Jaipur, India: The Pink City

July 3, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Jaipur is the capital city of the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, the Land of Kings.  It is also the largest city of Rajasthan.  Jaipur is known as the Pink City of India because of the color of the stone used for the construction of many of its structures, the most famous being the Hawa Mahal.

But, in addition to some beautiful and well known sights, Jaipur is also a shopper’s paradise.  It is here where many fashion brands come to source fabrics and jewels.

We spent three (in my opinion, too short) days in the busy city of Jaipur.  We took in the sights, the food, and the bazaars!

Must See Sights

City Palace

The City Palace is a massive complex that covers about a seventh of the old city of Jaipur.  Within the complex are forts, gardens, courtyards, and palaces.  Three gates are used to enter the City Palace, but only two are open to visitors. The third is reserved for the royal family who still lives in the complex.  The cost of admission to the City Palace is about $7.00 USD.

There are a couple of highlights that you shouldn’t miss.  The first are the four beautiful gates in the palace’s inner courtyard, Pitam Niwas Chowk.  It is here that you will find the beautifully colored gates that represent the seasons (which I am sure you have seen on Instagram), the Peacock Gate (autumn), the Lotus Gate (summer), the Green Gate (spring), and the Rose Gate (winter).

The Sarvato Bhadra is an open air hall that is entirely pink!  It is one of the most important ritual buildings in the complex that is used today for royal festivals and celebrations. There are two gigantic silver vessels on display here which hold the Guinness World Record as the world’s largest sterling silver vessels.

The two main palaces in the complex at the Chandra Mahal and the Mubarak Mahal. Chandra Mahal is one of the oldest building in the complex. It also houses the famous blue room, Sukh Niwas, which is located on the second (of seven) floors. But, most visitors never get to see the amazing halls in the Chandra Mahal because it is not included in the general admission ticket.  To visit Chandra Mahala and see the Sukh Niwas and the mirrored halls of Rang Mandir and Shobha Nivas, you have to buy a separate ticket for about $34 USD.  Of course, I learned this AFTER we visited the City Palace, so this photo of Sukh Niwas is courtesy of Mr. Google.

Amber Fort/Amber Palace

The entrance to the fort is at the top so you either have to drive up or walk up.  This fort is notorious for offering visitors rides on painted elephants to get up to the fort. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT RIDE THE ELEPHANTS.  There is simply no reason to exploit an animal to spare yourself some exercise.  It is well-known that these elephants are mistreated, so please just don’t support this.

Jantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar  is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. Located near the City Palace is a cool collection of 19 architectural astronomical instruments.  The instruments are designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye.  If you have a couple of hours to kill, it is well worth a visit.  Here you will find the world’s largest stone sundial.

Hawa Mahal

This pink building is probably the most photographed building in Jaipur.  It is the reason that Jaipur is known as the Pink City.

It was built as an extension to the women’s quarters of the City Palace so that the royal women could look over the main street without being seen.  Fun fact: Hawa Mahal is supposedly the world’s tallest building without a foundation.  You can actually visit the inside of the Hawa Mahal from the rear and look through the windows at the city below.

The best view (and photo ops) of the Hawa Mahal is from Wind View Cafe across the street. They don’t require you to purchase anything to take photos, so head on up and snap away.

Jal Mahal

This little water palace sits in the middle of Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur.  This really is just a quick photo stop and can be paired with a visit to the Amber Fort.  You cannot visit inside.  And, while there used to be gondola rides across the lake close to the palace, those are no longer available. It is, however, illuminated at night, so that is a nice time to visit.

Nahargarh Fort

If you’ve been searching photos of Jaipur on Instagram, you have likely seen look-aways on the walls of this fort.  Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to visit this fort, so the accompanying photo is courtesy of Mr. Google.

This fort was built to protect the Amer Fort. A visit to Nahargarh Fort can be combined with a Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort.  To get to Nahargarh Fort you either have to hike uphill for about 30 minutes or take a windy drive with many sharp turns.  THe cost of entrance is about $3.00 USD.  The cool part about this fort is that it has its own step well. Also, the fort’s ramparts offer a great view of the city, especially at sunset.

Jaigarh Fort

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Patrika Gate

This is Jaipur’s ninth and most colorful gate.  And, if we are being honest, it is a total Instagram stop.  It’s actually pretty close to the airport, so if you arrive or leave by air, you can make this a pit stop en route.  But be warned, it is a VERY popular photo spot.  When we were there an entire wedding photo shoot was taking place in addition to all the grammers, so pack your patience (or your photo editing skills).

Visit a Step Well


India is filled with ancient and abandoned step wells.  These steps wells used to act as water storage.  However, now, they are tourist spots for photo ops.  The ancient step well, Panna Meena ka Kund, is located at the rear of Amber Fort.

It is free to enter, but this is India, so don’t be surprised if a guard demands that you pay an entrance fee.  This is where having a local guide really helps.  Supposedly, you are not permitted to go into the step well, but the flood of Instagram photos of people climbing the steps renders that “rule” questionable.  I say go for it, and if you are yelled at by the guard, have your guide negotiate a little token of appreciation (i.e., a tip) for his cooperation.  After all, this is India, and everything has a (negotiable) price).

Galtaji (Money Temple)

Galtaji is an ancient Hindu temple that is just outside of Jaipur.

There are many temples at this site with a natural spring that flows downwards from the hill top. The water from this spring fills up the surrounding water tanks which are considered very sacred.

The temple has 7 holy water tanks or kunds, of which the Galta Kund is the most significant of all. Pilgrims from all over India visit the temple to bathe in this water. The temple is also overrun with curious monkeys!

Shopper’s Paradise

If you like to shop, come to Jaipur. Whatever it is you are looking for, you can find here.  Especially if textiles and jewelry is on your list.  In fact, you can have things handmade just for you and delivered to your hotel by end of day.  I had a custom made silk table cloth made and delivered to my hotel in an afternoon from Heritage Textiles. I’d say reserve an entire day to just shop.

If bazaars are your thing, then you are in luck.  Jaipur is full of them.  The main bazaar is Bapu Bazaar.  Here you can buy inexpensive textiles, clothes, juttis (the traditional Indian slip on), shawls, saris, and accessories. Johari Bazaar is famous for jewelry. In Tripolia Bazaar, Maniharon ka Rasta is the home of lacquer bangles. Here you can also find metal crafts and vintage pieces. Nehru Bazaar is where to go for traditional footwear.

If it is the famous blue pottery that you are after, visit the Jaipur Blue Pottery Art Center.

If you are vising temples or just love flowers, stop by the flower market.  This early morning market starts at 6:00 a.m. and is held inside the Old City’s Chandi ki Taksal Gate. You will find sacks of bright marigolds and roses.  and as decorations for weddings. Combine your visit with the neighboring fruit and vegetable market as well. If it’s a Saturday, the Hatwara flea market pops up there too and is delightfully free of tourists

Stay and Dine

Jaipur is a huge city so the options for accommodations are plenty, from budget to luxury.  But, I think it is a nice unique experience to book a palace Hotel or a heritage hotel. I mean, who doesn’t want to stay in a palace?  So that is what we did.  We chose a suite at the beautiful Samode Haveli.  The grounds are immaculate and beautiful.  The common areas are truly spectacular.  And, breakfast was fantastic!

Another cool experience we had in Jaipur was a cooking class.  We prepared and ate a beautiful meal with a lovely Indian family.  Also, while in India, you must try Indian chai masala tea, and Jaipur is as good a place as any to give this sweet, spicy, creamy tea a try.

If you are brave, and Chad was, there is a street food tour that we took.  It was actually pretty interesting.  I stuck to the fried foods.  Chad just ate everything. Neither of us got sick.  The nice thing about this tour is that all the vendors that they visit are vetted, so that makes you feel a little better.  However, I will say that one vendor had an interesting way of serving his samples.  He had a stack of books, and he would just tear pages out of the book, drop your food sample on it, and hand it over.

If you want to take a break from Indian cuisine, try Bar Palladio.  It is Jaipur’s most photogenic bar.  It serves Italian fare in a beautiful indoor/outdoor setting.  The food is actually fantastic, and I had a cool rose tea there that was to die for!

India as a whole is an assault on the senses, and Jaipur is the perfect place to dip into the culture.  There are historical sites to visit, tons of things to buy, and some great little gastronomic treats as well.  I don’t think any itinerary to Northern India would be complete without a stop in Jaipur!

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Ranthambore, India: Tiger King(dom)

April 18, 2020 by · 2 Comments

It seems like Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin have ignited a curiosity about tigers.  Or maybe, more appropriately, about psychotic people who exploit tigers.  Unfortunately, Tiger King did very little to educate its viewership about how endangered tigers really are.

Once upon a time, there were hundreds of thousands of tigers in the wild. But now there are only a few thousand left. Approximately 3,890.  To have a chance to see a tiger in the wild, you will have to travel to Asia or to Russia.

When we finally made the trip to India, one of the highlights on our itinerary was a tiger safari.  There are at least 10 national parks in India that offer safaris.  We chose Ranthambore National Park because it is one of the largest in the country.  It is also a great park to include if you are visiting Rajasthan.  High on my wish list for India was to see even just one tiger in the wild.

Having done several safaris in Africa, we were familiar with the concept of safari, but were unsure what to expect in India.  Anyone who has ever traveled to India knows that it is, among other things, chaotic – a country that runs on its own set of inconsistent rules. In Africa, you WILL see animals in the wild, and you can almost be sure you that you will see the Big Five before your safari is over.  That is not the case in India.  On tiger safari, depending the time of year that you are there, you are lucky if you ever see a single tiger the entire time you are there.  More on that later.

Another major difference is that in Africa, the safaris are typically guided by the lodge in which you are staying.  Most of them, especially the higher end ones, have their own vehicles and expert safari guides.  That is NOT the case in India.  But for a few very exclusive lodges, the safari companies are not associated with your lodge.  Rather, you or your travel agent have to make a separate booking with an independent safari company that takes you on tiger safari. This is something I wish I had known before we booked, because had we known, we would have booked at one of the more exclusive lodges that run their own safaris.

When it comes to the safari vehicles, they look like the open air vehicles that you see in most of Africa.  If you want a private vehicle, you need to specifically book that and pay extra.  It was $100 extra dollars per day, so we opted for the private vehicle on our three-day safari.  Otherwise you can expect to be in a vehicle with up to 12 other passengers.  No thanks.

Unlike African safaris where you truly feel like you are miles away from the real world, Ranthambore is located in the middle of a city.  You literally drive through a bustling city to get to the park.  In some parts of the park, you can hear the city surroundings- cars, honking, people.  It kind of distracts from the experience.

But, at the same time, there are parts of the park that quiet, beautiful, and serene.

There is even an old palace fort in the park that you can visit after your safari. There, you will see TONS of monkeys.

Ranthambore is 282 square kilometers (or about 109 square miles).  It has between 60 and 80 tigers total.  That is a lot of park and not that many tigers.  The park is broken into 10 zones, which are strictly regulated.  Zones 1 through 5 are older and are said to have the best chances of seeing a tiger.  Zones 3 and 4 are said to be the best in terms of population of tigers and likelihood of catching a glimpse of these elusive animals.  Zones 6 through 10 are newer, so the chances there are less.

Here’s the bad news: you don’t get to pick your zone.  Zones are randomly assigned to the vehicles every day.  You must stay in the zone in which you are assigned.  Also, you are limited to one three-hour safari per day.  If you can bear the Indian heat, you have a much better chance of seeing tigers in the summer months than you do in the winter.  The park is closed during the monsoon months (July through September).

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Now, I had done A LOT of research on this trip before we came.  I knew it was difficult to see a tiger, and I was determined to see at least one.  I had read that you could pay for an all-day park pass.  I asked our travel agent about it, and she did not seem to be familiar with that.  She asked the local office who reported that they had stopped issuing these all-day passes.  Undeterred, I asked again when we got there, and got mixed answers. And, because you can negotiate and buy pretty much anything in India, I let it be known to our guide and driver that we were willing to pay extra for an all-day pass.  In the end, we got many mixed answers about the possibility of an all-day pass, and never actually got the all-day pass.  We later learned that all-day passes were available, IF you booked with the “right” company.

There is also a huge difference in the viewing experience in India versus Africa.  Unless you are at a public park, in Africa, most of the concessions are private.  So, when there is a sighting and the guides radio it to one another, you will, at most, share that sighting with three other vehicles that have a maximum of 6 people each.  In the public parks in Africa, there may be a bit more, but they are very organized and good about spending some time and them leaving so other vehicles can have a chance.  Ranthambore is a literal free-for-all. In Ranthambore, when a sighting is called, literally every vehicle in that zone shows up, and they are all on top of each other.  Like many things in India, it is utter chaos; and, in my opinion, very disruptive to the animal.

We visited India in December, and Ranthambore was our first stop.  Being a winter month, sightings were going to be even more difficult than usual.

We stayed at Khem Villas Luxury Jungle Camp. It was a lovely and serene property, tucked away from the busy city noise.  It is also a vegetarian camp, but honestly, the food was delicious. We stayed in one of their 8 cottages.

Every morning, we were picked up by our safari company and taken into the park.  We had three days, and a total of 9 hours to try and catch a glimpse of a tiger in the wild. I was crossing all my fingers and toes that we would get assigned to zones 3 or 4, or at least one of the first 5 zones.  But, no such luck.  We were assigned to zones 6 through 10 every single day.  Our chances of seeing a tiger were getting slimmer.

Undeterred, we ventured into the park every day with hope that we would get to see one. After all, we have incredible luck in Africa. We always see Big Five, and we always get a rare sighting, usually a leopard. I was channeling all my good Africa luck. Alas, it just wasn’t in the card for us.  We spent three days searching for tigers. We never saw a single tiger. Ever. I was so heartbroken.  Literally, all I wanted from this trip was to see a tiger and to see the Taj Mahal. Only one of those things got accomplished.

Each day, we would come back to the camp and hear about others’ sightings.  I was SO upset. I waited SO long to come to India.  I mean, I literally had to force Chad to come.  The only part of the trip that he was looking forward to was tiger safari, and it was a complete bust. One of our guides felt so bad for me that he shared his photos of sightings he had in the past.  I was grateful for this, but it was no substitution for seeing that majestic animal in the wild for yourself.

So, what’s the moral of the story here?  Well, not every travel experience is going to be as you expected.  I am still happy we went because it was an incredible experience; but, it would’ve been even more incredible if I had actually seen a tiger.  But, I’m not a quitter.  I already have designs for another trip to India just to see a tiger.  But, this time, I will learn from my mistakes, and make sure I put myself in the best possible position to see a tiger.

But, you know what’s even more important than me getting to see a tiger?  The fact that there are SO few tigers left – because of humans – that it is this hard to see one. We, as a human race, MUST STOP ruining the planet and killing all the animals.  Because, at the rate we are burning through this planet and its majestic wildlife, there won’t be any tigers left for our grandchildren to see.

 

 

 

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