TAJ MAHAL

Ahoy India!

The MV Explorer arrives in Chennai, India on October 15th, we depart on October 19th which gives all of 4 days to jam as much India as possible. Don’t be like half of the ship, and me, by booking flights and hotels the night before, be on the ball so you can stand there and snicker at everyone else who is stressed, or so you can enjoy some heavy reading at the library!
Here is some useful info regarding the Taj Mahal - and we all know that it is a “must see.” So you have your Rupees (India’s currency), your passport, id, bags, and plane tickets to Delhi. How did you get the plane tickets? You logged onto CheapoAir.com and typed in a flight from Chennai (MAA) to Delhi (DEL). You then purchased your roundtrip ticket for $156 plus tax. This is considerably less than some sites that are trying to scam us for 600$! Yowsa. The flight is 2 hours and 30 minutes long, so be sure to bring your Global Studies books with you. Perhaps there are other cheaper flights –if you find one, the librarians order you to reply to the blog and share your stuff, help our SAS community out!
Anyways you get off of the plane and you decide that you love Dehli so much that you want to put your bags down and stay a while.
Ah you recall that lonelyplanet website, lonelyplanet.com and remember word for word what it said about one of the first hotels on the review,
“
hotel (Mid Range)

TRAVELLER RATING 16.0 / 20
ATMOSPHERE busy & international
Hotel Broadway
4/15 Asaf Ali Rd
"Three-star hotel straddling Old and New Delhi."
REVIEW If you're on the lookout for moderately-priced accommodation straddling New and Old Delhi, the three-star Hotel Broadway fits the bill. Established back in 1956, this enduring hotel seems to be a favourite with European package groups. Broadway's rooms are a tad musty and some are dated when it comes to their interior design, But you can't shake a finger at the price. All the rooms are carpeted (which may explain the slightly stale odour) and come with a colour TV, writing desk, sofa and small coffee-table. Some have floral-printed bedcovers with matching curtains, and many of Broadway's (well-kept) bathrooms sport smart black and white tiles. A few of the hotel's rooms even have distant views of the Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque. Broadway's service isn't crash hot; however, if you wish to stay reasonably close to Old Delhi, this hotel is one of your best bets. On site is the renowned restaurant, Chor Bizarre, which serves formidable Mughlai and Kashmiri fare in quirky surroundings - there's a vintage car salad bar and a curious four-poster bed table.”
You have an amazing memory and call them. They have a room and voila, you are in business. Once getting out of the airport you take a cab perhaps or the railway system which is said to be quite an experience. It is said to be an integral part of India and legendary, so hey maybe you want to get on with your backpack that is 50 pounds. If not you can get in a cab. While sitting in the cab that is taking you to your new home for 3 days, you debate whether or not you should tip your driver. Ah a bubble forms above your head and alas Lonelyplanet.com also had a tipping section that you read earlier,


“Tipping
Baksheesh, a term which encompasses tipping and a lot more besides, is widespread in India. More often than not, you 'tip' in India not so much for good service but in order to get things done. Judicious baksheesh will often open closed doors, find missing items and perform other small miracles. In mid-range and upper-end restaurants or hotels a service charge (usually 10%)is often added to bills, so tipping is very optional. In smaller places, where a service charge has not been added to the bill, a tip is warmly appreciated - the amount you give depends on how happy you are with the service. Anything upwards of IRS20.00 is the norm, but exceptional service should be rewarded with at least IRS50.00.”

Upon arrival you discover that you are simply famished. Hmm where is the Indian food. After dropping your bags off you debate, would I like southern or northern Indian food. Of course one could always ask one’s concierge, which restaurant is better since you did some research. One does have a few days here so it is possible to hit up both of these recommended spots along with a few surprise others. Both reviews are of course taken from LonelyPlanet.com,

Moti Mahal Restaurant
Tasty Tandoori
Northern ; Indian
Mid Range
3704 Netaji Subhash Marg 11002 Tel: 11 2327 3661 (info)

In Old Delhi, the legendary Moti Mahal offers delicious North Indian food. It's particularly noted for its tasty tandoori dishes and lip-smacking butter chicken. The staff are friendly and attentive, and there's live qawwali (Islamic devotional singing) on some nights (telephone for details).

Saravana Bhavan
Southerly Specials
dosa ; Southern
Budget
46 Janpath Tel: 11 2331 7755 (info) Tel: 11 2331 6060 (info)

Saravana Bhavan does great-value dosas (rice flour crepes), idlis (South Indian rice dumplings) and other southern specialities. When it comes to 'Rice of the Day', Friday (tamarind) and Monday (lemon) get gold stars, as do the inventive sweets; the cucumber-seed version of the ladoo (gram flour and semolina sweetmeats) is not to be missed.
Hours: 8:00am-10:30pm
Web: http://www.saravanabhavan.com/
*Librarian’s note, do not forget to take your Pepto Bismal or something similar!! You don’t want to ruin your Taj Mahal experience by sitting in bed and staring at the postcards instead of the real life thing!

MMMMMmmmm. Indian food how scrumptious. Hopefully you were willing to try all of those southern and northern Indian delicacies. After relaxing at your quaint hotel, you decide that you want to dance the night away or watch traditional Indian dancing (culture). Another idea is that you could be Mike Budd’s star student by seeing some Bollywood. Here are two places found on –you guessed it- Lonelyplanet.com,

Nighttime in Dehli
Dances of India
Colourful Classics
dance
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg Tel: 11 2623 4689 (info)

A one-hour performance of regional dances that includes Bharatanatyam, Kathakali and Manipuri. Styles range from classical to folk and tribal dance. Tickets are sold on site and performances held every evening.
Hours: 6:45pm-7:45pm

PVR Anupam 4
Sit Back and Relax
cinema
1 Community Centre 110021 Tel: 5100 0458 (info)

Most cinemas in Delhi feature Bollywood films but you can also catch a Hollywood blockbuster at one of the PVR cineplexes. The PVR cinemas also have details online and you can make bookings from their website.
Web: http://www.pvrcinemas.com/

If you are not too tired or if it’s in the wee hours of the night perhaps you would prefer to take a short nap and wake up early to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise. Sunrise and sunset are said to be the best times to see this amazing place, take advantage of this opportunity!

Hopefully someone on this ship found this useful, if others are willing to help please reply to this blog with your insights, travel ideas, tips, and cool places and things to do. Even though librarians know everything.

Nancy is watching you,
Love, those who reside in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.