A holiday to Delhi, well you might get Dehli belly but it will be a holiday to remember and all for the right reasons. An ancient city, a modern metropolis – India’s spellbinding capital is a place like no other. A place where blush-coloured ruins jostle for space with high-rise towers, bustling bazaars sprawl one street down from neon-lit shopping malls, and bullock carts tread the same timeworn paths as the latest luxury cars. Turn one way and Mughal-built monuments proclaim a majestic and imperial past, turn the other and a plethora of lively bars point to the city’s pulsating present. An amalgam of eight cities, Delhi is jam-packed with sights of historical, cultural and religious importance. Combine these with world-class shopping, a rich and tasty cuisine, and the best in dance, music and theatre, and you’ll soon see this is a city worth stopping in.
A host of great empires have been ruled from Delhi and each successive leader has left a lasting impression on this ancient city. Of all the separate strands that have combined to form today’s Delhi, two are the most prominent. Old Delhi was the capital of Muslim India between the 17th and 19th centuries and it’s here you’ll find such treasures as the famous Red Fort and the incredible 3-domed Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque, as well as some of the greatest architectural delights in all of India. New Delhi, meanwhile, was built by the British in the 1930s as their imperial capital, and encompasses wide avenues, elegant boulevards and colonial mansions, with a generous scattering of government buildings and embassies. Of course your entire holiday could easily be devoted to delving into Delhi’s colourful past, but there’s plenty more to do should you have your fill of history. The city is peppered with picturesque parks that act as a tranquil breath of fresh air from the thronging streets. Lodi Gardens is one of the nicest, a popular haunt with joggers, yoga enthusiasts and families. Pristine lawns and colourful flowerbeds are plotted around the 15th-century tombs of the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties, Delhi’s last sultans. When you’ve recharged your batteries, head for Chandni Chowk in the heart of Old Delhi. Brimming with evocative sights, sounds and smells, it’s a great place to eat, shop and watch the exuberant theatre of everyday life unfold.