India Questions

First of all, many “locals” eat in hotel restaurants in India, so please don’t rule them out entirely, as there are some very good ones (Bukhara and Dumpukth in the Maurya in New Delhi for two examples, the Hyatt has a very good Italian restaurant, there is an excellent Chinese restaurant in the Oberoi, the Imperial Hotel has several good restaurants and is worth seeing just for the hotel itself. Bukhara is of course well-known to tourists because Bill Clinton and Bill Gates have eaten there, but still a good experience.) Don’t forget that India has a middle class equal in numbers to that of the population of the entire United States (350 million or so), and many of them eat out in hotel restaurants. The Park itself has several good restaurants and a couple of very lively bars which are popular with “locals”.

For some other places in Delhi, you could try Karim’s. They have three outlets, but the one in Old Delhi near the Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque) is the original and probably the one to go to, see http://www.karimhoteldelhi.com/restaurants.html. (This is in many guidebooks and also showed up in the NY Times a few years ago.) You can also try Chor Bizarre, see http://www.chorbizarrerestaurant.com/delhi.asp this is also in Old Delhi. I also like the Hauz Khas Village area, there are several restaurants there, one to consider would be Top of the Village, 12 Hauz Khas Village. Or just wander this area of shops and galleries and find someplace you like (many shops close at 7 pm or so). I also like the Karol Bagh area a lot, a buslting area of shoppers, you could try walking that area and seeing what you like.

For the other cities on your itin, I don’t really have any reccos outside of hotels, which again I would not rule out entirely, i.e. the Amarvilas in Agra (go at sunset to see the Taj from their bar terrace if you don’t want to pay for sunset inside the Taj itself, or walk up there for dinner from the Taj if you go to the monument for sunset which I would highly recommend you try to do). They often have dancers in the pool area in the evening. Varanasi and Khajuraho I think will be somewhat limited for restaurants outside of hotels. I know that Niro’s in Jaipur is supposed to be good, but I have not been myself. Also in Jaipur I would certainly to the Rambagh Palace Hotel to see the palace and grounds and perhaps have dinner, they sometimes have a dance or musical performance on the lawns or out back which you can go to and might be interesting. The Jai Vilas is also worth considering for dinner, they have a nice outdoor courtyard restaurant with dancers most evenings.

You can always go with street food, which is everywhere in abundance. Just be sure that any food is freshly prepared in front of you; otherwise you don’t know how long it has been sitting there. I would also stick with veg options in street stalls, more because of the quality of the chicken or meat on offer rather than health issues (although that is a small consideration too). You may want to avoid fruits unless you peel them yourself, but use your common sense on that. Things like tea are fine as the water is boiling away all day. Don’t forget the sweets in India, of which there are many kinds.

If by “open air markets” you mean fruit/veg and general food/farmers markets, you can find those in all the cities you mention. (More so than you can find supermarkets.) A guidebook would probably include information on markets, your tour or hotel would also probably be able to give you information. In Delhi, the most interesting is probably Chandi Chowk in the old Delhi area (your tour will most likely take you there). You can also find food items in Dilli Haat market. In Jaipur, I think wandering the streets behind the city walls in the old town are the most interesting, try something like walking between the Ajmeri Gate and the Sangaeri Gate; but you can also markets in other areas, (e.g. around the Hawa Mahal). In Agra, I think the area around the main mosque is the most interesting for markets (your tour will most likely NOT take you there), although if you wander off from the Taj Mahal about 300 yards out of the touts and tourists you can find some interesting little streets there (no large markets that I can recall). Can’t speak for Varanasi really, don’t recall large markets, but I am sure you will find one if you ask around. Sorry, I am not a fan of Khajuraho, I am sure you will find a market, it’s just that IMO there are many more interesting places in India.

Note that most gold jewelry is 18 or 24 carat, which Caucasians may find a bit too yellow for their skin tone. If you want 14 carat you may have to have a piece made, this may take a few days. You should know the price of gold by weight (i.e., ounce or gram) as this is what you will be charged, plus something for workmanship. So do some looking around and see how you like it. Gem stones can be a good buy as well. However, you should definitely know your gold prices at home, as well as gem prices (and quality and fakes), as otherwise there is no way to know if you are getting a deal. Be prepared to do bargaining. In Jaipur, absolutely go to the wonderful Gem Palace on Mirza lsmail Road (generally called M I Road) see http://www.gempalacejaipur.com/. The shop is a destination in itself, not sure if the jewelry will be to your taste. You could also try Surana Jewelers, see http://www.suranajewellersofjaipur.com/. This store has many of the same pieces as Gem Palace, at 25 percent less, and you can bargain a bit harder here. Finally, try Rajasthali, see
http://www.rajasthali.gov.in/ . This is the government-owned handicrafts store for Rajasthan. Prices are fixed, but are very good, as is quality generally.

Kerala Cafe and also Bread of Life in Varanasi are two I like.

rule one---forget your usual methods... most local places are not fit for your tummy... ask the doormen where to go..

i stayed in both your agra and jaipur hotels... food is ok there but not fabulous... we did not eat once in the neighborhoods... the jaipur doorman is a real character---huge giy, huge moustache.... talk to him for sure

Endless thanks for your responses....I love this forum...and always recommend it!

Keep in mind that the "locals" generally have a better tolerance to the things in their food that can give tourists bad tummy upsets.

The little food stalls are risky because the food preparers have little if any knowledge of proper food handling, food storage, hand washing, etc. Venture carefully into eating this food, delicious and enticing as it is.

Cicerone is right to avoid meat, plus they will pass off other bird meat as being chicken for example. They don't really care if you spend the next three days in the bathroom. It's not their trip that's ruined.

The locals will generally go towards restaurants at the high end hotels or higher quality restaurants because they too don't want to get sick.

McDonalds, Pizza Hut and other multinational food chains are super popular too! Try them for the "Indian" flavor they have adopted to their food.

Dasaprakash is a lovely South Indian chain - very fresh and authentic. I believe they have a location in Delhi.

Dasaprakash have a location in Delhi - at the Ambassador Hotel. I ate there in 2002 and the dosas were amazing. Indians eat there all over India so perhaps it might be in line with what you are looking for.

I should further qualify that the "locals" is a diverse group. The middle class, for example, don't eat at the same places the villagers do - usually for hygiene reasons.

If you can afford a better quality eating establishment, then that's where you should go.

Great advice given above.
Upset stomachs are common problems for tourists in India because of unhygienic ways small resturants cook their food.
Thus always better to eat at hotel restaurants or higher end restaurants which locals can recommend.
Purchasing gold jewelry or gems is not an easy task. Firstly, right now gold prices are at the highest. I think I read recently they are close to $1500 an ounce (not totally sure) but you should check the price here. In India they do not use the ounces but use grams, thus price will be different.
Again, ask for reputable jewellers since fraud is common as shoppers cannot really tell what is real and what is fake.
In Delhi, at the South Extension Shopping Center there is MehraSons, which has been there for more than 4 decades and is reliable and reputable too. I found them knowledgeable and helpful.
Maybe your tour operators and hotels also can give you recommendations. From personal experience, if you buy any items at the hotel shops they will be quite a bit more expensive than what you would get in the shopping centers.

Thus, you need to research a little bit before purchasing an expensive piece.
But shopping in India is so much fun and the prices are attractive. So, it should be a great experience. I am sure you will find tons of artificial/costume jewelry at a very attractive price. Enjoy your trip and remember to write a report when you come back.

Buying gold and gems in India is risking even for Indians. It's too easy to see the elaborate and beautiful jewelry, but you don't really know what you're buying in terms of true gold weight and gem quality. And it's even easier for them to sell less than what's promised to tourists.

The more filagree work and intricate the gold is, the LESS gold you get because the soldering work cannot be done with a high gold content, but they will include the soldering weight in the total weight. The best jewelry is sold to known families that the jeweler has had for longtime customers.

There is a lot of really cute costume jewelry available now and some stores sell the stuff that doesn't look cheap. That might be a better use of your money.