The Day of the Scam, the Tuk-Tuk Ride & the Best Meal Ever!
After experiencing the 5th heatwave in the UK in 2026, I have been reminded my India fair trade trip and of just how hot it can get when travelling in India.
It has brought back memories of a very different hot summer – twelve years ago, when I travelled to India to meet fair trade organisations that Voyage Art was working with and discover more about the people and organisations behind fair trade gifts and crafts.
It was an incredible experience and one that has stayed with me ever since. So, I thought it was about time I dug out my old diary and shared the trip with you – starting with our rather eventful arrival in Delhi!
Day 1 – New Delhi
Wow! What a start!
We had not been in Delhi for more than 20 hours, but a lot had already happened.
We landed at around 3am. Coming out of the airport, we saw a pre-paid taxi stand. Thinking this would be the safest way to avoid a well-known scam – where visitors are taken to the wrong hotel and the hotel owner pays the taxi driver for bringing them potential customers – we approached the taxi rank.
We were staying at Aerocity Hotel, but we had been warned in advance that a driver might try to take us to Aerocity Hotel Inn instead.
The driver assured us that he would take us to Aerocity Hotel.
I wasn’t convinced.
But it was 3am, we’d just got off a long flight and, let’s be honest, it isn’t always easy to have your wits about you at that time of the morning!
Our hotel was only about 7km away, yet we seemed to arrive suspiciously quickly.
And, sure enough, the driver had taken us to the Inn. Both of us were livid!
Dad got really angry, telling him to either drop us off or take us straight back to the airport. I got my phone out to check the time and Dad said:
“That’s right, Sam – call the police!” I thought that was a good idea… except I couldn’t get any reception! The driver kept saying, “No problem, no problem. I find it. I need time.” Eventually, he delivered us to the correct hotel and asked for his money.
We weren’t having it! We jumped out, grabbed our bags from the boot and continued arguing with him as we walked into the hotel.
We explained what had happened and, before long, the taxi driver came inside too. The next few minutes involved quite a lot of arguing in a mixture of Hindi and English!
Eventually, the hotel staff said they would upgrade our room, and we started walking upstairs.
I turned around to see the taxi driver standing there in disbelief, while Dad – now truly jet-lagged and almost with smoke coming out of his ears – shouted:
“You are pathetic! PATHETIC!!”
And that was our introduction to India.
A Very Long Walk for a Drink
We collapsed into our beds and slept for a few hours.
When we woke up, Dad asked if I wanted a drink. I said yes, so he went outside to buy one.
He was gone for over an hour!
Apparently, on the way back, he missed the hotel and ended up walking for about a mile trying to find it again. At this point, I was beginning to wonder whether we were ever going to make it through the trip! Thankfully, things soon started looking up.
Exploring Delhi
We took a taxi to our next hotel in the centre of Delhi, the Pearl Hotel. The roads were absolutely crazy!
There were cows walking along the road, people selling flowers to drivers stopped at traffic lights and cyclists pulling carts overflowing with enormous planks of wood. Everywhere you looked, something was happening.
This was my first real taste of India beyond the tourist brochures.
At the Pearl Hotel, we had lunch on the roof.
I ordered chicken curry with garlic naan bread – and it was the best meal ever! Things were definitely looking up. Dad, meanwhile, was quite happy just watching the pigeons!
Tuk-Tuks, Markets & Holi
After lunch, we headed to the market in a tuk-tuk – and that was FUN! 
At times I felt like I was about to bang into the cars around us, but somehow it all seemed to work.
The market itself was a little disappointing. We didn’t find many interesting products, but the people were incredibly friendly. Everyone seemed happy and eager to talk to us while trying to sell us products or services.
Usually, we either ignored them or, in my case, took the mick!
At one point, someone asked whether I wanted to exchange money.
I held out my hand and said: “One million rupees.” He replied: “Sorry, sir, I don’t have that much.” And walked away! Bit harsh.
Because we were visiting during the Holi festival, we also kept getting hit by water balloons thrown by children. It certainly made walking around Delhi rather more interesting!
Eventually, we found our way back to the hotel and collapsed into bed.
We had only been in India for a day, but already we’d experienced a dodgy taxi driver, a lost Dad, incredible food, crazy traffic, tuk-tuks, markets and Holi celebrations.
And this was only Day 1.
Little did I know that over the next few days I would be meeting fair trade organisations, learning about ethical production and seeing first-hand some of the people and communities behind the products that make fair trade so important.
The real India Fair Trade Trip was only just beginning…
