India for a few days

[PanicOf06]

Hey guys,

Looking for advice on where to go in Mumbai or Delhi. I'm in Mumbai until tomorrow night and then Delhi for 4 days. Then off to London. If I have time I'm going to go Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

Any recommendations on shopping, sightseeing, restaurants or anything else I should check out?

Appreciated.

[ImRatherUnique]

the whole taj mahal experience was kinda overrated to me, but i guess if its something youre going to do time pending than its fine

when you go to delhi, try to go to nizamuddin and have the bomb street food, roasted mutton and what not, delicious

[White Teeth]

Learn about the historical background of the Taj before you go, and you'll appreciate it more that way.

As for Delhi, any driving service will try to take you to tourist shops as they are rewarded for bringing over a certain number of tourists. The driver will insist on taking you to a couple. I suppose you can offer them a larger tip in exchange for going to fewer shops. I opted to skip the tip, after going to a few shops.

Walk on foot and observe where the upper class locals go and eat street food. You'll avoid getting sick this way.

Go to Jama Masjid, the largest Mosque in the world.

[The_D]

For food, Chor Bizarre, on the ground floor of the Broadway hotel, has always been pretty reliable for me. Can't go wrong with the veg thali (the Maharani thali, I think it's called), and the dum aloo kashmiri is completely sublime.

If you've got a bit more money to spend on food, there are two other restaurants (both in hotels) worth eating in. Bukhara is good for tandoori grills (can't remember which hotel it's in), and lots of people rate its dhal; and Daniell's Tavern, the curry restaurant in the Imperial hotel, is really very good.

If you're after tourist shopping, you can go to the Central Cottage Emporium on Janpath for a one-stop shop. It's like a department store for Indian crafts, and has everything from wood carvings to silk scarves, gold and silver jewellery, carpets, you name it.

Delhi can be utterly hectic and overwhelming (I often think the best reason to visit Delhi is so that the next time you go, it's not the first time you' ve been), and one of the best ways to drink it in is from the back of a cab or tuk-tuk, just moving slowly through all its vibrant, dusty craziness. You can also see the incredible contrast between Old and New Delhi The subway is a great way to get around too.

The Red Fort is supposed to be a great thing to see, but I've managed to miss it every time I've been to Delhi (seven times...). Shame on me.

[The_D]

p.s. when I visited the Taj Mahal, it was a really hot day and it stank of feet.