Delhi - Old and New

Peel back the layers of India’s capital and feel its texture and spirit.

New Delhi, a world of broad boulevards, 21st century hotels, swish bars and cafes and great shopping presents a lively contrast to over-the-top Old Delhi where delectable aromas mingle with the colour and chaos.

The awesome Jami Masjid, mantled in a thick cloud of devotion. Drive through glittering Chandni Chowk, shimmering with bangles, gems and saris. The sinewy Red Fort dominates the horizon. In the grand Hall of Public Audience once rested the bejewelled Peacock Throne, later whisked away by a Persian plunderer…

This is the Land of the Great Mughals…did you hear the sound of girlish laughter in the zenana? The tinkle of wine poured into goblets in the king’s chambers?

Yes, the past always comes a-calling in Delhi, a city that comfortably straddles two worlds – the old and the new.

Tip:

Delhi is the starting point for the holy cities of Haridwar and Rishikesh where you can take in some white water rafting on the river Ganga. Corbett National Park, snow-kissed Himachal Pradesh and the Lake District of Kumaon in the Himalayas are other must-see sights.