolding to protect it from German and Japanese fighter planes. Sooooo yeah... There's that.
The Lodhi Art District
The Lodhi Art District is India's first public art district, featuring murals by over 50 international and Indian artists starting in 2015. The district's walls are considered an open museum, providing easy access to art for the public. Although I visited here in 2022, I still added it because it's just awesome! and It's refreshing to explore a space where creativity thrives, away from the usual tourist hot spots. The murals are constantly changing so it may look different by now. I was told by my guide that the majority of people living in this district were government workers.
Lotus Temple
My thoughts on the Lotus Temple
Visiting the Lotus Temple in 2020 turned out to be quite a letdown. Unfortunately, the impact of COVID led to a closure of the interior, leaving visitors like me eager to finally explore it when the chance arose. However, the experience took an unexpected turn. After waiting in line for 15-20 minutes in the blazing heat, we were ushered in front of the main doors and placed in three rows at odd angles, strictly instructed to be quiet and not to budge. The presenter launched into a lengthy introduction about the Baha'i religion in Hindi, prompting us to echo back key points. The introduction speech, although in Hindi with an option for English that went unsolicited, didn't provide much historical context and seemed to lose the interest of most visitors. The close proximity to others added to the discomfort. When given the option to endure another 15-minute speech or leave, the majority opted for the latter, including us. The anticipation to experience the serenity of the Lotus Temple was unfortunately overshadowed by an underwhelming and somewhat awkward encounter that left many visitors feeling disenchanted.
I wholeheartedly respect all religions and their practices, but the visit to the Lotus Temple left me with a sense of disappointment. The presenter's unfriendly and abrupt behavior that only added to it. His behavior felt contradictory to the principles of peace and harmony that the Lotus Temple is meant to embody, leaving me questioning the authenticity of the experience.
Would I recommend going inside? No. And I'm not quite sure if it's always been like this or if it's something new. If you feel like doing the necessary steps to get inside the temple, by all means go for it! But you can stay on the outside, and you may take as many videos and pictures as your hearts desire and the beauty of the temple from the outside far precedes the inside.
Places we intended on seeing but missed
Jama Masjid (been in 2022)
Gurudwara Shri Bangla Sahib
Akshardham
Lodhi Gardens (been in 2020 and 2022)
Agrasen ki baori (been in 2022, best to go early am)
Hauz Kauz
Sundar Nursery
Safdarjung Tomb
32nd avenue in Gurgaon (metro can take you there)
Yes, yes, I know it seems we missed a lot! But again, we had fully planned on doing these sites on our final days while in Delhi. Once again, the heat played a part. The thought of walking the parks in the humid heat was just not appealing or sitting on an outdoor patio, even in the evening. Besides the necessary shopping, we were absolutely done with the heat. Hopefully in 2026 we will making a second trip! NOT in June/July ha!
And speaking of shopping...
On this trip, I found a lot more shops for clothing, jewelry and small items which I will
add to my recommendations page. Sarojini Market is great for clothing. Western and Indian wear (ready made) or unstitched Indian traditional wear. They have bags, shoes, luggage, jewelry etc but pretty much anything you could ever want. It's not really meant for souvenirs because it's more of a market for the locals but they do have small knickknacks and little take home items. This has been, and still is my favorite market.
We also found a good tailor in Sarojini Market, he's in the bottom floor shop named Ragini, just head down stairs and you'll run into him. They have a lot of good ready made and mix and match items too. If you're interested in getting something custom made or need anything stitched, I would recommend paying them a visit. I found a gorgeous unstitched suit in sage green with gold embroidery from Chandni Chowk for only 500 rupees! The full stitching was 1000 rupees (don't get me started on stitching prices in Canada) and you can do any style you like. I chose to do a 3/4 sleeve Salwar top with Sharara pants and he did an excellent job! One of my favorite suits now.
The Ragini shop is on the lower level
Khan market
We paid a visit to Khan Market which is pretty much $$$. if you're looking to spend on designer or just some better quality items then you have come to the right place. Over all, it's a such a nice clean market, almost more like an outdoor mall. We had lunch at the Blue door Cafe and the food was amazing! I need my daily greens! So I was pretty darn excited to have a real salad instead of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and chili's (pretty standard Indian salad). The service and ambiance were great. Highly recommend! The prices were pretty basic and not over the top. If you have the time, I would recommend a visit, even if you only go to look around or grab a bite to eat. They have a lot of western and Indian food available and also some small bakery shops, Argggghh sucks to be me (the horrid gluten). If you're feeling a bit homesick, this place will do the trick.
Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk has EVERYTHING!! Plus souvenirs, food, close to Jama Masjid, Red Fort, The rail station and the metro line. It's extremely busy and populated and there are TONS of stores and shops and in's and out's. I could literally be there all day for 3 days given the opportunity. Clothing, accessories and food Shop line the streets and there are multiple levels of shops including proper showrooms. There's also small shops down ally ways and a dedicated unstitched clothing and textile market but they DO have some ready made available. So it's easy to get overwhelmed! Just make sure you have some kind of idea of what you might want and BREATHE. The spice market is nearby but it didn't interest us much since it's so busy, I use the spices for our every day cooking and it's really more for bulk purchasing. If you are new to Indian culture I would suggest making a visit since it's quite an experience. I suggest having a guide take you.
Side note: One of the spices I'm always buying from India are the cinnamon sticks, not the Cassia bark (typically available in grocery stores) but the actual Ceylon sticks. There's a difference! Fake vs real. There has been health issues connected to the cassia bark in rats, such as liver and kidney failure as well as cancer. I avoid it now that I know. Plus the real cinnamon is sooooo much more potent than the fake and you need very little for a huge burst of flavor.
MORE Markets!
There are a lot of other markets that are also great like Connaught place (bit pricey), Nehru place (mostly electronics), Gaffer market does electronics too but they also have a lot of duplicate items so beware. Palika bazaar is under Connaught place and has a lot of cool things as well as a lot of faux designer brands. Dilli Haat, Karol Bagh, Lajpat Nagar. and many more. I would stay away from Paharganj (too many scams and pick pockets) and avoid Chor bazaar all together. Chor translates to Theif in Hindi and it's a market of mostly stolen goods, not safe and nothing much there anyway.
WE got detoured and almost got scammed!
Speaking of Lajpat, story time! We got out of the Lajpat Metro Station as we were looking to go to Lajpat market. We noticed a bunch of tuktuk drivers just outside the station and then I noticed the H&M. We ran over to H&M. I got myself a nice dress (checked to make sure I couldn't get it in Canada), and then we hopped in a tuktuk heading to Lajpat. Our tuktuk Driver said why do you want to go there? It’s not a good market and It’s all used clothing. Now, I’ve been there before and know that it’s not used clothing. There IS one alleyway that does sell used clothing, but the rest of the market is not. He said why don’t you go to Dilli Haat instead? He kept being so adamant that I said you know what instead of arguing with this guy, let’s just go to Dilli Haat Market first and then we’ll go to Lajpat after. I was trying to be nice and avoid a sour note and before you know it this guy next took us to Delhi Haat. Which is an overpriced tourist trap handicraft store. Once I realized it's Delhi Haat and not the Dilli Haat market, his agenda was now crystal clear. I told my husband no we’re leaving. I was extremely angry at this point and my husband said we are not paying you more to go to Lajpat. He said okay no problem. He then drove like a psycho and I thought we were going to crash, dropped us off I don’t know where and pointed to an area where he said the market was. Unfortunately our GPS wasn't much help. Someone noticed that we looked lost and said "oh I know where Lajpat is!" then he took us down an Alleyway to two single shops and told us this is Lajpat Nagar. It was such a rookie move on my part but I learned from my lesson and so should you, be adamant on where you want to go and go straight there with no detour. We finally just gave up, took a break, and went for lunch instead.
I intentionally made sure to grab some business cards/receipts from the fantastic places I visited so I can personally recommend them to you
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Gulabsingh Johrimal - Agarbatti
I LOVE Agarbatti! or incense as you may know it. I'm very picky with the scents and always stock up like a mad woman when in India. Gulabsingh Johrimal is the most famous incense shop in Delhi and has been there for over 200 years! They have the best! I bought the Krishna sticks which are hand rolled sandalwood. Had the husband bring more on his way home when he came back 6 weeks later. Funny story, I got suckered into buying 10 similar yet very small sticks for 250 rupees at the Red Fort shops. I got my Krishna stick, better quality, hand rolled, 20 huge pieces for 500 rupees. They also burn for an hour vs 20 min. If you want to buy something there, go for it but just know you will be paying a LOT more than necessary. This is exactly why I do these recommendations.
The Babu Churi Wala
The Babu Churi Wala shop is also the most famous Bangle shop in Delhi and also has been in business since 1823, another 200 plus year old shop! They were so friendly and kind and also did a small shagun (not a marital one lol) and gifted me some bangles. I'm a big fan of glass bangles and yes they can break, but the look and sound of them is very different from the metal ones. You don't have to save them for Indian events, you can also wear them for everyday wear.
Jaipur Gem Palace - Nizzamuddin
I have added my favorite gold jewelers, The Jaipur Gem Palace. I made my way there yet again and plan to do so every time I travel to India. Visiting there always feels like I'm visiting my family. They always remember me and treat me so well. We probably talk more about life than business! They have great things at great prices and in terms of jewelry, can custom make ANYTHING your hearts desire! They have jewelry, handicrafts, textiles and some clothing etc. I mostly avoid "Handicraft stores" just because a lot of them are selling the same stuff on the street but at a higher price and are generally considered a tourist trap in my opinion, but I did visit them in 2020 and know they have unique and quality pieces and they're not ripping you off one bit. they have a store in Delhi and in Jaipur as well.
Wholesale Imitation/Indian events jewelry
I also stocked up on my events jewelry. There are two shops I found randomly and can recommend. The Anil jewelers shop I bought a LOT! They are a wholesale seller so the prices are very good and they have a ton of jewelry. I think I bought 11 sets (earrings tikka, and necklace) and a few other single pieces. Go upstairs for all the good stuff, and good luck, there is a LOT!
The Ram Gopal and sons jewelry shop was a last minute quick grab because they have something I couldn't resist in the window. They are slightly pricier but only by India standards and have bigger bolder statement pieces. Unfortunately I did not take a picture of the shops and couldn't find a good one online for reference but you can ask anyone where they are and they will guide you.
The fixed price showrooms (no haggling please)
Zudio stores
I found my now favorite store which is all over India, Zudio! It is owned by the TATA group and It's very affordable. They have western, Indo-western, and Indian wear. Very cute clothing! Loved the shoes and they had some cool foamy type sandals with and without wedges so completely waterproof, comfortable and great for monsoon rains, which came in handy. A lot of cotton and breathable fabrics and although they had a lot of the younger Gen styles, They also had beautiful Indo-western dresses and ladies Kurta's with matching pants. It's unisex and also has kids clothes. The husband also found a lot of good shirts, shoes and pants. Just note, I'm in my 40's and found tons of appropriate clothing here.
H&M
They also have a few H&M Stores in Delhi (Not just in Delhi) if you're interested. I am an H&M girly and I'd love to have a piece that not everyone has. Being in India, the styles can differ. You could end up with something no one else has in Canada (I check on my app), which is nice. I did find a beautiful long, floral, full sleeved dress that Canada never did offer, and it was about $20 cheaper than what you would pay In Canada. Sweet!
W for Women
This one deserves bragging rights! They have amazing stuff with amazing quality. I would compare it to BIBA and Fab India but without the high costs. I'm still not a big fan of Fab India. I went inside a couple of their stores while in India and can confidently say they are overpriced, boring and not worth the money. Some of the items are good quality and some were "meh" for what the price tag was and I found them to be overly simple. In my opinion, its all just the name brand and nothing to write home about. I did like BIBA but again they are sooo overpriced! We have stores in Canada too and it's just cute but ridiculously overpriced cotton pieces. They all have proper show rooms and offer Indian and Indo western styles. Funny thing is, anywhere you find a W for women store there is usually a BIBA or Fab India close by too.
Just a reminder, that my suggestions come with no strings attached – no commission, no affiliates, no sponsors and I would like to keep it that way! Just pure, unbiased guidance to ensure your shopping experience is as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. It can be overwhelming to shop in India, and sometimes you might find yourself being lured into tourist traps looking to overcharge you. Amongst those tricky ones, there are truly genuine and kind hearted sellers who are there to help you find the perfect keepsake or treat you to a satisfying shopping experience.
Tree of life
We were staying at one of my favorite home-stays in Delhi on the last leg of our trip at the Tree of life. It's only a 5 min walk to the metro line which makes it so very convenient. It's also a very safe area to walk around, being in Saket it's an upper class neighborhood. They also have a great big outdoor market with stores and food available another 7 min walk away. Seriously, Ashwani makes you not only feel so welcomed but helpful in every aspect. The attention to detail in every sense is far superior to any other places I've stayed. The food is still amazing and they will cater to what you want. They always have great staff, polite and friendly and the cook won't disappoint. I really loved this place before but I've come to love it more on this last trip and really appreciate all the little things that we didn't get elsewhere. I could go on and on..
Delhi is a place not to be missed!
No matter how many times I go to India, Delhi will be top of the list of places to revisit. Delhi has the best shopping, best food, cultural diversity and just such a vibe! You can find amazing food from every state in India. And the shopping is by far the best and cheapest for what you walk away with. There is an abundance of monuments to see and for myself, I feel like seeing them again never gets old, you can also discover new or small things that you may have missed previously.
I know a lot of people say stay away from Delhi because it's unsafe. I beg to differ! Delhi IS SAFE! But you are only as safe as you allow yourself to be. Of course things can happen, no one is completely immune to bad things occurring but if your'e doing your due diligence you should fine. And that's anywhere! You won't find me walking around outside in my own town at night, never mind a place I'm not familiar with, having a language barrier on top of things and a whole different mindset. I have never felt unsafe in Delhi or India as a whole.
I went to India for the first time after not travelling for 15 years! Yes, I had been to Japan, Peru and an abundance of other places in my early 20's but with such a big gap, I felt like I was new again to travelling.
If you're planning a trip to India and thinking about skipping Delhi, please reconsider. You will be missing the heart of India. Yes it's busy, and hectic, but it also has so much beauty! Between monuments, the green spaces, gardens, and the warm and friendly people, it's not a place and experience to be missed.
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