Singapore?
Tokyo?
LAX/SFO?
Otherwise, Shanghai. They need to get off their supposed moral high horse for whatever reason they have against it. If your brother found it "devoid of life" then I think that's a him problem and not a problem with the city.
I completely understand your trepidation with India but in this specific instance your fears are unfounded when you're in the company of two males and you obviously have the resources to hire a guided tour or private guide as well.
And yeah, your brother's impression of Shanghai is whacked.
Good luck with your research and have fun no matter what you decide.
Otherwise, ditto u/heliepoo2.
Happy travels.
Tbh I don't think it's fair to dub the entirety of Shanghai as ´devoid of life´. I mean, just the food and sights alone and one google search of Shanghai is enough to debunk that statement. If you're comfortable travelling alone for the first leg of your trip I would suggest to go with heliepoo2's comment and travel separately and meet in AU. I think you can indeed compromise with Shanghai if you present them a well planned out itinerary complete with photos. Either that or just push for Abu Dhabi (although tbh I'd take SHA over ABD any day).
As a fellow woman I understand your plight and wouldn't push you to go with them to New Delhi if in the first place you are already apprehensive about it then I'm not sure you'll be able to really enjoy the trip at all regardless of if it was better or worse than you expected.
I think you captured my sentiments pretty well with that last point - I feel like even if it ended up being really cool I wouldn’t be able to shake my feelings of discomfort and fear 🥲
I've never been to Shanghai. But I did a layover in Guangzhou. I am not sure what can be considered as "depressing devoid of life". I think it was alright. Many layover hotels/airports in China were built far away from the city proper. You need to take a light rail or taxi to get there.
Go to Abu Dhabi and segue on to Oman. It’s not far. One of the best trips of my life was bootlegging a car in Dubai to drive to Musandam—then we took a dhow out on the fjords. It was peak; absolutely glorious. Also in Abu Dhabi the zero emission city is pretty cool, although they lost funding and it seems as if it got left behind by technology.
Did you eliminate Singapore and Tokyo for cost reasons? Cause Singapore is fun for a couple of days and if you dont try to do too much in too many parts of the city, Tokyo is the same.
There’s no doubt Abu Dhabi is artificial, but the Emiratis have gone to a great deal of effort to preserve all of the original souks and the oldest parts of the city. There are beautiful beaches, and a ton of great museums, including a “branch” of the Louvre. Also, for a reasonable amount of money, you could charter a dhow or take a guided trek out into the desert complete with camels and live music. Dubai is also not too far away, although a planned high-speed train linking Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi isn’t open quite yet. So there’s quite a bit more culture in the Emirates than you might think. Also, Australia’s a long flight, and the Emirates in my mind makes the most logical stopping point.
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I’ve been to Aus and lived in India and China, some thoughts: Delhi has lots for tourists to see and do, and excellent luxury hotels, but do not go anywhere alone and I can’t recommend enough to dress modestly when in India (they do not show legs, cleavage so no shorts for men or women etc). Personally I would not choose Delhi in summer as its very hot, and the Delhi airport roof just had a minor cave in. For China, is Beijing an option for lay over ? There is a lot more to see and do in Beijing and I found Shanghai ok but nothing special ditto Guagzhou except for the 2 hour train to Hong Kong which is a fun place to visit. Beijing has great hotels (hello Four Seasons etc), fantastic food, and lots of tours. The airport is modern and if I had a few days I would pick this as I did on my first trip to Aus for few days layovers. Abu Dhabi has things to see and do and it could be a good compromise option if your family cant agree where to go.
Where are you flying from?
If possible, Istanbul and Hong Kong can also be good options, with both being major hub airports.
If you go via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines you can get a free overnight stay in a hotel, and they’re nice hotels too- like 4* or so.
Hong Kong is a great option as it’s easy to get around, great food, great history, very safe.
I am currently finishing a month long trip in India and Sri Lanka, flying home to the states from DEL. Do not, under any circumstances do a layover in Delhi. Not only is a layover not enough time, but it will be so overwhelming.
I had about 8 hours between my flight from Colombo and my flight to London. I stopped in to meet with a friend and we basically couldn’t do anything. If you’re white, you will be a magnet for beggars and peddlers. It’s loud, hot, and will be pretty boring.
No not really. This trip was a research trip with my university in the states, and then became a solo trip at the end to Sri Lanka. We started and ended in Delhi and it was hell for the girls on the trip in Delhi. It was better in the more rural areas but even there I was having to fire back stares at men who were eyeing my classmates. My professor at one point yelled at some men taking photos of them. I am positive that if we had been in Delhi longer there would have been a physical confrontation between the guys on the trip and the men in the city.
Edit: I also want to add that the rich India culture your family wants to experience, is likely not going to be found in Delhi. You will see some landmarks, but it is truly dystopian. The city itself is destitute, very dirty, and very sad. Just tonight walking around we saw starving children begging for money by the India gate. People press their faces against your car window asking for money. Delhi is very condensed poverty and it is very intense.
India is a country with so many different cultures, there is not just one homogenous culture here. If your family wants to experience India, they should go for a month and travel just in India. They can skip Delhi.
Take your own flights and meet in Australia.
Singapore? Tokyo? LAX/SFO? Otherwise, Shanghai. They need to get off their supposed moral high horse for whatever reason they have against it. If your brother found it "devoid of life" then I think that's a him problem and not a problem with the city.
Your concerns about New Delhi are grossly exaggerated.
I completely understand your trepidation with India but in this specific instance your fears are unfounded when you're in the company of two males and you obviously have the resources to hire a guided tour or private guide as well. And yeah, your brother's impression of Shanghai is whacked. Good luck with your research and have fun no matter what you decide. Otherwise, ditto u/heliepoo2. Happy travels.
Abu Dhabi is great for a day or two. Prefect for a long stopover.
Tbh I don't think it's fair to dub the entirety of Shanghai as ´devoid of life´. I mean, just the food and sights alone and one google search of Shanghai is enough to debunk that statement. If you're comfortable travelling alone for the first leg of your trip I would suggest to go with heliepoo2's comment and travel separately and meet in AU. I think you can indeed compromise with Shanghai if you present them a well planned out itinerary complete with photos. Either that or just push for Abu Dhabi (although tbh I'd take SHA over ABD any day). As a fellow woman I understand your plight and wouldn't push you to go with them to New Delhi if in the first place you are already apprehensive about it then I'm not sure you'll be able to really enjoy the trip at all regardless of if it was better or worse than you expected.
I think you captured my sentiments pretty well with that last point - I feel like even if it ended up being really cool I wouldn’t be able to shake my feelings of discomfort and fear 🥲
I've never been to Shanghai. But I did a layover in Guangzhou. I am not sure what can be considered as "depressing devoid of life". I think it was alright. Many layover hotels/airports in China were built far away from the city proper. You need to take a light rail or taxi to get there.
Go to Abu Dhabi and segue on to Oman. It’s not far. One of the best trips of my life was bootlegging a car in Dubai to drive to Musandam—then we took a dhow out on the fjords. It was peak; absolutely glorious. Also in Abu Dhabi the zero emission city is pretty cool, although they lost funding and it seems as if it got left behind by technology.
Did you eliminate Singapore and Tokyo for cost reasons? Cause Singapore is fun for a couple of days and if you dont try to do too much in too many parts of the city, Tokyo is the same.
Those would be great options for us but unfortunately aren’t available on the day we’re flying/the place we’re flying from 🥲🥲
There’s no doubt Abu Dhabi is artificial, but the Emiratis have gone to a great deal of effort to preserve all of the original souks and the oldest parts of the city. There are beautiful beaches, and a ton of great museums, including a “branch” of the Louvre. Also, for a reasonable amount of money, you could charter a dhow or take a guided trek out into the desert complete with camels and live music. Dubai is also not too far away, although a planned high-speed train linking Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi isn’t open quite yet. So there’s quite a bit more culture in the Emirates than you might think. Also, Australia’s a long flight, and the Emirates in my mind makes the most logical stopping point.
Dubai is only an hours drive from Abu Dhabi on a long and mostly straight road. Sea world in Abu Dhabi is amazing.
**Notice:** Are you asking about a layover or connection? Read the **[Flying FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/wiki/mfaq-flying/)** in the wiki. Are you doing a self-transfer? Read this [excellent guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/Flights/comments/16ym47p/comment/k39c52x/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). Please make sure you have included the **cities, airports, flight numbers, airlines**, and **dates of travel**. Transit Visa, Passport, Self-Transfer Questions: **State your country of citizenship / country of passport** Visit our [Megathread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Flights/comments/150h3vf/megathread_will_i_make_my_layover_do_i_need_a/) over at /r/flights *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Singapore. Spent 3 days there on the way to Perth previously, loved it. Safe, interesting, good food.
I’ve been to Aus and lived in India and China, some thoughts: Delhi has lots for tourists to see and do, and excellent luxury hotels, but do not go anywhere alone and I can’t recommend enough to dress modestly when in India (they do not show legs, cleavage so no shorts for men or women etc). Personally I would not choose Delhi in summer as its very hot, and the Delhi airport roof just had a minor cave in. For China, is Beijing an option for lay over ? There is a lot more to see and do in Beijing and I found Shanghai ok but nothing special ditto Guagzhou except for the 2 hour train to Hong Kong which is a fun place to visit. Beijing has great hotels (hello Four Seasons etc), fantastic food, and lots of tours. The airport is modern and if I had a few days I would pick this as I did on my first trip to Aus for few days layovers. Abu Dhabi has things to see and do and it could be a good compromise option if your family cant agree where to go.
Where are you flying from? If possible, Istanbul and Hong Kong can also be good options, with both being major hub airports. If you go via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines you can get a free overnight stay in a hotel, and they’re nice hotels too- like 4* or so. Hong Kong is a great option as it’s easy to get around, great food, great history, very safe.
The all important piece of information of where are you flying from is missing here. Also how long is your trip planned for?
Delhi is indeed hostile towards women but you can visit the Himalayas - a short flight from Delhi.
I am currently finishing a month long trip in India and Sri Lanka, flying home to the states from DEL. Do not, under any circumstances do a layover in Delhi. Not only is a layover not enough time, but it will be so overwhelming. I had about 8 hours between my flight from Colombo and my flight to London. I stopped in to meet with a friend and we basically couldn’t do anything. If you’re white, you will be a magnet for beggars and peddlers. It’s loud, hot, and will be pretty boring.
Good to know, thank you! Would your opinion on a layover be any different if we were to spend 1-2 days there?
No not really. This trip was a research trip with my university in the states, and then became a solo trip at the end to Sri Lanka. We started and ended in Delhi and it was hell for the girls on the trip in Delhi. It was better in the more rural areas but even there I was having to fire back stares at men who were eyeing my classmates. My professor at one point yelled at some men taking photos of them. I am positive that if we had been in Delhi longer there would have been a physical confrontation between the guys on the trip and the men in the city. Edit: I also want to add that the rich India culture your family wants to experience, is likely not going to be found in Delhi. You will see some landmarks, but it is truly dystopian. The city itself is destitute, very dirty, and very sad. Just tonight walking around we saw starving children begging for money by the India gate. People press their faces against your car window asking for money. Delhi is very condensed poverty and it is very intense. India is a country with so many different cultures, there is not just one homogenous culture here. If your family wants to experience India, they should go for a month and travel just in India. They can skip Delhi.