Rajasthan: Incredible India? (page 2 of 3)

Yeah, when you're keeping a travel journal, it can feel like you're walking alone in the desert. But if you look back, you realize there are people following along...

It’s too bad VF doesn’t let you see how many members are following a thread.

Yes, when you keep a travel journal, it feels like you're walking alone in the desert. But if you look back, you realize there are people following along...

Absolutely, Masterpo, the loneliness of the long-distance runner. 🙂

Jaipur 1

We got up early this morning because a taxi took us to Udaipur Airport for a flight to Jaipur, still with SpiceJet. Vinod was waiting for us at Jaipur Airport, where we quickly picked up our luggage.

Then off to Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds.

The entrance





Built in the 18th century, the building allowed women to watch daily life in the street without being seen and to enjoy a breeze provided by the many lattice windows.



It’s called a palace, but it’s really just a façade.



Great view of the city



And the tall minaret.



After a visit to a sari shop for my wife (just to look) and another clothing store where I had a custom shirt made for 25 € 🙂.

Next, we took a cooking class at http://www.pinkcitycookingclass.com/

Dimple and her son Makut, who handled the translation, gave us a warm welcome, and we spent a real moment of connection with this family. We prepared five vegetarian dishes, which we ate on the spot.

We stopped by the Rambagh Palace to book lunch for the next day. Then we settled in at Le Fort Hotel, located in a very quiet residential neighborhood. The staff is friendly, the room was very clean, and the meals there were excellent.

Jaipur 2

We start with a visit to Jantar Mantar, the astronomical observatory. It consists of 17 instruments, some of which are quite large, like this one—a 27-meter-high sundial that allows for time measurements with a precision of 0.5 seconds.



The audio guide is very well done, but it does require some concentration since the explanations are quite technical.





You can see the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) in the distance.



Next, we head to the Rambagh Palace, the former residence of the maharajahs turned into a hotel, where our lunch awaits.





Beautiful gardens



There’s even a train/restaurant



The welcome is, of course, top-notch—discreet and attentive.



We had lunch in the garden, in good company.



The food, however, didn’t quite match what we’d had in much less luxurious places. We suspected as much, but we came for the atmosphere and setting, and we weren’t disappointed.

A charming hostess showed us one of the suites, just for the fun of it.



Back in the city center, we stroll through and around the bazaars.













The Albert Hall with a few pigeons.

We end the day at the Raj Mandir, Jaipur’s iconic cinema (it’s wise to book ahead). The decor is very kitsch, and the atmosphere was quieter than described elsewhere. We had a great time (though we left before the movie ended 🙂).

Jaipur 3

Today's highlight: Amber Fort.



Lots of tourists ride up the access ramp on elephants.

I’d read comments about the mistreatment of the animals. We chose not to support it and walked up instead.



We arrive in the main courtyard through the Sun Gate.

Before entering the palace.







The hall of public audiences.



The women’s garden.



The fort is also visited by school groups.



After leaving the fort, we head to the Sri Jagat Shiromani Ji temple. Small temple, no tourists.



Next, we go to Jaigarh Fort, built to protect Amber Fort. In my opinion, it’s only worth it for the view of the fort

and a cannon named Jaivana inside the fort. At the time, it was the largest wheeled cannon in the world.



Back toward the city, stopping at Jal Mahal Palace, a former hunting lodge for the maharajahs. It’s no longer inhabited but remains very photogenic.

A few street vendors around.

We stop at LMB patisserie. Interesting welcome!



After sending our glycemic index through the roof with some pastries, the day ends at the hotel.

Hello, I follow, I follow... your adventures and thank you for the beautiful photos! I’ve never been inside Rambagh Palace, so thanks for taking the photos inside and for the comment about the food—it’s often like that, the most expensive restaurants aren’t the ones that serve the best food! Too bad you didn’t make it to the very pretty *baoli* behind the Sri Jagat Shiromani temple or to the splendid little Anokhi Museum (textile museum) nearby. I recommend it to readers because it’s really worth spending some time there!

Hi Madeleine. Thanks for the compliments.

Too bad you didn’t make it to the really pretty baoli behind the Sri Jagat Shiromani temple

I did, actually—coming up next! 😉

Toward Bharatpur and Agra

Today we’ve got a long drive ahead. We’re leaving Jaipur and heading to the Birla Mandir. The Birlas, a wealthy industrialist family, built several temples in northern India. This one’s dedicated to Vishnu.



Lots of people; there was a ceremony going on.



Next we stop by the Chand Baori Stepwell, which is incredibly well preserved.







The day ends at Lora Guesthouse in Bharatpur—simple lodging, but the welcome was warm, and the food was really good and cheap.

The next day we continue to Fatehpur Sikri. Built in the late 15th century, this short-lived capital was abandoned about fifteen years later due to a lack of water. It’s a ghost town, but it’s very well preserved. We hired a French-speaking guide on-site, and it was a great call. Since I loved the place, I’m sharing tons of photos 😏















Next up is the Jama Masjid mosque.







Then we head to Agra. We visit the Baby Taj, which wasn’t crowded at all.









We’ll be staying at Aman Homestay—great welcome, super clean room, and the meals were delicious and social with other travelers. It’s near the east gate of the Taj Mahal, which will make visiting the 7th wonder of the modern world super convenient (to be continued 🙂).

Agra, Delhi, and the end

You can't miss the sunset at the Taj Mahal. We went to Mehtab Bagh garden (paid entry) behind the Yamuna River before heading back to the hotel to enjoy a delicious dinner.





We read the guides and recommendations carefully, so today we woke up at 5:30 AM for the Taj Mahal. The hotel is close to the entrance gate, and we got there in 20 minutes.

Even at that early hour, there were still quite a few people at the security checks.



We passed through the Great Gate.



And there we were, amazed—along with a few other tourists—by the mausoleum in the morning mist,

lit by the rising sun.



The mosque is on the Taj Mahal’s forecourt.





The monkeys kept us company.



We admired this architectural gem.





And we took one last look at the mausoleum, dressed in white.



We then hit the road for Delhi, where we visited Humayun’s Tomb before catching our flight back to Paris.







Well, that’s the end of this travel journal. I hope those who followed along didn’t get bored.

More than any other country, this trip was a complete culture shock compared to our Western culture. They always say about India: "You either love it or hate it." A few months later, I still don’t know which side I’m on 😕.

I'm so jealous you got water in the Taj Mahal pool ! Anyway, did you finally do that travel journal ? It was really nice for me to find so many things in common but with different photos, so thanks for taking the plunge! For us too, India was one of the most "disorienting" countries, and since that’s what we look for when traveling, we were thrilled! What’s the next project???

Hi, I’ve been following your travel journal from the start and really enjoy it. Thanks! Looking at your photos makes me want to go back to Rajasthan again. Don’t hesitate to explore other regions of India, even though for me Rajasthan remains the most beautiful state in the country for a first trip.

good evening thanks again and congrats on this amazing travel journal kenavo

Hey Valérie

I’m so jealous you got water in the Taj Mahal pool !

I get it, the Taj is still the highlight.

So, did you finally do that travel journal 😉 !

Yeah, but before I started, I had no idea it’d be so time-consuming

What’s the next project ???

Well, Peru at the end of the month.

And congrats again on your travel journal—it’s really interesting. Looking forward to the next ones 😉

Hi there,

I'm glad I could bring back some memories.

Don’t hesitate to explore other regions of India, even though for me Rajasthan remains the most beautiful state in the country for a first trip.

I don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon—I’ve got a pretty full "bucket list" as the English say.

Best regards,

Hi Eric

Glad you liked it.

Hi Gérard,

I just wanted to chime in on this lovely travel journal to congratulate you on the time you must have taken to write it, and also for the beautiful photos that can only bring back memories for those who’ve already been there. I think Rajasthan is a great part of India for a first visit. We’ve been there twice and always with the same pleasure. If you’d like, I’d be happy to share my thoughts on visiting Machu Picchu in a PM—though I should warn you, I was really disappointed with the visit conditions, not the site itself, of course. Keep up the great work! Josiane

Your trip sounds interesting. However, I’m really bothered by the photos of elephants being used for rides. Same goes for the camels—they’re often exploited and mistreated. For elephants, the training process is horrifying, and I don’t think we should support it anymore.

Hi Gérard,

VoyageForum recommended your travel journal, and I really enjoyed it. I’m very tempted by this region but put off by the visa formalities. 🤪

How many days did your trip last?

Best,

really tempted by this region but put off by the visa formalities.

The visa is indeed a bit of a hassle, but with the e-visa, you don’t even need to leave your home...

I might be butting in where I’m not needed, but Rajasthan is so "rich" that a visa is really just a formality. The reward is totally worth it....