Hawa Mahal, the “Palace of Winds”, Jaipur, Rajasthan
At first sight a chaotic, congested, hot city, but Jaipur abounds with highlights and is definitely worth spending several days to somewhat scratch below the surface. The good news, if you have enough time to explore more of the city than just the Amber Fort, the City Palace and Palace of the Winds (visited by groups in this very order), you will meet very few tourists.
Galtaji, better known as Galwar Bagh, the Monkey Temple, situated among Green Hravalies Hills, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
We had not heard of this place, but a quick online research revealed it as “one of the top 10 things” to do in and around Jaipur. So why not give it a try? Continue Reading →
Elephants carrying tourists up to Amber Fort in the morning, near Jaipur, the Pink City, Rajasthan, India
We were so thrilled by Amber Fort that we returned the next morning on our beloved bus Nr. 5, primarily to take more photos of the fort in a different light. Only to find -most shocking – the place swarming with busloads of package tourists, all lined up for riding up the short ramp on an elephant. Continue Reading →
Amber Fort, near Jaipur, the Pink City, Rajasthan, India
Asking an employee at the Atithi Guesthouse as how to get to Amber Fort we got this answer: “Take bus Nr. 5! It is a lot faster than an auto rickshaw and cheaper, of course”. We were puzzled: faster? Still traumatized from walking noisy and boiling hot streets the previous day, we were a bit hesitant first. But there was no excuse for not trying… Continue Reading →
Hawa Mahal, the “Palace of Winds” or “Palace of the Breeze”, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
The Palace of the Wind, the name itself gives you goose pimples, let’s your imagination run wild. A huge, airy palace, with royal princes and princesses strolling around, their loose silky dresses tousled by the wind. The Hawa Mahal was none of this, it is not even a building proper. It is a façade, a most stunning one though. Continue Reading →
Witnessing one of the many processions (this time for peace in the world…) in Jaipur, the Pink City, Rajasthan, India
Festivals & processions are Jaipur’s trademark. These attract loads of visitors, India and non-Indian alike. So we were rather disappointed when the festival calendar for April showed none. The bigger was our surprise when we literally happened to run into one! Stepping out into the street from a little yard that harbored a vegetable market, we stood face to face with an elephant. With its head beautifully painted, it swayed along the street carrying an elegantly dressed man and a child. Even in India, at least in an urban area, this is not the most common sight! Continue Reading →
