You could not be in Delhi and not take the classic rickshaw ride through old Delhi city.
There are just so many adjectives, which do you choose. Thronged, packed, organised chaos, colourful, picturesque, amazing, charming …. The way the traffic manages to pass through the narrow streets, pedestrians, rickshaws and vehicles seemingly oblivious of each other and passing through a whisker apart without any right side or wrong side of the road and seemingly without looking!!!!
My biggest surprise was the smell; spices, herbs fruit, hunger making cooking smells and perfumes filled the air as much as the people and vehicles packed the road.
However, Delhi had to wait as my original reason for coming to Delhi was a MICE Forum. This meant I had two nights of much more ordinary business accommodation. And, of course, had to complete all of my meetings during Friday and Saturday morning to create time for Delhi.
Having fitted all my meetings in by mid Saturday morning and had lunch I was free to explore more of Tappas Voyages Delhi along with some fantastic hotel options.
Thursday night, the night of my return I had a superb dinner at Lodhi Gardens, well the restaurant attached where the gardens seem to spill over into the open air space of the restaurant. This is a great venue to be seen at, and, of course eat at. Lovely night time ambience with DJ and live music till late.
I have to admit to feeling guilty during the rickshaw ride. Each of us in the rickshaw were over 13 stone. The elderly rickshaw guy was no more than 8 stone. Somehow I felt I should be standing on those pedals instead – however, I would not have lasted ten minutes in the heat – 45 plus.
Next stop was the grand old dame of Delhi colonial hotels – aptly named the Imperial. The Imperial is and always has been an art hotel. With three different art galleries, each floor dedicated to a different artist and oozing a modern colonial spacious elegance. If you need a hotel address to seriously impress this is it.
The underground Spa and especially the two Ayurvedic treatment rooms, in cool earth tones, stood out but my most amazing experience was the Spice Route Restaurant.
Imagine a restaurant that took over seven years to complete. Imagine a restaurant that traces the Spice route, with its cuisine, across six countries from Vietnam to the Malabar coast. Imagine a restaurant hand painted in a 3,000 year old temple tradition. Imagine walking into a restaurant that creates a presence, an atmosphere that makes your, well mine anyway, scalp tingle.
And then you can begin to imagine why the Spice Route is one of the world’s top ten restaurants.
Next stop a government sponsored craft village. Each retailer is guaranteed to produce authentic craft products, each unit covering crafts from a different region/village in India.
Some of my co Fam trippers, being shopaholics had a lovely hour or so buying up the village, or so it seemed with my Tappas colleague laden down with bags.
Next stop was Aero City – a brand new business park en route to Delhi airport – and a show round of JW Marriott New Delhi.
The hotel is surprisingly modern and quirky with high tech meeting spaces. The largest space able to take 1500 theatre style and supported by eight breakout rooms.
Add in some great restaurant options (7), spa and full gym and you have a hotel for large conferences that works really well for incentives.
Next stop my favourite hotel and another sad experience. I had a room for the night but my flight was in the early hours so I would be leaving for the airport at 00.30.
We checked in and I showered and changed for dinner. My only use of the lovely 60 sq m standard room!!!
The Oberoi Gurgaon is very different from the Amarvilas Agra and Rajvilas Jaipur. Strikingly modern and so high tech with impressive security.
The hotel takes up two sides of a square built around a large “pool”. On the far side of the pool, opposite the foyer/reception is a huge Gucci shop, and on the fourth side up market designer boutiques.
Post our show round we dined in style in threesixtyone.
Sadly, it was midnight so, like Cinderella, I had to leave.
Tags: Agra, Delhi, Destination Management Company, Fine Dining, Incentive Travel, India, Jaipur, Tappas Voyages DMC, Team Building