Delhi
A solo train journey took me to the capital city right at the end of May with the notorious Delhi heat threatening any movement. However, I got lucky with the weather as the clouds set in resulting in a bit of rain and thunderstorms. This provided the perfect touristy vibe to set off and soak in the history of the capital. I booked myself at the Poshitel Suites in Hauz Khas village, a prime location in the city and home to a number of pubs and cafes, along with some gifts of nature like a lake and the deer park. The hotel, while not being great, was ideal for a solo backpacker.
Hauz Khas Fort
Surrounded by cafes, pubs and nature, in typical Delhi style, a historical monument was thrown in. Right at the doorstep of my hotel was the Hauz Khas fort. I had little hesitation to go around it, after I had some rest after the overnight train journey.
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Tomb of Safdarjung
The morning greeted me with great weather providing a great impetus for a great touristy day ahead. An auto-rickshaw ride to Green Park metro station followed by a short metro ride to Jorbagh took me to the Tomb of Safdarjung. Spread over a large area, this beautiful structure was certainly worth a visit. Steeped in history, it was typical Mughal architecture, very similar to the more popular Humayun’s Tomb. The entire campus was green and very well maintained. I had a to pay an nominal entry fee of ₹25.
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Lodi Gardens
At a walking distance, was another point of interest on my radar, the iconic Lodi Gardens. A short walk through the streets of Lyutens Delhi took me there. As I entered, it felt like any other garden, full of plants and flowers. I followed a path and walked along. And then from within the trees popped one historic monument after another amidst all the greenery. The place is maintained to perfection by the Archaeological Survey of India and it was nature at its best with a slice of history being thrown in. Despite being at the heart of New Delhi, it seemed to be so far away from the poor air quality, noise, heat and all the other negatives that the capital is infamous for. On reading up, I learnt that the various monuments within the garden were the Tomb of Sikander Lodi and Mohammed Shah, The Shisha Gumbad and The Bara Gumbad. I walked a lot and with a light drizzle in the air, it was pleasant. I settled on one the benches for a while just staring at the monuments, the trees and some wonderful people walking around.
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Purana Quila
My next stop was the Old Fort or the Purana Quila. A short ride on the auto-rickshaw took me there. The drizzle got a bit heavy now but not enough to be a deterrent to my tourism activities. I purchased the tickets at the gate. It is to be noted that there are two separate areas to visit, the fort area and the lake area. The iconic fort is surrounded by a lake which acted as a moat. I started off with the fort area. It was another large area inside the fort campus, consisting of various sections. The various sections contained a mosque known as Quila Kuhna Masjid, Humayun’s private library and an archaeological museum. Several other monuments like Lal Darwaza is also there. I now moved towards the lake area, the entry to which is out of the fort complex right next to the ticket counter. The area provided a long walking path with a great view of the wall of the fort all along. With the rain, in the air, I was the only visitor.
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Khan Market
It was time for a well-deserved break now. And the tummy was also calling for it. On the way I noticed the iconic Khan Market so had little hesitation to go there. I had heard you get everything there. Rightly so, as the market hosted loads of cafes, pubs, and restaurants. After a lot of research, I settled for a Chicken Tikka Wrap at Khan Chacha. This was on the go so after ‘wrap’ping up I settled at Café Turtle for a coffee and most importantly a well-deserved rest. The bonus was there was an amazing bookstore at the level below the café.
Lotus Temple
The next day was closer to the Delhi we know. Hot and slightly humid due to the presence of overhead clouds. I had planned to visit the Lotus Temple in Kalkaji. A longish metro ride took me there. This was followed by a km of walk to the gate of the temple. The place did not have any entry fee to get into the complex. This was another beautiful garden that I walked into. As I said before, I have been super impressed with the way these places of interest have been maintained by the various Government bodies. The temple looked gorgeous in its sparkling white structure surrounded by the lush green lawns. This structure often evoked comparisons with the Sydney Opera House and rightly so. I was glad that now I have been privileged to have seen both.
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Cafe Lunch at GK
My next stop was at Greater Kailash – III for lunch. Asmi had tipped me about a café named Bean and The Bear Coffee. Always loved to go on café trails and discover more cafes so I had little hesitation to give this a try. GK was just a couple of stops away. A short auto-ride from the metro station took me to the cafe. The lunch was fabulous and felt proud that I ordered all the right stuff and the correct quantity, something which I am not good at. The Chicken Shawarma tasted heavenly and I rounded it off with Tiramisu, probably the best I have ever had
Gypsy Cafe
As I walked through Hauz Khas village to the auto-stand on my way to the airport, I spotted a board showing Gypsy Café. I had little hesitation to explore this. It was inside a building facing the lake. Was a wonderful café apt for its name and perfect for a travel blogger like me. Nice décor, loads of musical instruments, hookahs, made it a great ambience. I only had time for a masala chai but told myself that I will be back here on my next Delhi visit.
My trip ended here. However, I would like to mention some of the iconic, historic places I had visited on my previous trips to Delhi.
Humayun’s Tomb
This is probably the mother of all the historical structures present in Delhi from the Mughal era and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Often, it is on the top of the list of the historical places to visit in Delhi.
Qutb Minar
Of course, this is the place where we all know about. Another structure which is very high on the list of places to see in Delhi. Another UNESCO World Heritage site, maintained excellently by the Archeological Survey of India, this is located in South Delhi, close to Saket Metro station.
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Rajinder Da Dhaba
Once done with the Cafes after a hectic touristy day, it is time to just let loose and hog some Indian kababs. Nothing better than this when one is hungry. And this surely is an amazing place to do this.
