The Official Delhi Offline Meet(G2G) Thread

[freesoul_sj]

Guys, I am Rohit Jain from xBhp-Mumbai gang. I am visiting LEH-LADAKH from 18th July to 25th July but not on my bike. I am going in MakeMyTrip's "Amazing Ladakh - ex Delhi" tour which as the name suggests will start from Delhi on 18th early morning. We have to catch a flight to Leh at arnd 5am on 18th from IGI Airport. So I am leaving Mumbai on 16th eve by August Kranti Rajdhani Exp which will reach H. Nizam stn at arnd 11am on 17th July, 2010.

I am accompanied by my friend who will be leaving Hyderabad on 16th morning and reaching New Delhi Stn at arnd 9am on 17th July, 2010 aboard Andhra Pradesh Express/2723.

As it is my virgin visit to Delhi, I am very anxious and curious too !!

My first concern is about the luggage we would be carrying with us. It would be arnd 35 to 40kgs in total. As we both have decided to do some sightseeing in Delhi, we will need to keep our luggage somewhere and also will need to get freshen up for the day. We have decided to rent a room in a good lodge. So my first query is where do we stay?? ....... Near New Delhi Stn or H. Nizam? ..... how far are they from each other?? ....... And which one is nearer to Airport??......... Also suggest names of some good and SAFE lodges near both the stn and apprx 1 day cost for the room with attached toilet.

My next query is about transport to airport ...... I have heard about pick up buses for airport from various parts of delhi ....... So do they work after midnight also? ...... Since we have to assemble at airport before 4am what would you suggest ..... should we leave our room at arnd 2am or shall we leave immediately after dinner ?? ...... Is it safe to travel after midnight? .. remember that we would be carrying our luggage along !!

My last question is regarding sightseeing ...... can any of you suggest a small but detailed itinerary for the day along with means of transport to use ...... we will start immediately post lunch at arnd 1pm or so and would like to end the sightseeing on dinner ....... So I badly need your suggestions regarding places worth visiting, where to eat, which mode of transport to use, etc ..... Remember that we would like to cover maximum places in this short period .... dont wanna waste time traveling in delhi traffic ........ so a detailed itinerary would be handy !! ...... we are even thinking to buy delhi map to help us navigate.

I got many other queries too ....... but I will first wait for your response !!

Thanks a lot in anticipation

Congrats for your trip!

I will go step by step -

First of all since you will be reaching by around 11 am at h. nizamudin but your friend will be reaching to a different station 2 hrs earlier, so ask your friend to stay at the station only in the waiting area. You can easily take any auto from your station to new delhi which will cost you around 120 Rs. bcoz you have luggage too.

Bro Delhi is not like mumbai that the auto wala will charge you around 200 rs for just 10 kms ha ha ha.... so avoid bus with your luggage.

OR

Ask your friend to come out from the station take a rickshaw and ask the rickshaw puller to take him to good hotel... never mind if your don't like the station as Sunil Sir said 100 of hotel build wall by wall... so can lodge in any...
Rickshaw will charge him max.. Rs. 15 (can be 10 too).

Although Nizamudin is nearer to airport but new delhi will be fine for you and the difference b/w two is around 20kms. but it will take you 1 hr only to reach

Now coming to your question about buses in midnight so bro don't go for buses in night i mean after 10 as the almost no services. buses hai but rare.

Best convenience in Delhi is the metro... i literally ask you to plz travel in metro and feel the diff b/w mumbie local... lolz... jokes apart

New Delhi station has metro station too, go there go for a tourist pass and a metro rail guide.. and enjoy in metro.

Places you can visit in Delhi -

1 - cannaut place (rajiv gandhi metro station)
2 - Janpath - in cannaut place only just like fashion street in mumbai
3 - Palika bazar - under ground a/c market in cannaut place but remember to bargain...
4 - India Gate - Take auto from cannaut place he will charge you Rs. 30 to 40.
5 - National museum - outside India gate (optional)
6 - Akshardham temple - Metro station name Dont know but metro is there. (if you have time must go, no cameras and cell phones allowed can deposit outside, and this place is quite far from your hotel)
7 - At night dont go for dinner at hotel, fresh up take a rickshaw ask him for chandni chowk bazar (Rs. 30 - 40 for two person) enjoy the rickshaw ride.
8 - Chandni chowk Whole sale as well as food market so crowd is there - must go to paranthe wali gali for your food.(same route to comeback remember your hotel area is Paharganj)


Since you are at a place where you can get convenience 24/7 come back to hotel and leave around 3 hrs before you fight by auto or taxi. Night charge for auto from your place must be around - Rs. 200 to 250.

Delhi map will confuse you and remember for some stations you have to change metro lines.


Enjoy your stay in Delhi and have fun.

[Rony]

Firstly I would like to thank you all to entertain my queries and respond to them .......... My internet was down yesterday night so could not check this thread for your replies.

Anyways I would like to share some new developments which took place till now ........... Firstly I have asked my friend to get down @ H. Nizam station as his train is going to halt there at around 9am ....... He would be on platform only waiting for my train to arrive by 11am ......... Then we have decided to hire a room in a lodge near to H. Nizam stn to freshen up and unload our luggage ..... By then we assume it would be 1pm or so which is time to lunch !!

1. So kindly suggest a restaurant where we can get good vegetarian lunch near H. Nizam stn.

Post lunch at around 2pm or so we would set out for sightseeing ...... at this juncture we would again need your help to plan our day to make the optimum use of 10 hours in our hand...... Just remember that we are new to the city and are having absolutely no idea about the buses and metros and our destinations !!

2. So if any of you could please prepare a small itinerary for us which would include the bus/metro number or rick (which we would like to avoid since we cant trust the rickwala all the time & dont wanna get into brawl unnecessarily ) and the sequence in which we should visit the monuments along with eating joints where we can have our supper and dinner, it would be of great help to us !!

Keeping in mind that we have to leave for airport before midnight we will try to return to the hotel @ H. Nizam by 10pm or so .......... Again get freshen up and then check out ........ Now again we are in dilemma whether to catch a rick/meru cab or opt for the Palan Coach Bus Service from ISBT SARAI KALEY KHAN which is nearer to H. Nizam stn to reach IGI airport where we need to check in before 4am as per the schedule which I received from MakeMyTrip today morning.......

3. So suggest a mode of transport which would be economical + safe to reach airport from H. Nizam stn and Can any one of you plz get info about Palan Coach Service Bus Schedule from ISBT SARAI KALEY KHAN ?

So as of now these are my 3 major queries for you

There will be plenty of lodges/cheap accommodation options available both near Hazrat Nizamuddin area adn New Delhi Railway station. Both are more or less equidistant from Airport. I would suggest you to stay at New Delhi and look for accomodation at Paharganj area (the area around ND station). There are 100s of hotels there, so check yourself and decide. Do not have much idea about the pickup buses, but you can anytime take an auto-rickshaw from the station area (the hotel guys can also arrange that for you); you can also get a prepaid rickshaw from there, that would be much safer. Also you can opt for radio taxi that would cost you aprox. 400 bucks. No need to leave just after dinner. take rest and ask the hotel guy to arrange the auto for you.

regarding the site-seeing. this is very subjective. there are plenty of options there. you can take the metro from ND station and go to Chandni chowk and visit Red fort/Jama Masjid area. if you are a foodie, then this place is a heaven for you. Try paranthe waali gali, Natraj ke dahi bhalle, jalebi wala at Dareeba. Then you take another metro from there to reach AKshardham temple; it is one of the finest pieces of modern architecture that I have seen. Also do not forget the musical fountain show there in the evening around 6:30. also you can visit Lotus TEmple/Qutub Minar, which are in South delhi and will be a little far from your place of stay. Also in the evening time you can hang around in the Cannaught Place area (Rajiv Chowk) and visit palika bazar and get some cheap deals (if you are good at bargaining), though the quality is not so good.

@sunilji ....... Thnx for your prompt response ..... As mentioned above we have decided to stay in a hotel near H. Nizam stn which is nearer to ISBT .... The places which you have mentioned where on my list as well ...... including the paradise of eateries Parathe wali galli ....... But it would be better if you could give me a detailed plan including the mode to transport to use and a sequence to follow in order to make full utilization of our 10 hours !!

Rightly said bu Sunil sir.Do visit Akshardham Temple, you will remember it on a go nd the musical fountain is awesome.If u r a foodie delhi is heaven for you but do remember to avoid rush hours (1 - 3 PM) and (9 - 11 PM)

Have a safe journey

@prakhararyaji ......... Thanx for your wishes ......... And yea I will surely make an effort to visit the great temple complex and watch out for that musical fountain preferably @ eve time ....... I will request the same thing to you ...... pls provide an itinerary to make out sightseeing easy

Congrats for your trip!

I will go step by step -

First of all since you will be reaching by around 11 am at h. nizamudin but your friend will be reaching to a different station 2 hrs earlier, so ask your friend to stay at the station only in the waiting area. You can easily take any auto from your station to new delhi which will cost you around 120 Rs. bcoz you have luggage too.

Bro Delhi is not like mumbai that the auto wala will charge you around 200 rs for just 10 kms ha ha ha.... so avoid bus with your luggage.

OR

Ask your friend to come out from the station take a rickshaw and ask the rickshaw puller to take him to good hotel... never mind if your don't like the station as Sunil Sir said 100 of hotel build wall by wall... so can lodge in any...
Rickshaw will charge him max.. Rs. 15 (can be 10 too).

Although Nizamudin is nearer to airport but new delhi will be fine for you and the difference b/w two is around 20kms. but it will take you 1 hr only to reach

Now coming to your question about buses in midnight so bro don't go for buses in night i mean after 10 as the almost no services. buses hai but rare.

Best convenience in Delhi is the metro... i literally ask you to plz travel in metro and feel the diff b/w mumbie local... lolz... jokes apart

New Delhi station has metro station too, go there go for a tourist pass and a metro rail guide.. and enjoy in metro.

Places you can visit in Delhi -

1 - cannaut place (rajiv gandhi metro station)
2 - Janpath - in cannaut place only just like fashion street in mumbai
3 - Palika bazar - under ground a/c market in cannaut place but remember to bargain...
4 - India Gate - Take auto from cannaut place he will charge you Rs. 30 to 40.
5 - National museum - outside India gate (optional)
6 - Akshardham temple - Metro station name Dont know but metro is there. (if you have time must go, no cameras and cell phones allowed can deposit outside, and this place is quite far from your hotel)
7 - At night dont go for dinner at hotel, fresh up take a rickshaw ask him for chandni chowk bazar (Rs. 30 - 40 for two person) enjoy the rickshaw ride.
8 - Chandni chowk Whole sale as well as food market so crowd is there - must go to paranthe wali gali for your food.(same route to comeback remember your hotel area is Paharganj)


Since you are at a place where you can get convenience 24/7 come back to hotel and leave around 3 hrs before you fight by auto or taxi. Night charge for auto from your place must be around - Rs. 200 to 250.

Delhi map will confuse you and remember for some stations you have to change metro lines.


Enjoy your stay in Delhi and have fun.

@freesoul_sji .......... That was quiet an elaborate reply ...... Firstly I would like to make a blunt comment .......... people here have a very cautious attitude towards delhi since it being the crime capital of india and also famous for its notorious rickwalas which dont go by meter and charge randomly ........ I dont know if its true but the perception is so negative that I could not help but ask you guys to provide an insight on it !! ........ That is the main reason for us avoiding rick/cab and to prefer public transport system in delhi ........ regarding metro train ride... I am really looking forward to it ..... in fact the very first metro in mumbai would be passing thru my residence area (Andheri) in an year or so !!

As far as sightseeing is concerned I would like to visit all the places you have mentioned but would need a good plan from you so that we are convinced that we would be back to our hotel room in H. Nizam by 10pm !!


@All ..... Thank you ppl for answering my queries .... looking forward for a pleasant stay in delhi and leh !!

[freesoul_sj]

dear in Delhi rickshaw is called the manual vehicle kind of a tricycle pulled by a person and auto are the actual motor transport like in mumbai.

Ok accepted that they charge bit high but that's only bit..... so you have to take these autos only bcoz they will drop you at your door which a public bus will not and if you can go for cab we have radio taxis here.

We have a restaurant at nizamudin station too, cumsum otherwise other people will suggest you.

Since you will be in south delhi and airport is near to it so better not to go to chandni chowk and akshardham temple as these places are far from nizamudin, now your location is changes so as your sites.

Let me tell you we dont have metro (under construction in south delhi i.e. near nizamudin, so take care

Go to cannaut place cover everything which i mentioned in earlier post (go there in evening) & in afternoon you guys can go to qutab minar and lotus temple.

since you have only one day don't go everywhere.

Please note down this number for any assistance related to transport (taxi), restaurant, hotel, etc etc - 011 22222222 (that is JUST DIAL online directory)

[prakhararya]

@

Regarding lunch, there is a restaurant at H.Nizammudin Station named Comesum.Their food quality is good and they remain open 24 hours

Regarding places that are far away

Just somehow reach metro station nd take a metro.You can ask service guards their for the relevant place u r going to or just ask the commuters

Like Vodafone people here in Delhi are always HAPPY TO HELP

[Rony]

dear in Delhi rickshaw is called the manual vehicle kind of a tricycle pulled by a person and auto are the actual motor transport like in mumbai.

Ok accepted that they charge bit high but that's only bit..... so you have to take these autos only bcoz they will drop you at your door which a public bus will not and if you can go for cab we have radio taxis here.

We have a restaurant at nizamudin station too, cumsum otherwise other people will suggest you.

Since you will be in south delhi and airport is near to it so better not to go to chandni chowk and akshardham temple as these places are far from nizamudin, now your location is changes so as your sites.

Let me tell you we dont have metro (under construction in south delhi i.e. near nizamudin, so take care

Go to cannaut place cover everything which i mentioned in earlier post (go there in evening) & in afternoon you guys can go to qutab minar and lotus temple.

since you have only one day don't go everywhere.

Please note down this number for any assistance related to transport (taxi), restaurant, hotel, etc etc - 011 22222222 (that is JUST DIAL online directory)

Regarding lunch, there is a restaurant at H.Nizammudin Station named Comesum.Their food quality is good and they remain open 24 hours

Regarding places that are far away

Just somehow reach metro station nd take a metro.You can ask service guards their for the relevant place u r going to or just ask the commuters

Like Vodafone people here in Delhi are always HAPPY TO HELP

@both ........ thnx for the reply ...... I wud surely chck out that restaurant ...... Also I wud not lyk to miss akshardham temple, chandani chwk and parathe wali galli ...... that is y I am asking for a good itinerary frm you all ..... still waiting for that

[freesoul_sj]

ok rony here i complete it.

Book a room
Dont go for lunch, have something light.
Head directly to chandni chowk - Nearest metro station from nizamuddin is Indraprastha OR Pragati maidan.

Take a metro towards rajiv ghandhi station.

Get down at station go underground and take another train to chandni chowk.
(your metro ride done)

Take a rickshaw(manual tri cycle) ask him to take you to paranthe wali gali.

Have your food and other stuff.

Come back to metro station.

Take metro to Rajiv chowk

now m sorryforgot the akshardham metrostation line but its from rajiv chowk only.

Best time to visit this temple i evening because they have laser shows over there.

Come back to the metro station take metro to pragati maidan and then take a auto to your hotel.

Note - Above all places can be covered through auto also maximum cost for all places will be around Rs. 600 in auto.

And always be confident asking something about any place this makes the other person feel that you are not a tourist.

[Rony]

ok rony here i complete it.

Book a room
Dont go for lunch, have something light.
Head directly to chandni chowk - Nearest metro station from nizamuddin is Indraprastha OR Pragati maidan.

Take a metro towards rajiv ghandhi station.

Get down at station go underground and take another train to chandni chowk.
(your metro ride done)

Take a rickshaw(manual tri cycle) ask him to take you to paranthe wali gali.

Have your food and other stuff.

Come back to metro station.

Take metro to Rajiv chowk

now m sorryforgot the akshardham metrostation line but its from rajiv chowk only.

Best time to visit this temple i evening because they have laser shows over there.

Come back to the metro station take metro to pragati maidan and then take a auto to your hotel.

Note - Above all places can be covered through auto also maximum cost for all places will be around Rs. 600 in auto.

And always be confident asking something about any place this makes the other person feel that you are not a tourist.

Hey thnx a lot ...... I will take the print out of this and keep it with me .... btw where does India Gate, Red Fort, Connaught Place, Qutub Minar and Raj Ghat figure out in this ?

[prakhararya]

less time

Visiting red fort, qutub minar and rajghat is of no use because you have less time to stay here.Rest depends on you but it's my opinion.

In btw Red fort is just in front of chandni chowk nd Raj hat is also nearby at minimum 4-5 kms distance.If you headed towards India Gate then ask for Bengali Market there nd must have Chole Bhature.They are awesome. (Mainly Bengali Sweet house)

I am a foodie too nd i know how a foodie feels to be told about places of these types

[Rony]

Visiting red fort, qutub minar and rajghat is of no use because you have less time to stay here.Rest depends on you but it's my opinion.

In btw Red fort is just in front of chandni chowk nd Raj hat is also nearby at minimum 4-5 kms distance.If you headed towards India Gate then ask for Bengali Market there nd must have Chole Bhature.They are awesome. (Mainly Bengali Sweet house)

I am a foodie too nd i know how a foodie feels to be told about places of these types

Hehe ...... Yea I can understand it too ......... btw someone has suggested me to hire a tourist car for a day which will take care of sightseeing and even drop us to the airport by midnight ..... any clues abt charges ??? ...... He told it should not exceed 1k !!

[prakhararya]

hiring

If u hired a cab it would be totally piece of mind in regards to transportation but it will cost u much more than that.Search out google for TOYRIST CABS IN DELHI.

At the very first option u will come out with some contact no's.Try them put and quote relevant prices with them.I don't think it would exceed 1000 INR.May be tell ur plans to them and ask for per km charges.

Update ASAP

[ken cool]

Hey thnx a lot ...... I will take the print out of this and keep it with me .... btw where does India Gate, Red Fort, Connaught Place, Qutub Minar and Raj Ghat figure out in this ?

You can check out on a map, maybe here: delhi map - Google Maps

And please keep a check on your SMS language!

[freesoul_sj]

sir ji !! Dont go for red fort.
yes as i told you when you change metro from rajiv chowk, dont change come out of station and here you go with the cannaut place market, palika bazaar and India gate ( 2.5 kms ).

Regarding taxis - all your expenses for the day will be around 1500 - 1800, till airport. as the waiting charges as well as akshardham temple is in noida just like vashi or nerul from dadar, so now you can calculate yourself....

[L.P.]

It has been quite late I have checked it, have been quite busy with some things.

But guys how many of you have ever felt that meeting everytime at dhabha has become a lot more monotonous, Why are we getting up lazyily around 7 and juts coming to dhabha.
Lets plan and make it big, earlier we at times used to ride to Murthal if we wanted to have parantha's early morning or go alteast upto karnal.
people like kunjal, addy,aaseem, sunnyrags are the one's who have been participating.
But lately it is being seen no1 is interested to go, GUYS!! lets make it large..

If anyone wants to take the initiative,please come forward and pour in your ideas, let the mods know about it and plan it!

Do let me know if you think i am wrong, OR do we really need a change a pep in our ways of meeting up.
Lets meet up at Lane or rather decide here and meet up to the week after this so that more and more people know about it and lets go for a Ride!


Cheers
LP

[trustvishwas]

Guys, I need some help.

Does anyone know any good hotel for stay with family in Chandigarh sector 14?

Thanks in advance.

[prateek2210]

^^ Try contacting Kurtrules, he might be of some help