Wonderful cities, culture, heritage. Everything you could associate with India is present and correct in the vibrant state of Rajasthan.
The pink city of Jaipur is the perfect place to centre a trip around Rajasthan, its convenient location making travel to other towns and cities like Bikaner, Jodpur and Ajmer that much easier. Due to its inclusion in India's Golden Triangle route, along with Delhi and Agra, it has become a hugely popular destination.
The centre of Jaipur is a frenetic array of traders selling everything from cloth to electronics. The old town, surrounded by red-washed walls, is made up of a network of dusty narrow streets, a ramble along which makes for an intriguing afternoon of investigation and shopping.
If you prefer a more structured sightseeing set-up, then there are forts and monuments to keep even the most restless occupied. The Jal Mahal, or water palace, is situated on the Man Sagar Lake. Although no longer occupied and inaccessible to visitors, it stands serenely on the flat water, whose peripheries are grazed by buffalo and used as a clothes-washing facility for the town's women.
A more unusual but no less fascinating sight is the Jantar Mantar, a small park of astronomical instruments built as a result of Maharaja Jai Singh II's passion for the night sky. Geometric devices here tell the time, predict eclipses, track star locations and measure the declination of the planets.
Just 13km out of Jaipur lies an ancient citadel called the Amer Fort, which offers a panoramic view of Jaipur and the surrounding area. The outer walls may be worn and crumbling but the deception of this impression becomes clear when you see inside it. The trek up the hillside is more than worth it to see the intricately carved walls, mirror work and paintings on display.
Other accessible sights well worth your time include the Hawa Mahal, Jaigarh Fort and the Albert Hall Museum.
Ganesh Restaurant in the city centre is a strange little place, but with some of the freshest chapattis in town you'd be a fool to miss it - although you might - its location is notoriously difficult to find. The entrance is sandwiched in among the stalls of the Nehru Bazar. You can sit on the rooftop, mopping up your daal and observing the intense activity below, while the restaurant's open oven cooks you another helping of the delicious unleavened bread.
There is a variety of starred-hotels to accommodate both you and your budget. You will find additional activities in most of them, including puppet shows, Indian dancing and folk music. A short rikshaw ride will take you out of the city centre to most of the cheaper hotels on the Amer Road, which overlooks the Jal Mahal.
Rajasthan's capital, Jaipur, is a living city with a strong cultural backbone that boasts no end of things to see and do. Satisfaction is guaranteed, especially for the culture vultures amongst you.
The pink city of Jaipur is the perfect place to centre a trip around Rajasthan, its convenient location making travel to other towns and cities like Bikaner, Jodpur and Ajmer that much easier. Due to its inclusion in India's Golden Triangle route, along with Delhi and Agra, it has become a hugely popular destination.
The centre of Jaipur is a frenetic array of traders selling everything from cloth to electronics. The old town, surrounded by red-washed walls, is made up of a network of dusty narrow streets, a ramble along which makes for an intriguing afternoon of investigation and shopping.
If you prefer a more structured sightseeing set-up, then there are forts and monuments to keep even the most restless occupied. The Jal Mahal, or water palace, is situated on the Man Sagar Lake. Although no longer occupied and inaccessible to visitors, it stands serenely on the flat water, whose peripheries are grazed by buffalo and used as a clothes-washing facility for the town's women.
A more unusual but no less fascinating sight is the Jantar Mantar, a small park of astronomical instruments built as a result of Maharaja Jai Singh II's passion for the night sky. Geometric devices here tell the time, predict eclipses, track star locations and measure the declination of the planets.
Just 13km out of Jaipur lies an ancient citadel called the Amer Fort, which offers a panoramic view of Jaipur and the surrounding area. The outer walls may be worn and crumbling but the deception of this impression becomes clear when you see inside it. The trek up the hillside is more than worth it to see the intricately carved walls, mirror work and paintings on display.
Other accessible sights well worth your time include the Hawa Mahal, Jaigarh Fort and the Albert Hall Museum.
Ganesh Restaurant in the city centre is a strange little place, but with some of the freshest chapattis in town you'd be a fool to miss it - although you might - its location is notoriously difficult to find. The entrance is sandwiched in among the stalls of the Nehru Bazar. You can sit on the rooftop, mopping up your daal and observing the intense activity below, while the restaurant's open oven cooks you another helping of the delicious unleavened bread.
There is a variety of starred-hotels to accommodate both you and your budget. You will find additional activities in most of them, including puppet shows, Indian dancing and folk music. A short rikshaw ride will take you out of the city centre to most of the cheaper hotels on the Amer Road, which overlooks the Jal Mahal.
Rajasthan's capital, Jaipur, is a living city with a strong cultural backbone that boasts no end of things to see and do. Satisfaction is guaranteed, especially for the culture vultures amongst you.