New Delhi

New Delhi is a city built on the ruins of seven previous cities, each left behind by a different dynasty. The Mughals gave it the Red Fort and the tangled lanes of Chandni Chowk. The British planted Lutyens' grand avenues radiating from Rashtrapati Bhavan. Independent India added the modernist halls of Parliament and the soaring Lotus Temple. Walking through Delhi is like flipping through chapters of a history textbook — except the streets are alive with 20 million people, honking auto-rickshaws, and the perfume of frying spices.

Old Delhi and New Delhi feel like different planets sharing the same postcode. In Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi), the lanes narrow to shoulder-width, cycle rickshaws thread past spice wholesalers, and Jama Masjid — India's largest mosque — rises above the rooftops like a stone galleon. Cross into Lutyens' Delhi and the chaos gives way to tree-lined boulevards, manicured roundabouts, and the kind of silence that only governments and embassies can afford. Both halves are essential: skip one and you've only seen half the city.

Delhi's food scene alone justifies the trip. Chandni Chowk's Paranthe Wali Gali has been frying stuffed parathas since the 1870s. Karim's, a laneway restaurant near the Jama Masjid, has served Mughlai kebabs to six generations. And every neighbourhood has its own chaat wallah — a street vendor dispensing crispy, tangy, spicy snacks that are arguably the most exciting street food on the planet. Come hungry, stay curious, and bring comfortable shoes.