There is a certain charm that a tier 2 city carries that is probably missing in the metros. As the cities try to strike a balance between heritage and modern, an old world way of life on the cusp of embracing the fast paced life of the metros, the resultant chaos is beautiful and heartwarming to say the least.
The #XploreBharat blog train has traveled from serene Dwarka yesterday to reach one such city today – Jaipur, famously known as the pink city! As you wade through the ever increasing traffic, that comes with influx of more and more workforce, passing by old havelis and colorful pagdis, you know this is going to be one experience that you will cherish.
How to reach
The best thing about Jaipur, unlike most tier 2 cities, is the connectivity. It is extremely well connected by Rail as well as by Air from almost all cities and every metro in the country. But if you stay in the NCR or are visiting the NCR, the best thing to do is to hit the road. Booking a seat in a volvo or hiring a vehicle, in case you don’t have access to a car or do not want to drive, is easy. Why the road you ask? Because you don’t want to miss the piping hot Gobhi Parathas with huge dollops of butter from the numerous Dhabas en-route. Leave at the break of dawn, stop by at one of the roadside Dhabas for a lazy breakfast and Chai and you’d still be in Jaipur well within noon, with the entire day at your disposal!
Places to see
Hawa Mahal – This 18th century Palace, is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen with its 953 Jharokas or small windows. Apparently this was built by the then Maharaja to allow the Royal ladies to get a glimpse of the life outside the palace without being seen. And the numerous windows also ensured the palace remained cool during the hot summers. In fact if you look closely it actually resembles a beehive from the outside. The cute little jharokas with the intricate latticework are the best photo op you will ever get 😉
Amer Fort or Amber Fort – This red sandstone fort was the famous Raja Mansingh’s residence. With large ramparts, courtyards and gardens it isn’t hard to imagine its grandeur in the days of the Maharaja. The long climb to the fort is totally worth it, with a great view of the surrounding city. However if you are not up for the long climb fear not, you can get an elephant ride till the entrance.
Chokhi Dhani – Modeled on a typical Rajasthani village, Chokhi Dhani is a fun place with Camel rides, Astrologers, Handicraft stalls and Folk Dancers. The main attraction however is their restaurant. They have a floor seating with chowkas and the works. The Thali is to die for, literally, with dollops of ghee to go with the food. I love the way the servers serve you. It’s like eating food at home, they keep serving you extra portions like a loving elder…(the proof of the pudding…oops khichdi😉 is in the fact that we totally forgot to take pictures of the food, we were so busy eating:-)
Things to do
Apart from visiting all the touristy places, there are things galore that you can do in Jaipur
Shopping – Make sure you are carrying an extra suitcase to pack in everything that you shop from here. Dress materials and jootis are a personal favourite, the variety, the prices, it’s a steal! While there are many places you can shop from…Bapu Bazar remains my favourite, but remember to bargain well….a cool tip, start at 50% of the price quoted and be at it ;-). It’s also a great place to pick up some silver jewelry, the place with filled with shops selling silver jewelry, there are silver jewelry shops even inside the Amer fort.
Food – Jaipur is a food lover’s paradise. Be it the Rajasthani Thali at Chokhi Dhani or the Bajre ki roti and Ker Sangri at Lakshmi Mishthan Bhandar, or the melt in the mouth Ghevar (don’t forget to try the Malai Ghevar) or the tangy Piyaz ki kachori with some lehsun ki chutney on the side (my favourite breakfast) or the super spicy Lal Maas from Niros. And once done, do polish it off with the thick delectable Lassi from Special Lassiwala near Gulab Chand.
Literature – And if you are a voracious reader, writer, I don’t need to tell you when you should be visiting this place. I am yet to visit Jaipur during the Jaipur Literature Festival, but hope to correct it soon….*starts planning the umpteenth trip*
Best Time to Visit
Summers can be difficult to handle here, so the best time to visit will be October to March….Even the monsoons can be fun since it mostly rains in the evening and the mornings are quite comfortable. If you are a festival aficionado, apart from JLF which happens in January, the Elephant festival on Holi is a treat to the eyes….so go ahead and plan your trip!
Where to stay
The best thing about Jaipur is that it is for every traveler, the budget traveler, the backpacker, the indulgent traveler, the heritage freak, the shopper, the foodie, the impulsive traveler and the planner. From budget hotels (the bus stand and the Railway station area is dotted with decent, clean hotels) to big heritage hotel chains, there’s a lot of choice. Even if you do not have time to book a hotel, you wouldn’t struggle, unless you are looking to stay at a specific property. So just pick up your bags and head to Jaipur!
This post is part of the #XploreBharat Blog train hosted by
Aditi, Esha, Maheshwaran, PraGun, Preeti,Saba, Sanjota, Sonia, Sudip, Suhasini,
Supriya and a big shout out to our sponsor for taking this Blog Train experience even further.
The #XploreBharat Blog train will next travel to Chandigarh ….Stay tuned and follow us at Blog Booster India and @BlogboosterIND for all the action!!
I thought I had already commented. Sorry for missing it. You covered Jaipur excellently.
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I so want to go jaipur!! the pink city is beautifulllll
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Oh you must visit… I love that city
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I have been to Jaipur. Indeed a beautiful place.
Ur post made me nostalgic. Lovely post.
http://shaandaarjenie.com
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Thank you
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I can very well relate to Jaipur as it is my maternal uncle home.. Have spent my childhood days there. nostalgic post
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So glad you liked this post…
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Beautiful post portraying the beauty of jaipur so nicely. The food part made my mouth water!!
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Hehe… Thanks a lot
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I have visited Jaipur a couple of times and every time it looks more beautiful to me. The city has a charm which pulls you. Be it the City Palace or the Jantar Mantar; the Hawa Mahal or the Amber Fort; Chowkhi Dhani or the Bapu Bazaar… every nook and corner leaves an impression. How I loved reading your article as it brought back those beautiful memories of Jaipur. Lovely post/ #readbypreetispanorama
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Thank you
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Jaipur is a place with amazing balance of culture, tradition and modern time. beautifully articulated, the beauty of the city through words.
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Agree… Its such a beautiful city…glad you liked reading it
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Such a wonderfully written post. And how can I not like it as Jaipur is my hometown. Thank you for delineating the ethos of the city so vividly.
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Thank you for the kind words…glad you felt i was able to capture the ethos of youe home town.. Means a lot
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Rajasthani architecture, food , music and shopping is always talked when one plans for Jaipur. I want to experience the rajputi flavor once and this post pushes me more for same. I loved how you covered every aspect for a traveler from arrival-food-stay-places, everything.
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Thank you… Glad you liked the post…
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Very well written piece covering all aspects of this lovely city. I love visiting Jaipur and particularly enjoy shopping experience there.
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Thank you Prerna….and agree on the shopping bit…I love shopping there too
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I have been to Jaipur twice and apart from the LitFest I have covered everything you mentioned in your post. Jaipur indeed is a heritage city and a perfect amalgamation of the old and the new. Wonderful post.
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Thank you…same here…yet to attend the LitFest…hope to correct that soon:-)
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Looks like Jaipur has some hidden treasures to explore. I always like to visit places that represent history and beautiful architecture. Will definitely visit this as part of my North India tour (one day I will plan & execute :D). Wonderful journey through #xplorebharat.
https://hackytips.com
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So glad you liked reading it Sanjota….if you like places with History and beautiful architecture, then Rajasthan is the place for you….
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Well crafted travelogue. I have been to Jaipur a couple of times and LMD food is just so delicious. Have missed Kachoris but have eaten traditional rajasthani food. Also shopped from Vasansi showroom. After reading your post I am certainly planning another trip to Jaipur soon.
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Yay! makes me so happy that you liked my post… Next time do try the pyaz kachoris they are to die for…
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Khamba-gani, mhare Rajasthan desh ka shaan hai 🙂 yet to visit the Pink City. Thanks for the virtual trip.
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Hehe… Of course you must…
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Awesome, enjoyed this post, Rajasthan is famous for forts and palaces and the most important is Rajasthani food , thanks a lot for sharing the joy 🙂
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So glad you liked reading it… Thank you
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Have been to Jaipur before but have been planning since long for a second time….. Loved your take on the Pink City
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Thank you… Hope this helps you in planning your trip
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Have visited Rajasthan several times but yet to visit Jaipur. Thanks for taking me through a virtual trip.
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Oh its a lovely place… Try and time it around JLF or the elephant festival its even better
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Last year I visited Jdhpur and Jaisalmer and this year, the Pink City is on my list of places to visit. I’ve heard a lot about their food and delicacies along with the architecture. Your post summed up so beautifully for me, Esha.
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Lemme know how your trip is…. And btw Jaisalmer is another favourite place….
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Super nostalgic to read this post, been to Jaipur twice and absolutely love this place. From the finest architecture to the friendly people to the meethi language to the delicious food, I love everything about this city. My favorite and not to be missed part here is Rawat ki Kachoris 🙂 Love your post.
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So glad you liked it… Have heard so much about Rawat ki kachori… Unfortunately yet to try it… Next time! 😊😊
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Please do and thank me later….I really really wish to eat it right away!!! 🙂
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LOL… I will definitely
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The train has reached to a beautiful place Soaked in history and culture. I have been to Jaipur thrice ans every time I have visited this city I feel as if I am suspended in time. There is a timeless charm to this place. The food here is marvelous, especially thr dal bâti. I also love anokhi cafés fusion food. Have been to amer and again à lovely fort though had to walk a lot. Yiu have done a great job of covering Jaipur esha.
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Thanks Anshu….you are right… Rajasthani food deserves a separate blog post all together…I am in love with it…
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This is how a travelogue should be.it is complete in all aspects. Very well written.
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Thank you so so much Sonia😊😊
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I am definitely going there this vacation
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You just made my day…
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A very exhaustive and detailed post. Hawa Mahal definitely seems to be an architectural wonder and I like the look of the image of food you have included. Rajasthani Thali sounds delicious. Will definitely make a trip to Jaipur. I have been there once, a long time back and do not remember much of my trip now.
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Yes you must… Hawa Mahal is truly beautiful
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Well curated post. My only intention to visit any place would be ‘food’. Your post is so tempting from that angle 😉👏☺️
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It definitely is one of my reasons for going back to this place again and again… You will not be disappointed
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Amazing description of my pink city… So i want to give a call as Padharo maro Desh”!
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Thank you thank you… Yesss will plan soon… We couldnt meet properly last time
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Never visited much of North India…good to read about Jaipur and visit it virtually through your post, Esha!
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I am glad you liked it… Hope this will help you when you plan to visit
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I have been to Jaipur many times, and traveled through it once again as i read your wonderful and descriptive post, Esha. I love that city and everything about it!
You post also served as a reminder that I still haven’t visited Chokhi Daani! st do, on my next visit!
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It is a lovely place isnt it? I love the vibe of jaipur…
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kachori, ghevar, lit fest….jaipur once again and loads of shopping for sure. great post esha
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Hehe… Thank you.. Glad you liked it
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Crisp and complete travel post on Jaipur. Made me want to visit again:)
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Lets plan… I can go to this place again and again
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I honeymooned in Jaipur and I have such fond memories of the city ❤️ The food, of course is delicious and the sights spectacular. You brought some great memories back 😊
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Oh I am sure then it must be special…glad you liked the post
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