Delhi arrival, departure, where to stay
Jan 14th, 2008, 01:54 PM
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Delhi arrival, departure, where to stay
My question has to do mostly with a decision about where to stay for my first night in Delhi. Time is the primary factor here and I do not know if the travel agent who is supposed to be helping me is giving the best advice.
Essential question - flying into Delhi Int'l around 10 pm, out of domestic next day at 2, does it make sense to place premium on finding hotel near airports? How much potential sleeping time do I lose by staying in Delhi itself someplace?
Agent says that in-town hotels are not far from domestic airport so it doesn't matter. I want to know -- how long might it take me to get to center of Delhi at 10 or 11 pm? and how much longer than to Gurgaon
or someplace near airport?
Why this feels urgent to me -- I don't sleep on planes, I may be very tired, and I want to feel and look as good as possible the nest day because I am going to a wedding in Udaipur, a once-in-a-lifetime event for me.
PS why this not dealt with sooner - long story, the agent isn't as prompt a responder as I'd like.
I am looking at Ahuja Country Resort, which suits our budget (about 200 booked online, which is highish for us but not impossible - the 500 for the Radisson or something is out of our range).
Essential question - flying into Delhi Int'l around 10 pm, out of domestic next day at 2, does it make sense to place premium on finding hotel near airports? How much potential sleeping time do I lose by staying in Delhi itself someplace?
Agent says that in-town hotels are not far from domestic airport so it doesn't matter. I want to know -- how long might it take me to get to center of Delhi at 10 or 11 pm? and how much longer than to Gurgaon
or someplace near airport?
Why this feels urgent to me -- I don't sleep on planes, I may be very tired, and I want to feel and look as good as possible the nest day because I am going to a wedding in Udaipur, a once-in-a-lifetime event for me.
PS why this not dealt with sooner - long story, the agent isn't as prompt a responder as I'd like.
I am looking at Ahuja Country Resort, which suits our budget (about 200 booked online, which is highish for us but not impossible - the 500 for the Radisson or something is out of our range).
Jan 14th, 2008, 05:00 PM
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I arrived in Delhi on a flight arriving around 10 pm - my drive into Delhi took quite a while and was unpleasant - the driver explained to me that this was because they allow the goods carriers (trucks) to enter the city at that time (they are prohibited during the day). Consequently, when we arrived, the ring road was jammed with lorries, the pollution from all the vehicles was oppressive and it took a long while to get to our hotel.
If you dont need to be in Delhi, why not stay outside for that night?
My two cents.
If you dont need to be in Delhi, why not stay outside for that night?
My two cents.
Jan 14th, 2008, 05:32 PM
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That's a tough one, as you do have a somewhat decent amount of time if the morning if you wanted to do something with it in Delhi, esp. if you are up early (even if you don't sleep on planes with jet lag there is an excellent chance you are going to be up early in the morning in any event). But the other tough part will be finding a hotel in Delhi in a worthwhile location for one night for US$200. While I believe you could find hotels in that range in some areas of Delhi, for one night I am not sure it is worth staying in an area like Karol Bagh or South Extension where there really isn't anything much to see or do as a tourist for that very limited amount of time. IMO you want to be in the Connaught Place area where hotels tend to be expensive or pretty crummy, but where you can walk to things or get to them in a short drive.
With a 10 pm arrival and a hotel in the Connaught Place area, IMO you would be at the hotel around midnight. (The drive won't be bad, but you will have Immigration and a wait for baggage, etc; you may get to the hotel a little bit before that.) Generally, to get to the domestic airport during the day from that area of Delhi, I would say allow 1.5 hours just to give yourself sufficient time to allow for emergencies. However, for a domestic flight you don't have to be there 3 hours early or anything, about an hour is generally OK, or 1.5 hours is usually more than sufficient, esp for an afternoon flight when you aren't dealing with large numbers of business people taking the morning commuter flights. (If you are going business class on your domestic flight, which I would recco if you can as cost is not much more, you can arrive a bit later as your check in lines will be much better.) So you could have until like 11 am or so in Delhi which means you could see the Rajpath area or if you could organize yourself to get out early get over to someplace like the Red Fort (take a car with your luggage and go onto the airport from there). I don't know, maybe too much work for a morning and a lot of time in the car. But it is possible if you wanted.
Or stay someplace in the south/east area and then see Hanumayan's Tomb and/or Raj Ghat (Ghandi's cremation ground). That would take you maybe 45 minutes to an hour to the airport, but is more expressway the whole way so less chance of traffic jams. I don't have any reccos in that area, but try the Sawday book below. Areas to look in would be Friend's Colony or the Nizamuddin Train Station area.
The drive from a place like Gurgaon of course would only be like 10-15 minutes to the airport. So there is a significant difference between staying in Delhi and staying near the airports. The issue is that there really is nothing in Gurgaon other than some big shopping malls, tall apartment blocks and a ton of construction. I have already given you some suggestions for this area, like the Trident Hilton, on your earlier post. Two more to try might be
the Park Plaza Gurgaon hotel there, they are small and almost always booked but worth a try see http://www.parkplaza.com/
Also try the new Crown Plaza Today Gurgaon (http://www.ichotelsgroup.com), I have a feeling they are both over that US$200 range but worth a try.
I have not heard of the Ahuja Country Resort, and they don't show up on any hotel search I did for India, although the Ahuja Residency serviced apartments in Gurgaon did show up, see http://www.ahujaresidency.com/guest-houses-gurgaon.html. This group is recommended in the Sawday book on India I generally like for finding unusual and good-value Indian hotels. Is that what your agent is referring to? (Also see the Sawday website which you may want to use yourself http://sawdays.co.uk/,; I find agents pretty much clueless on hotels myself.) There is very little about Gurgaon which could be described as "country" these days....
With a 10 pm arrival and a hotel in the Connaught Place area, IMO you would be at the hotel around midnight. (The drive won't be bad, but you will have Immigration and a wait for baggage, etc; you may get to the hotel a little bit before that.) Generally, to get to the domestic airport during the day from that area of Delhi, I would say allow 1.5 hours just to give yourself sufficient time to allow for emergencies. However, for a domestic flight you don't have to be there 3 hours early or anything, about an hour is generally OK, or 1.5 hours is usually more than sufficient, esp for an afternoon flight when you aren't dealing with large numbers of business people taking the morning commuter flights. (If you are going business class on your domestic flight, which I would recco if you can as cost is not much more, you can arrive a bit later as your check in lines will be much better.) So you could have until like 11 am or so in Delhi which means you could see the Rajpath area or if you could organize yourself to get out early get over to someplace like the Red Fort (take a car with your luggage and go onto the airport from there). I don't know, maybe too much work for a morning and a lot of time in the car. But it is possible if you wanted.
Or stay someplace in the south/east area and then see Hanumayan's Tomb and/or Raj Ghat (Ghandi's cremation ground). That would take you maybe 45 minutes to an hour to the airport, but is more expressway the whole way so less chance of traffic jams. I don't have any reccos in that area, but try the Sawday book below. Areas to look in would be Friend's Colony or the Nizamuddin Train Station area.
The drive from a place like Gurgaon of course would only be like 10-15 minutes to the airport. So there is a significant difference between staying in Delhi and staying near the airports. The issue is that there really is nothing in Gurgaon other than some big shopping malls, tall apartment blocks and a ton of construction. I have already given you some suggestions for this area, like the Trident Hilton, on your earlier post. Two more to try might be
the Park Plaza Gurgaon hotel there, they are small and almost always booked but worth a try see http://www.parkplaza.com/
Also try the new Crown Plaza Today Gurgaon (http://www.ichotelsgroup.com), I have a feeling they are both over that US$200 range but worth a try.
I have not heard of the Ahuja Country Resort, and they don't show up on any hotel search I did for India, although the Ahuja Residency serviced apartments in Gurgaon did show up, see http://www.ahujaresidency.com/guest-houses-gurgaon.html. This group is recommended in the Sawday book on India I generally like for finding unusual and good-value Indian hotels. Is that what your agent is referring to? (Also see the Sawday website which you may want to use yourself http://sawdays.co.uk/,; I find agents pretty much clueless on hotels myself.) There is very little about Gurgaon which could be described as "country" these days....
Jan 14th, 2008, 09:04 PM
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Thank you so much for replies and for the time and care that have gone into them.
You confirm my own instinct, which is - stay near the airports. If I read you right, I cold lose two or three hours of "recovery time" by driving in to Delhi Thurs nite and from Delhi to domestic airport on Friday.
I made a mistake I keep making: the hotel I want is ASHOK Country Resort, not Ahuja. (I know the Ahuja Residency and in fact will stay there later on. I know who Ashok is too!! sorry).
Knowing myself and how my body responds to plane travel, I want to maximize the possible bedroom time on arrival in India, and I am pretty sure I won't want to do any sightseeing that morning. Frankly I hope to take an Ambien and knock myself out for 10 hours if I don't sleep on plane, and spent the rest of the time eating and washing my hair.
Ashok Country Resort, if I can get into it, has a swimming pool -- if I sleep less than planned I'll be happy with that. I'll sightsee when I go back to Delhi later on.
You confirm my own instinct, which is - stay near the airports. If I read you right, I cold lose two or three hours of "recovery time" by driving in to Delhi Thurs nite and from Delhi to domestic airport on Friday.
I made a mistake I keep making: the hotel I want is ASHOK Country Resort, not Ahuja. (I know the Ahuja Residency and in fact will stay there later on. I know who Ashok is too!! sorry).
Knowing myself and how my body responds to plane travel, I want to maximize the possible bedroom time on arrival in India, and I am pretty sure I won't want to do any sightseeing that morning. Frankly I hope to take an Ambien and knock myself out for 10 hours if I don't sleep on plane, and spent the rest of the time eating and washing my hair.
Ashok Country Resort, if I can get into it, has a swimming pool -- if I sleep less than planned I'll be happy with that. I'll sightsee when I go back to Delhi later on.
Jan 15th, 2008, 05:56 PM
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My arrival - and departure too, if it comes to that - were to and from Delhi B&B in Friends Col East and there were major traffic tie ups on the ring road going and coming. I barely got to the airport in time for my flight on the way home. Hats off to the taxi driver who did all sorts of dicey maneuvers to get me there. If you have no reason to drive in Delhi traffic, dont.
If it turns out you do have morning time after all, areas like Dili Haat (for shopping and a snack) or Qutub Minar are not too far off that corner of Delhi.
If it turns out you do have morning time after all, areas like Dili Haat (for shopping and a snack) or Qutub Minar are not too far off that corner of Delhi.
Feb 15th, 2008, 06:04 AM
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We stayed at Uppals Orchid. It's the closest hotel to the airport (about 2 miles) and is clean, modern, with a very nice breakfast buffet. You don't have as much time as you think to get in late at night and be back to the airport by 12 (for a 2pm flight). Delhi daytime traffic is jammed pack. Just staying another 5 miles away can take an hour to drive. Relax at this hotel for the morning and then go to your flight. PS the international and domestic airport are next to each other - just different sides of the terminal. If you try to get a hotel further into Delhi, it will be a mad dash and panic to make your flight and you won't have time for any early morning sight-seeing because almost nothing is open that early.
On paper a few more miles looks like nothing - be cautious of going too much further away from the airport to save $$$. Spend a little more and get a good night's sleep before you venture on.
On paper a few more miles looks like nothing - be cautious of going too much further away from the airport to save $$$. Spend a little more and get a good night's sleep before you venture on.
Feb 15th, 2008, 11:23 PM
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I like Uppals too and have reccod it myself on this board, but the OP is looking for something under $200, which is not possible at Uppals to the best of my knowledge. Their rates are generally offer $300. http://www.uppalsorchidhotel.com/ or lhw.com
Feb 19th, 2008, 05:14 AM
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I think uppal orchid is good option for you...for details can visit www.travinfoindia.com
