Monsoon in Jaipur !!

It was a morning flight to Jaipur. We landed there by 10.30 A.M  and checked in at the Hotel by 11.30. After checking in, we freshened up and went for lunch at the in-house restaurant. The very first thing we did in Jaipur is  having their famous laal maans and steam rice for lunch. Ah ! What a delight it was. The perfectly cooked lamb in an interesting medley of flavours had left us hanging. After the lamb-ish lunch we booked a cab from the hotel and went to explore Jaipur. Albert hall museum was the first place on the list. The inside and outside of the hall is equally satisfying. The museum has a rich collection of artifact including paintings, jewelry, carpets, ivory, stone, metal sculptures, and works in crystal. The flock of birds outside the museum made the view striking. Next stop was Jal Mahal. On the way to Jal Mahal we got a glimpse of the majestic Hawa Mahal .Jal Mahal (water palace) is a grand display of Rajput Architecture and  appears to float in the centre of Man Sagar Lake. Sunset at the Nahargarh fort was next in the list. We reached Nahargarh by 6.00 and the sunset time was 7.00 . So we took a tour around the fort. Though we could not enter the palace as it was past entry time but we enjoyed the breathtaking view of the city from the fort. When it was around 7.00 we went to Padao restaurant for the perfect sunset view and luckily got the perfect spot for it as well. The scene was picturesque and no words can justify its beauty. Sun infuses it's colour into the colourful city making it irresistible. After filling our heart with colours it was turn to fill our stomach with some Jaipur delicacy. We decided on  restaurant 1135 A.D at Amer fort. Dahi kabab, jungle maans, sahi gulab jamun and pan-rose flavoured icecream were toothsome and the royal decor made it a memorable experience. We returned hotel after an enthralling day.

The next day after a sumptuous breakfast we headed for Bhangarh fort. One of the most haunted place in India had to be in our list. We had a great time in the haunted fort. With little rain, we thoroughly enjoyed the ruins of bhangarh fort. Next we went to Chand Baori and the adjoining Harshat Mata temple located in the Abhaneri village of Rajasthan . Chand Baori consists of 3,500 narrow steps over 13 stories. The architecture is worth mentioning. For lunch we stopped at a roadside dhaba. There we enjoyed  dudhi roti and gatte ki sabji . Chokhi dhani was the next stop. Due to rain the traffic was slow, so we reached there little late. Chokhi dhani means special village. It is indeed a special place where you get different flavours of the state . Puppet show ,folk songs, folk dance  and many more activities were there. The best thing we enjoyed there was posing for photos wearing traditional clothes and the grand thali full of Rajasthani delights was mouthwatering. We could not do justice to the unlimited refill. Despite little rain , the  second day at Jaipur also went vibrantly.

On our last day at Jaipur I got sick but staying at the hotel room was not a question when we had so many things to do that day. So after a healthy breakfast at the hotel we started off with Amer Fort. Though we had a late start, we did not want to rush things. We took our time to enjoy the architecture, the view, the history , the royalness and the photoshoot. Each and every corner of the fort had something in it. Amer fort popularly known as Amer or Amber palace is constructed  of red stone and marble. Diwan-e-Aam, Diwan-e-Khas, Sheesh Mahal and Sukh Niwas are the main attractions of the fort.The majestic fort was worth the time. After Amer fort we went to Jaigarh Fort . Jaigarh Fort also known as Victory Fort is connected with Amer Fort with underground passages. The fort is home to a cannon named "Jaivana" . We gazed in awe at the vicinity of the fort. The cool wind and the view made it hard for us to move to our next stop but as it was lunch time we could not spare much time there. On our way to the city we had our lunch. As the time was short ,we had to choose from the many places on our list. We chose City Palace as no trip to Jaipur would be complete without a City Palace tour. We did not regret our decision as we thoroughly enjoyed the tour to the splendacious palace and for few hours we even felt royal. Though we were not satisfied with the guide in the Amer fort but the guide in the Jaigarh Fort and City Palace made the experience gratifying. Shopping makes a voyage perfect. After a fulfilling day we went to Bapu Bazaar for some shopping. After a heartful of shopping,  the evening was spent with some coffee and maggi  at a cafe opposite Hawa Mahal. We went back to the hotel and relaxed for sometime at the poolside of the hotel before calling it a day.

The day when we say goodbye to Jaipur.  Our flight was at 11.15 in the morning, so we had few hours at our hand before we head to the airport. We spent those hours exploring the hotel. Jaipur seems to be astonishing us even at the last moments. We would have rued if we did not explore the place we stayed. Shahpura House, you were amazing. The decor, the vibe, the rooms, the food, the staff everything were to the point.

Regarding the cabs we booked throughout the trip, we had an awesome experience for the first two days. We booked a cab from the hotel for the first day and the driver was so amicable that we never felt as an outsider on our first day. As the price was bit higher, on the next day booked cab from Rajputana Cabs. The experience was just like the first day. A good driver always makes the journey pleasurable. But the third day was dissatisfying. Though we booked the cab from the same company as the second day, the driver they provided was little rude and had quite a disagreement which was not expected from all the ratings they had on the internet.

With a heavy heart and bags full of memories, we took uber to the aiport. On the way we also got a glimpse of Patrika Gate. After a two hour flight we came back to our everyday lives.