India - Business trip - general advice on routing, hotels etc.

I'm off to India and Nepal on business in July -first time - and could use a little local knowledge to assist my planning.

I need to visit HYD, DEL and KTM. My working plan, based on the flight costs from DUB, is to open-jaw in to HYD and out of DEL on LH.

Should I simply fly HYD-KTM and backtrack to DEL, or DEL first and then do a return to KTM. Or does it matter?

And which airports/terminals are the biggest nightmare? If AI gets in to *A by early/mid-July, they'll get my business internally regardless, as I'm going to be short on status this year. If they don't - and I understand they won't have - probably Jet gets a look in, for a few destination miles on bmi. Jetlite is a different carrier (so no bmi miles, I expect)? Or is now the time to be adventurous and live a little with Kingfisher? ;) And is booking locally any more advantageous than booking on the net?

I think I know the answer to this one: which city should I weekend in?

Hotel choice: no particular thoughts, but will go Hilton where possible. Any gems or doozies? In DEL the Janakpuri seems to be slight away from things - am I right? Anyone care to recommend an alternative? Or anyone know of any bonuses going?

HYD hotels - no obvious choice jumping out at me. More so still in KTM.

And it appears to be the rainy season - anything to be aware of apart from the usual considerations of malaria etc.

Thanks,

Considering your usual hangouts in western Africa you should be fine in these cities :p

Monsoon time is usually the absolute opposite of tourist time. I would say DEL is good place to spend a weekend in. KTM will pretty much be covered in buckets of water pouring from above, so you can't do the usual sight or even get close to the mountains.

Stick with 9W, IT is cool, but doesn't fly as frequently.

As far as i'm aware, no Hilton's in HYD. Noticed your part of Marriott Rewards; there are 2 Marriott properties in HYD. They are literally separated by a road and connected via a walkway. The Courtyard would be the newer of the two (about 3 years old) and the rooms were very good the last time i was there..

Starwood has 2 hotels also in the city and if your up for trying out some quality Indian hospitality, the Taj Group of Hotels are there in HYD, with The Taj Krishna being the best of the lot.

I need to visit HYD, DEL and KTM. My working plan, based on the flight costs from DUB, is to open-jaw in to HYD and out of DEL on LH.Not a bad plan, but actually, I would choose HYD rather than DEL as my point of exit--the airport is a lot more pleasant, even after major improvements to DEL in recent years. Since the exit airport's the one you're going to spend the most time in, I'd pick HYD.

Should I simply fly HYD-KTM and backtrack to DEL, or DEL first and then do a return to KTM. Or does it matter?Is it even possible to get a nonstop HYD-KTM? My two-second search on Kayak did not find one. I think you are going to end up flying through DEL no matter what.

And which airports/terminals are the biggest nightmare?I have not been to KTM but I suspect that is the biggest nightmare. Three years ago I would have said DEL, but DEL has improved dramatically since a major refurbishment.

If AI gets in to *A by early/mid-July, they'll get my business internally regardless, as I'm going to be short on status this year.Please, do yourself a favor and re-think this. AI is in horrible shape, with pilots' strikes going on this year, very poor on-time performance, generally terrible customer service, etc. It is absolutely my last choice for internal flights. Kingfisher, Jet, and SpiceJet (LCC but entirely pleasant) are my go-to carriers for domestic flights. Be aware that both Kingfisher and Jet have LCC subsidiaries (Kingfisher Red and JetLite) and you may end up on them even if you think you are flying the mainline carrier. Even so, an Indian LCC is a pretty good experience.

And is booking locally any more advantageous than booking on the net?No.

I think I know the answer to this one: which city should I weekend in?Actually, either DEL or HYD would be a fine place to spend a weekend. They both have lots of neat things to see. Be aware of the weather/heat, though. My first trip to India was in mid-June: the temperature in DEL was 46 C when we were there. I thought I had landed on Venus. It was deeply unpleasant to be outside during the day. I haven't been to HYD in the summer but I assume it's just as bad.

There are no direct flights between KTM - HYD. A routing via DEL would be a must and it shouldn't be too bad as there are a couple of flight options on the DEL - KTM route and like others have posted, the new DEL airport is supposed to be pretty good and so should make for a hassle-free experience.

As far as the weather goes, the worst of the heat would have finished by July and so you should be ok

Some really helpful responses there! ^ Thank you very much. I've read the AoI forum a bit this week and even though AI gets bad reviews, I don't think it's going to be worse than say US Airways or Ryanair. Anyhow, as they won't be part of *A, there's no impetus to use them over Jet, who at least partner with bmi Diamond Club.

Thanks for the suggestion on departing through HYD.

As I get to actually booking, no doubt I'll have more questions. I expect I'll be back for more.

Note that the Taj hotels give bmi points. Still waiting for credit for a stay I had with them in Feb 2011, but then my Wyndham stay in Nov 2010 has not posted on my bmi DC account either :p Same goes for a Sep 2010 cheapo 9W flight.

Be aware of the weather/heat, though. My first trip to India was in mid-June: the temperature in DEL was 46 C when we were there. I thought I had landed on Venus. It was deeply unpleasant to be outside during the day. I haven't been to HYD in the summer but I assume it's just as bad.

The monsoon is moving rapidly over the subcontinent and should cover DEL in the next days, so no worries about 46C in DEL or HYD:

http://www.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/dynamic/mon-prog.jpg

http://www.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/dynamic/Monsoon_frame.htm

Hotel choice: no particular thoughts, but will go Hilton where possible. Any gems or doozies? In DEL the Janakpuri seems to be slight away from things - am I right? Anyone care to recommend an alternative? Or anyone know of any bonuses going?

stay at the hilton garden inn in saket....its in a good location....the other alternative would be the new doubletree in mayur vihar....i would pick either one of these 2 over the hilton in janakpuri....

stay at the hilton garden inn in saket....its in a good location....the other alternative would be the new doubletree in mayur vihar....i would pick either one of these 2 over the hilton in janakpuri....

I stayed at both the HGI in Saket and the Hilton in Janakpuri and concur that the area around the HGI is better. However the Hilton, while in a less desirable area, is a nicer hotel with an excellent executive lounge and staff. We had a driver, so staying in Janakpuri was not a huge impediment to seeing the city. It's not like Delhi is real walkable. :eek:;)

And there is a metro stop right across the street from the Hilton if the OP doesn't have a driver.

I won't have a driver. Is DEL a taxi city, like PEK, for example, or more of a LOS? Should I consider getting a driver?

I'll have 8 meetings in 8 diverse locations - Beijing is a pleasure by taxi (providing you can get the driver to understand where you want to go), while Lagos is a pleasure for nothing, most especially using taxis to get around - 3 hour traffic jams are de rigueur there. And while I'm more than happy using public transport, I'm not sure it's the ideal solution for a pasty sweating Irishman, even if at home in the rains.

I won't have a driver. Is DEL a taxi city, like PEK, for example, or more of a LOS? Should I consider getting a driver?

I'll have 8 meetings in 8 diverse locations - Beijing is a pleasure by taxi (providing you can get the driver to understand where you want to go), while Lagos is a pleasure for nothing, most especially using taxis to get around - 3 hour traffic jams are de rigueur there. And while I'm more than happy using public transport, I'm not sure it's the ideal solution for a pasty sweating Irishman, even if at home in the rains.

Although I prefer having a driver and almost always do have one -- especially for the April to October period, DEL is a taxi city -- DEL is sufficiently a taxi city, more so for those with a cell phone and the numbers for radio taxis (Easy Cab and the like) so that they can pick you up when/where you want. Still, for 8 meetings in 8 different locations, a driver with whom you can functionally communicate and remains when/where you need the driver to be will probably make things a lot easier (more so if you have the driver's number so the driver can pull around to pick you up at/near the drop-off and avoid the elements.

...Should I consider getting a driver?

I'll have 8 meetings in 8 diverse locations...

With these parameters, please, get a driver. :)

I'll have 8 meetings in 8 diverse locations

most definitely get a driver....if you need suggestions then let me know & i can pm you a number of a good ta who can get you a local driver....it will be a lot more expensive to get it from the hotel....

Depending on just how different those locations are, eight meetings is a stretch in the best of circumstances and probably not possible at all. This is the kind of thing I do in Delhi when I am there for work, and typically I plan a maxiumum of five meetings a day, six tops. Office hours tend to start fairly late (good luck getting someone to meet you before 9 AM), it takes a while to get in and out of offices, and Delhi is a very spread-out city. A lot of business locations that you'd call Delhi might really be in Noida (30-45 minutes northeast of central Delhi) or Gurgaon (45-60 minutes west); make sure you know where you're going as you plan your day.

Add in also the fact that NO driver ever really knows where every office is, and you will definitely spend some time getting lost trying to find at least some of the buildings/entrances you're going to. This is particularly problematic in Gurgaon. The driver will be going in circles and stopping (or even worse, NOT stopping) to ask every random guy standing on the street for directions. It's a fact of life in India--even with good drivers.

While traveling around in cabs in the major cities in India I use my Garmin Nuvi unit with a map that I purchased in India from MapmyIndia (http://navigator.mapmyindia.com/garmindevice.html). The MapMyIndia map is very detailed and apperas to have more information than the one available directly from Garmin.

Another useful tool is this (http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/regional-english/indian-english) web page and its links.

Get a driver for sure. And plan that your meetings will start as much as 30 mins late than you set. You may want to give us some more info on locations of meetings as it may very well impact where you should stay.

Hyderabad:
After a little look about in HYD, I decided on the Marriott for the first and third night (MR rate with 2k bonus points per stay, plus summer promo of 1 free night for every second stay) and then I picked the SPG Luxury Collection ITC Kakatiya for the middle night - with an executive floor room and lounge access. All my meetings are in a confined area.

Delhi:
Having spent considerable time figuring out the locations of the 11 meetings (yep, count'em) 8 are in New Delhi - so, I think a taxi might do the trick there - or am I just misguided?

The other 3 meetings I will do on one day - and use a car, as they are eons apart.

I'm torn between the Hilton and the HGI - one for the lounge, the other for the location with malls etc. for some evening distraction. In terms of travel time - which makes sense for the New Delhi days? Or should I really look for a hotel local to that part of the city? I kinda feel I am missing out on trying one of the Raj Hotels.

And for evenings what areas? (I know, I know, I need to go out and buy a decent travel book - tomorrow is Sunday, I'm going to get round to it! ;))

Finally, KTM:
Hyatt seems to be the choice there - which doesn't suit my craving for miles - is there a reasonable alternative?

And a consular matter: the embassy has advised me to bring US$25 and to enter on a tourist visa on arrival - it will just be meetings; I always feel suspicious of such advice - I'm sure many will understand this paranoia - should I reconsider and get a business visa to be surer?

Thanks everyone!

Delhi:
Having spent considerable time figuring out the locations of the 11 meetings (yep, count'em) 8 are in New Delhi - so, I think a taxi might do the trick there - or am I just misguided?Sorry, I am going with "misguided." First of all, hire a driver--no way are you going to be able to find taxis that will know where you want to go for all 8 meetings. Second, have you tried scheduling the meetings yet? How long are they supposed to be? Even in New Delhi, you can count on at least 30 minutes travel time between each meeting (even if they're close together, it will take that long to get lost, then find the building/entrance, get through the reception desk, find your way upstairs, wait for the person to deign to see you, etc.). If your meetings are 15-30 minutes apiece, 8 in a day is conceivable. Otherwise no, unless you can find the one-in-a-billion Indian person who will take a 7 AM meeting, one-in-a-half-billion who will take an 8:30, and several more who will do meetings past 6 PM.

And a consular matter: the embassy has advised me to bring US$25 and to enter on a tourist visa on arrivalNot knowing your citizenship, I wonder if this would be possible. The Indian consulate in Dublin (and Timaticweb) are not suggesting that visa on arrival is possible for Irish citizens; the Indian consulate is also saying that a tourist visa costs EUR 50 for Irish citizens. There is a transit visa, valid for 15 days, that costs EUR 24. Perhaps you can run with that, but I still think you'd have to get it in advance. From my own experience as a US citizen, there is no such thing as visa on arrival, and I don't think there is for Irish citizens either. See this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/india/1168408-india-visa-arrival-issues.html) for more on the topic.

The meetings will be over three days - eight over three days in New Delhi and the suburban balance on the third day - sorry if I wasn't clear.

The visa/$25 on arrival question is for KTM; I already have a rather lumpy looking Indian business visa which cost the tidy sum of €235. :eek:

I'm torn between the Hilton and the HGI - one for the lounge, the other for the location with malls etc. for some evening distraction. In terms of travel time - which makes sense for the New Delhi days?

go with hgi....the hilton really is in the middle of nowhere....also, the intercontinental in nehru place just became a hilton property a couple of days ago....its now called the eros hotel....that is another place you can consider....

Or should I really look for a hotel local to that part of the city? I kinda feel I am missing out on trying one of the Raj Hotels.

i assume you meant 'taj'....if yes then i can recommend the taj mahal hotel on mansingh road....great property....

The meetings will be over three days - eight over three days in New Delhi and the suburban balance on the third day - sorry if I wasn't clear.
OH! That makes all the difference. Sorry, I had somehow gotten the impression that you were trying to do eight meetings in one day. To be honest, I would still hire a driver, if you aren't familiar with the city, and if you're able to charge this expense to a business tab. Taking cabs can be a hassle, since meters are rare (or ignored), meaning you will have to haggle for every ride, and it may take you a while to find a cab as you come out of each meeting.

The visa/$25 on arrival question is for KTMWell, I guess I am getting everything wrong today! Sorry about that. I didn't catch that you were referring to Nepal in this paragraph. Wish I could be of help there but I have never visited the country.

Booked the HGI for the days between HYD and KTM - thanks for all the hotel suggestions, everyone. I may try the Hilton and the Taj ;) the following week, just for some variety. :)

Now, internal flights need to be booked.

I'm looking at Kingfisher, realistically, for two reasons - my flights book in to an earning class for me, unlike on Jet which is also more expensive, and my FB Plat will get me an extra 20kg baggage allowance - and towards the start of the trip, I'm going to need it as I'll have work stuff with me that will be left behind in various places. For an 06:30 departure HYD-DEL, what's a realistic (and safe) check-in time with baggage (plus haggle time for the extra baggage allowance). And travel time from the Marriott? Cos, if I have to get up before 05:00, I may take a later flight - I don't do early! ;)

Likewise on the DEL-KTM segment later that week - what sort of check-in time do I need to allow for a 13:25 departure - and travel time from the HGI?

I may have some hours in KTM on the Saturday afternoon - and again on the Sunday morning to see a few sights. Should I stay Sunday night too and try one of the Everest sight-seeing flights, or will the monsoon weather make it too improbable? Would I be better off in DEL seeing sights there?

Sorry, I am going with "misguided." First of all, hire a driver

The meetings will be over three days - eight over three days in New Delhi and the suburban balance on the third day - sorry if I wasn't clear.

Unless you speak Hindi and know your way around the meeting areas so you can direct a taxi driver, hire a car and driver. Try to look up the meeting places and create a Google map you can access from a smartphone with GPS.

I'm looking at Kingfisher, realistically, for two reasons
I'd go with Jet mainly because of the frequency of flights. for domestic ex-DEL I've been getting to the airport a bit over an our ahead of time. But I'm certain that Keyser has better and more recent experience.

BTW flight can be delayed by 30-60 mins. Are you leaving sufficient time after landing before you need to be somewhere? I always try to place myself in the city if the next days meetings in India. This way I'm not stuck getting up at 5AM for an 11AM meeting in another city.

Fair point about the taxis; my SOP is to always have a folder filled with google maps, when I'm doing rounds somewhere that I'm not familar with.

My thought, on the flights was to get up early on the Tuesday and get to Delhi, dump my bags and try to deal with one or two clients in the afternoon - assuming it works out, it cuts me the slack to stay in bed on Friday morning before the KTM flight and means I may have an extra day for sightseeing.

I looked at Jet - and no matter what I tried, short of paying silly money for short flights, I couldn't find a fare that earned on any 'partner' in my travel wallet - and they were considerably more expensive on the days I needed. Kingfisher, at least, offers 100% FB miles on most fares (not that a few FB miles are useful for anything much ;)).

I'm looking at Kingfisher, realistically, for two reasons - my flights book in to an earning class for me, unlike on Jet which is also more expensive, and my FB Plat will get me an extra 20kg baggage allowance - and towards the start of the trip, I'm going to need it as I'll have work stuff with me that will be left behind in various places. For an 06:30 departure HYD-DEL, what's a realistic (and safe) check-in time with baggage (plus haggle time for the extra baggage allowance). And travel time from the Marriott? Cos, if I have to get up before 05:00, I may take a later flight - I don't do early! ;)

that early in the morning you are looking at about a half hour to get to the airport from the marriott....maybe a little less....you have to be at the check-in counter an hour before your flight since they close the counters 45 minutes before the flight....so, for a 6:30am flight i suggest you leave the airport at 5am at the latest....

keep in mind that kingfisher has gotten a reputation as of late for delayed & canceled flights....also, they are pretty bad about informing the passenger beforehand of the delays & cancellations....i would stick with jet to be on the safe side....

Likewise on the DEL-KTM segment later that week - what sort of check-in time do I need to allow for a 13:25 departure - and travel time from the HGI?

since this is an international flight, you have to be at the airport a couple of hours before your flight time....i would keep 45 minutes as travel time from the hgi to the airport....so 10:30am would probably be a good time to leave the hotel....

I may have some hours in KTM on the Saturday afternoon - and again on the Sunday morning to see a few sights. Should I stay Sunday night too and try one of the Everest sight-seeing flights, or will the monsoon weather make it too improbable? Would I be better off in DEL seeing sights there?

i would do the extra day in ktm....

Fair point about the taxis; my SOP is to always have a folder filled with google maps, when I'm doing rounds somewhere that I'm not familar with.

All well and good but a random taxi driver may understand no English at all and/or be only semi-litterate. Heck, I was once with a North Indian in Bangalore and she couldn't communicate with the metered taxi driver as he spoke neither Hindi nor Englsh.

All well and good but a random taxi driver may understand no English at all and/or be only semi-litterate. Heck, I was once with a North Indian in Bangalore and she couldn't communicate with the metered taxi driver as he spoke neither Hindi nor Englsh.

you normally come across this in south india where a lot of people will only speak the regional language & not english or hindi....

It's great having my own personal travel-expert consultation! Thank you all. ^ :)

SIM cards:
I have looked around on FT and elsewhere and what I gather is that large cities and provinces have 'circles' for local calls and you pay long distance for roaming outside your circle. It sounds a bit American to me ;). I don't think I'll be in HYD long enough to need a SIM, but given my schedule in DEL, I think having a local number will be essential.

Apart from needing a photo and a passport, what else would I need for a pre-paid SIM? 90% of the usage will be for rescheduling meetings and for comfort when lost. :) I don't want to invest. No data either. And as I'll be visiting every few months, probably, I wouldn't mind if my credit didn't expire too quickly.

Can someone recommend a network for DEL and a plan with low/no setup costs and appropriate cpm?

It's great having my own personal travel-expert consultation! Thank you all. ^ :)

SIM cards:
I have looked around on FT and elsewhere and what I gather is that large cities and provinces have 'circles' for local calls and you pay long distance for roaming outside your circle. It sounds a bit American to me ;). I don't think I'll be in HYD long enough to need a SIM, but given my schedule in DEL, I think having a local number will be essential.

Apart from needing a photo and a passport, what else would I need for a pre-paid SIM? 90% of the usage will be for rescheduling meetings and for comfort when lost. :) I don't want to invest. No data either. And as I'll be visiting every few months, probably, I wouldn't mind if my credit didn't expire too quickly.

Can someone recommend a network for DEL and a plan with low/no setup costs and appropriate cpm?

stick with airtel....you can pick up a sim at the airport....in the event you can't get one there, there are lots of places near the hgi where you can pick one up quite easily....you just need a photo & your passport....sometimes they ask for a local address as well som just keep your hotel confirmation email & you should be all set....

delete....duplicate post....

stick with airtel....you can pick up a sim at the airport....in the event you can't get one there, there are lots of places near the hgi where you can pick one up quite easily....you just need a photo & your passport....sometimes they ask for a local address as well som just keep your hotel confirmation email & you should be all set....

There is also an additional fee you can pay... I want to say INR 50... in order for the SIM to never expire. You'll also want to use this SIM for any calls back home and any incoming calls as your home phone is going to be quite expensive for these calls.

I think skype will keep me in contact, without the need to resort to GSM. ;)

I've arrived in HYD and the Marriott is a nice property; internet speeds are better than most places I've ever stayed. ^

Tip crisis: how much to tip 1) hotel porters; 2) local driver short hop; 3) all day driver ?

(Ooh, the angst is killing me :D)

Tip crisis: how much to tip 1) hotel porters; 2) local driver short hop; 3) all day driver ?

inr 100 is a good tip....if you are really happy with the all day driver then you can increase that to up to inr 500....but generally just stick to the inr 100 tip & you will be fine....

I think skype will keep me in contact, without the need to resort to GSM. ;)


The SIM is not for keeping in touch with home as much as for calling the driver to fetch you when your meeting has ended, calling the next meeting and tell to them you are late, then call them to tell them your driver is lost and getting them to explain to him how to get to their office.

The SIM is not for keeping in touch with home as much as for calling the driver to fetch you when your meeting has ended, calling the next meeting and tell to them you are late, then call them to tell them your driver is lost and getting them to explain to him how to get to their office.
:D So, SO dead-on!

Yep, that sounds like several extended parts of my day today. :D ^

For those interested, I did one night in the Marriott, 1 night in the ITC Kakatiya and am now back in the Marriott. The ITC Kakatiya (SPG) was really lovely, but they got on the wrong side of me for what I consider to be a convenient, yet wilful, deception; I booked an 'executive club room' with 'lounge access'. I know what that normally means, I have status with several chains and have done endless hotel nights in my adult life. However, the 'executive club' room is a normal room (albeit delightful) and the 'lounge' is an open-to-the-public room on the ground floor with a photocopier and fax machine (ie business centre with lots of reading seats) ; no hint of tea, let alone a drink or a nibble. All that good stuff happens for a 'towers' room, which has a different 'towers lounge'. I asked for access and was denied, of course. I didn't read the detail closely enough, nor did I read the detail of the other room types for comparison. My bad. That said, I still think their description of 'executive club' reeks of sharp-practise, when viewed from the perspective of best-practise. Shame on them - :td: - and I shan't be buying any Fiamma Di Wills, either. ;)

The Marriott does what it says on the tin - and is very nice - I'm happy in every respect; there is a sky-tunnel to the kinda funky Courtyard Marriott right next door -and you can even use all the facilities there, including charging bar/restaurant to your room. Staff are helpful and friendly. ^ I think this complex will be my home on future visits.

Now, can anyone tell me what on earth I was thinking when I booked an 06:00 flight to DEL tomorrow, when there were lunchtime flights available. :eek:

Now, can anyone tell me what on earth I was thinking when I booked an 06:00 flight to DEL tomorrow, when there were lunchtime flights available. :eek:

:p:p

pm me if you have time to meet up for a drink when you are in delhi....

Reminds me of the time when I booked a junior executive suite on the club floor with the Taj Bengal and the lady at checkin wanted to tell me I got it as an upgrade for free because I had family and they were oversold :rolleyes:

On that point though make sure you mention this in an email or on the comment field of the feedback form you will probably get in the mail. They really read the comments and respond with a personal email from the general manager.

Yep, that sounds like several extended parts of my day today. :D ^

Welcome to India. :D ^

Now, can anyone tell me what on earth I was thinking when I booked an 06:00 flight to DEL tomorrow, when there were lunchtime flights available. :eek:

Hmm... good question...

I always try to place myself in the city if the next days meetings in India. This way I'm not stuck getting up at 5AM for an 11AM meeting in another city.

:D :D

Finally, KTM:
Hyatt seems to be the choice there - which doesn't suit my craving for miles - is there a reasonable alternative?

And a consular matter: the embassy has advised me to bring US$25 and to enter on a tourist visa on arrival - it will just be meetings; I always feel suspicious of such advice - I'm sure many will understand this paranoia - should I reconsider and get a business visa to be surer?

Thanks everyone!

Are you still looking for advice on KTM? I lived there in 2009 and visited in 2010 and will be back in about 4 days.

Hyatt is by far the nicest international chain hotel. Also most convenient to the airport. There's also a Crowne Plaza and a Radisson.

For non-chain places, Dwarika's would be my first choice.

Tourist visa on arrival is absolutely the way to go for those with US passports. No problems, no questions.

You can try the Everest flight. A little iffy as to whether you'll see anything (though not totally out of the question) due to the monsoon. You get a free trip if you don't see Everest, but since you're leaving that won't help.

Go to either Boudhanath, or Swayambunath, best temple/tourist sites. If you have several hours, go to Bhaktapur (old Newari town a few kilometers away).

You'll need to negotiate hard with taxi drivers. If you pick up one right outside the hotel (not really possible at Hyatt since the property is isolated and gated), it'll cost buckets more than a guy on the street. Of course, you can also get a car/driver through the hotel.

Let me know if I can provide any other info.

I'm arriving myself on Sunday morning (July 17th). Staying in a smaller place in Patan ("suburb" of Kathmandu).

Sidne

Thanks to everyone who gave their opinions and advice on this thread. In true FT fashion, I have put together some modest reviews of some of the properties I have experience, by way of thanks and for the benefit of those who will come after me:

Hilton Garden Inn, New Delhi / Saket (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/1021713-hilton-garden-inn-new-delhi-saket.html#post16754529)

Hilton, New Delhi / Janakpuri (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors/1055803-opening-promotion-hilton-new-delhi-janakpuri.html#post16754231l)

Marriott Hotel, Hyderabad (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marriott-rewards/1203546-marriott-family-hotels-hyderabad-india.html#post16715074)

I may get to the Radisson KTM and the ITC Katkatiya in HYD (great hotel, but they got my back up, as I mentioned above).


Go to either Boudhanath, or Swayambunath, best temple/tourist sites. If you have several hours, go to Bhaktapur (old Newari town a few kilometers away).
Only only had a few hours - and took your advice; I was very pleased with what I saw. Thank you. ^