Jaipur: The Pink City
India is another planet on its own. It is absolutely nuts no matter where you are in the country. Jaipur is unique because it combines the unique chaos that finds a comfortable home in India with incredible culture and history, providing comprehensive insight into this fascinating country. From palaces to forts to textile shops to gardens, Jaipur grabs your attention and holds on tight. And given that parts of the city are painted pink as a sign of welcoming, you will find that Jaipur is warm and graceful in all its absurdity.
Seeing Jaipur in any sort of efficient manner is about as possible as eating beef in India. Hint: it's not. And you can put most of the blame on those cows. Indians, if you weren't already aware, revere cows almost as much as Americans revere the Kardashian's (got I hated typing that sentence). Thank God in America there aren't thousands of Kardashian's roaming the streets because if that were the case, we would live in a state of pure chaos. Which brings me to India. Because cows do in fact roam the street, and they do in fact live in a state of pure chaos. What happens when a cow decides to sleep in the middle of the street? Everyone stops what they're doing and waits for Mr. Moo to wake up from his beauty rest. And for someone like me who makes it a point to see as much of a city as possible while visiting, this was pretty damn frustrating. But at least now I know, if I was a cow, I'd live in India.
Indian traffic jams
But as that is the case, driving around Jaipur is basically not possible. UNLESS, you take advantage of your inevitable jet-lag and start your day at 6:30 in the morning like we did. In regards to what you should check out in the Pink City, here's what we did:
Amer Fort
Your uber ride to the top of the fort, which takes 15-20 minutes depending on the elephant/driver duo you get (ours were a bit older so we pushed 20 minutes). You can also see the "photographer" on the side of the road trying to take your photo. Just ignore them and keep looking at the beauty of the fort above and scenery below
One of the most beautiful forts in the city, if not the country, the Amer Fort sits on top of the city of Jaipur, about a 20 minute drive north of the city. It's a scenic drive up the mountain when you arrive at the lower entrance. Along the drive, you will see a zig zagging road up the mountain to a fort with over a hundred elephants carrying two people at a time up the mountain in around 20 minutes or so. And that's an experience of a lifetime. Ramesh (our driver-more on him in my next post) was able to get a guide that let us skip most of the line, but if you're coming without any sort of pre-planned way to cut the line, you really do have to get here early because the line gets seriously long. And as another thing to know, the elephants are only working until lunchtime, so after lunch you either have to take a traffic filled drive up to the fort where the sound of elephant footsteps are replaced by the horns of cars. So you can ascertain how key it is to get to the fort early and enjoy the incredible experience of getting to the actual fort itself.
Me and our guide touring around one of the main public spaces of the Amer Fort
Once you get to the top of the fort, you'll walk through the gate which was used as the gate for esteemed guests back in its heyday, and into a large courtyard. Get your tickets (our guide got them for us), and get ready to go in. But before you do, walk over to the side of the courtyard and check out the view of the mountains and city wall, along with a glimpse of the city below. It's truly is a sight to behold, for you get a glimpse into what the city was like in the past and how it has evolved into the present.
The India Great Wall
The fort itself has many points of interest such as gardens, King's rooms, massive rice pots, and more, all of which are a part of whatever tour you decide to do, either with a group or by yourself. But by far the most impressive part of the fort was the Hall of Mirrors. The room was covered in mirrors-walls, ceilings, everywhere. It's one of those places that the more you look at it, the more interesting it becomes. You start to notice the intricacies of the details and the beauty in every square millimeter. It's small in size, but big in impact, so be sure to allocate more than just a few minutes to take it all in. I personally did not want to leave because I was just so enamored by it all (or maybe my own reflection ;))
No caption needed, just pure beauty.
City Palace
Definitely spend the extra $20 or so to get a private tour through the entire palace, because that is how you truly get a unique experience. We got to go inside rooms that are considered "live", meaning the Royal palace uses them to this day on a regular basis. Also, the fact that it was a private tour meant we could somewhat rush our guide through the tour so we could get back to our resort.
The palace itself is a sight to behold. It's almost comically representative of the country, as there are so many rooms that each have their own unique character, color, style, etc. Getting up to the top of the palace is via a slippery ramp, so take caution (this is because one of the queens couldn't walk so they made it entirely handicap accessible). The views from the top are truly stunning though, as you can see the whole of Jaipur below you, including all the monkeys jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
Views from the top
Honestly, you could spend an entire day just roaming around the City Palace and nearby grounds, as it really is beautiful and everything is conveniently located. Just don't be afraid to spend some extra money because the added experiences and minimized waiting time make it worth it.
Old City (Hawa Mahal)
Really nothing more than a pit-stop while driving, the Hawa Mahal is a beautiful palace that was used for the women of Jaipur to be able to look down on festivals and celebrations on the street without being seen. We only quickly drove by the palace, which is no more than a few meters deep, but nevertheless, I felt as though the detour was worth it.
That's pretty much it...still beautiful though!
Jal Mahal
Also nothing more than a pit stop on the side of the road, the Jal Mahal sits on top of a lake on the way to the Amer Fort and makes for a great photo op.
The only photo I took on our pit stop of this beautiful Palace perched in the middle of the lake-granted, it's a solid photo.
Shopping
Jaipur is famous in India for its culturally driven shopping, including fantastic gold markets, diamond stores, and textile shops. We had Ramesh (our driver) take us around to some of the best in the city, so I would recommend simply asking your hotel to make suggestions based on what you are looking to buy. We made quite the dent in our wallets after the full day we spent shopping, so I'm warning you, bargain like you've never bargained before. Don't be the stupid foreigner that gets taken advantage of. Offer a price around half of what they originally offer, and if they don't take it, then walk away (they'll come after you, I can almost guarantee it).
Then there was the food in India, which was absolutely awesome. The spices and bold flavors may not be for everyone (particularly their stomachs'), but for an adventurous foodie like me, I was in heaven. There were some flavors that were entirely unique which I had never imagined my taste buds could even discover. Unfortunately on this trip, I was instructed to stay away from street food, which is usually my favorite way to experience a country's genuine cuisine and culture, but instead I had the honor and fortune of eating at some of the city's best spots (and unfortunately missing out on one of them because the place was closed on Tuesday's. Seriously, what restaurant is closed on Tuesdays? What's wrong with Tuesdays? What did Tuesday ever do to you?). Anyways, here's what's up in Jaipur when it comes to keeping yourself very full (just make sure you are within relatively close proximity to a bathroom after you eat).
Baradari
Located at the entrance to the City Palace and run by the Royal family themselves, Baradari is beautifully decorated with its use of modern finishes (think white marble, clean lines, polished wood, etc.) colliding with the old fashioned architecture of the City Palace and the general vernacular of Jaipur. Somewhat slow service here doesn't really make much of an impact as it is a buffet-style, self-serve restaurant. The food is fantastic, as it is all around India, just be somewhat cautious when it comes to the drinks as we found some rust and dirt in our cups and you never know in India. But regardless, Baradari offers a great, convenient location with fantastic decor and solid food, making it a must visit for lunch before or after your visit to the City Palace.
Rambagh Palace
Rambaugh Palace is in the same league as the Oberoi, except smack in the middle of the city. We did not stay here, but if I had to make a quick review, it would go as follows: Superb hotel with great staff and immaculate grounds, conveniently located smack in the center of the noise and pollution of Jaipur. Hopefully that gives you somewhat of an idea of what the Rambaugh Palace has to offer.
When it comes to food, we got there as soon as the restaurants opened for dinner (6:00 PM) and were the only ones in the main restaurant overlooking the expansive "backyard" of the hotel. Here, there were two tasting options for our dinner-Western and Indian style. Being in India, I of course decided to have the Indian tasting menu, and was not disappointed. An eclectic flurry of dynamic flavors challenged each and every one of my taste buds and really forced me to step out of my already expansive culinary comfort zone. Everything truly was fantastic, with the exception of dessert. It was some weird fruit sorbet thing and if it weren't for the fact that I was starving and have a potent sweet tooth, then I probably would not have finished it (or my family's).
Cafe Palladio
Supposedly one of the best places in the city, Cafe Palladio is known as a hip, trendy, and cute place for a sandwich or a drink. But it's closed on Tuesdays. Now you know. Review over.
Expect to be uncomfortable in Jaipur, but do your best to find the comfort within it. India is not in any way whatsoever clean, organized, efficient or normal. You'll see people peeing (and pooping if you're lucky!) on the side of the road. You'll see more cows than blondes. And if you're blonde, you'll know what it's like to be a Kardashian (written that word too many times in this post, but you get the point). But the reality is, this country represent 1/7th of the human race. Twice the population of the US do not have a toilet in India. It's a culture shock but its also a reality shock. And it definitely made me appreciate what I have been blessed to have on a whole new level. So take it all in and breathe in the incredible polluted air knowing