After a heavily delayed train journey from Jodhpur, we finally arrived in Rajasthan's colourful capital city. No visit to Rajasthan would be complete without a trip to Jaipur, a thriving city known for its incredible history, architecture, shopping and overall exuberance.
We arrived in Jaipur with a list of the places we were keen to visit, but came away having seen double the amount we had expected. I think we can safety say that this was due to having a rickshaw driver guide us through the city, sharing with us secret locations that were slightly off the beaten track!
Duration
As it is the largest city in Rajasthan, you will need at least two full days to cover the main sites and a few extra. Therefore, 3 nights and 2 days was ideal but you could easily stay longer if you don't mind the craziness!
See & Do
The Amber Fort
On everyones to do list and for good reason - the Amber Fort is an incredible complex built high on the hill in the most beautiful yellow and pink sandstone. It is an amazing place with perfectly manicured courtyards and rooms made of marble and filled with all kinds of grandeur, plus, there are some pretty good views from the top too!
The Pink City
Jaipur is iconically known as the "Pink City" of India due to its walled city, whereby all of the buildings have to be painted a terracotta pink by law. The colour pink historically represents hospitality and was used to entice Prince Albert to the city during his 1978 tour of India. It is home to some of Jaipur's main attractions, as well as being an attraction in itself for the elaborate city entrance gates and shabby terracotta buildings. Thus, it is virtually impossible to visit Jaipur without getting a glimpse of the walled pink city!
The City Palace and the Hawa Mahal were the two main attractions that allured me into the pink city. My favourite places within the city palace complex were the Diwan-i-Khas, for its stunning architecture and fairy-tail splendour. I also fell in love with the Pitam Niwas Chowk, which is a courtyard that is home to four intricately designed gates that represent the different seasons.
The Hawa Mahal is also one of the most iconic buildings in Jaipur due to its impressive architecture and unique beauty. However, it is unfortunately located on an incredibly busy road, which did make the whole experience a tad stressful and slightly disappointing dare I say.
The Sun Temple
If you want to venture off the main tourist trail and love a good viewpoint, then I would strongly recommend you take a visit to the Surya Mandir (Sun Temple). Your driver will most likely drop you at the Surajpol Bazaar, and from there it takes around 15 minutes to walk up towards the temple. I believe you can also walk to the monkey temple and the Galta Ji from here too.
To enter the sun temple you may be asked to offer a donation or perhaps like me, be roped into being blessed and then have to pay for it. Either or, it is worth paying 50 rupees or so to enter the small local temple and enjoy the incredible views of the expansive city.
Royal Gaitor Tombs
Perhaps the most peaceful place in the whole of Jaipur and largely undiscovered by tourists, the royal cenotaphs are well worth a visit. This is where many maharajas were buried and it is a small complex full of intricately designed monuments and marble mausoleums. It is very cheap to enter and as it is a little hidden you won't find many tourists.
Shopping
Jaipur is famed for its shopping because it is full of bazaars, fabric factories, jewellery shops and so much more. It is the place where I picked up the most trinkets and you could easily dedicate a day to shop and market hopping!
We were taken to a little fabric factory and were shown the process of block printing and were then invited to drink chai and be shown all kinds of things from cushion covers to cashmere scarfs. I came away with quite a bit but everything seemed really good value, of great quality and we did not feel pressured to buy anything! If you are a lover of Indian fabrics and are looking for good quality gifts to take home, then I would strongly recommend you seek one of these fabric shops out.
Although there is a lot of shopping in Jaipur, when you actually arrive in the city it can be a little overwhelming and it is actually not always that easy to distinguish between the tat and the good stuff! I would recommend asking your hotel for advice if you are really keen to sink your teeth into Jaipur's shopping, and then arrange with a driver to take you to all of the different shopping areas.
Sleep
Sunder Palace Guesthouse - This is where I stayed and it was one of my favourite hotels in India. It was really good value for money as our bedroom was lovely and big as well as immaculate. There was also a really great roof terrace where we ate dinner every night, as well as enjoyed watching the sun set with a chai every afternoon after a long day of sight seeing!
Samode Haveli - A non-budget option but lovely looking hotel in the heart of Jaipur!
Moustache Hostel - A budget choice with dorm beds and double beds available. It also has a roof terrace and good reviews!
As it is the largest city in Rajasthan, you will need at least two full days to cover the main sites and a few extra. Therefore, 3 nights and 2 days was ideal but you could easily stay longer if you don't mind the craziness!
See & Do
The Amber Fort
On everyones to do list and for good reason - the Amber Fort is an incredible complex built high on the hill in the most beautiful yellow and pink sandstone. It is an amazing place with perfectly manicured courtyards and rooms made of marble and filled with all kinds of grandeur, plus, there are some pretty good views from the top too!
The Pink City
Jaipur is iconically known as the "Pink City" of India due to its walled city, whereby all of the buildings have to be painted a terracotta pink by law. The colour pink historically represents hospitality and was used to entice Prince Albert to the city during his 1978 tour of India. It is home to some of Jaipur's main attractions, as well as being an attraction in itself for the elaborate city entrance gates and shabby terracotta buildings. Thus, it is virtually impossible to visit Jaipur without getting a glimpse of the walled pink city!
The City Palace and the Hawa Mahal were the two main attractions that allured me into the pink city. My favourite places within the city palace complex were the Diwan-i-Khas, for its stunning architecture and fairy-tail splendour. I also fell in love with the Pitam Niwas Chowk, which is a courtyard that is home to four intricately designed gates that represent the different seasons.
The Hawa Mahal is also one of the most iconic buildings in Jaipur due to its impressive architecture and unique beauty. However, it is unfortunately located on an incredibly busy road, which did make the whole experience a tad stressful and slightly disappointing dare I say.
The Sun Temple
If you want to venture off the main tourist trail and love a good viewpoint, then I would strongly recommend you take a visit to the Surya Mandir (Sun Temple). Your driver will most likely drop you at the Surajpol Bazaar, and from there it takes around 15 minutes to walk up towards the temple. I believe you can also walk to the monkey temple and the Galta Ji from here too.
To enter the sun temple you may be asked to offer a donation or perhaps like me, be roped into being blessed and then have to pay for it. Either or, it is worth paying 50 rupees or so to enter the small local temple and enjoy the incredible views of the expansive city.
Royal Gaitor Tombs
Perhaps the most peaceful place in the whole of Jaipur and largely undiscovered by tourists, the royal cenotaphs are well worth a visit. This is where many maharajas were buried and it is a small complex full of intricately designed monuments and marble mausoleums. It is very cheap to enter and as it is a little hidden you won't find many tourists.
Shopping
Jaipur is famed for its shopping because it is full of bazaars, fabric factories, jewellery shops and so much more. It is the place where I picked up the most trinkets and you could easily dedicate a day to shop and market hopping!
We were taken to a little fabric factory and were shown the process of block printing and were then invited to drink chai and be shown all kinds of things from cushion covers to cashmere scarfs. I came away with quite a bit but everything seemed really good value, of great quality and we did not feel pressured to buy anything! If you are a lover of Indian fabrics and are looking for good quality gifts to take home, then I would strongly recommend you seek one of these fabric shops out.
Although there is a lot of shopping in Jaipur, when you actually arrive in the city it can be a little overwhelming and it is actually not always that easy to distinguish between the tat and the good stuff! I would recommend asking your hotel for advice if you are really keen to sink your teeth into Jaipur's shopping, and then arrange with a driver to take you to all of the different shopping areas.
Sleep
Sunder Palace Guesthouse - This is where I stayed and it was one of my favourite hotels in India. It was really good value for money as our bedroom was lovely and big as well as immaculate. There was also a really great roof terrace where we ate dinner every night, as well as enjoyed watching the sun set with a chai every afternoon after a long day of sight seeing!
Samode Haveli - A non-budget option but lovely looking hotel in the heart of Jaipur!
Moustache Hostel - A budget choice with dorm beds and double beds available. It also has a roof terrace and good reviews!
Post a Comment