Thikana Delhi

In south Delhi’s leafy Gulmohar Park neighbourhood, Thikana is a small but comfortable B&B with the friendly ambience of a homestay.

Modern, recently-renovated rooms feature balconies, rugs and a light-touch ethnic decor, embracing paintings and sculpture along with breakfast tables and work desks.

It’s about as personable an experience of ‘middle class’ Delhi as you’ll find, with its hosts on hand to share anything from practical tips on getting around to arranging local taxis for sightseeing and even sharing the latest sounds from the world of Hindi pop to Indian classical music.

Around 11km from central Delhi, this is an ideal choice for those who want to escape the freneticism of the city, and don’t mind spending time in the city’s notorious traffic in order to reach the sites.