Khem Villas, Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan, India
Of the many luxury hotels around Ranthambhore National Park, we picked Khem Villas to relax a few days after our strenuous sightseeing in the heat. The reviews were raving, the peaceful and quiet atmosphere, set in a big well kept ground, the great rooms and what not… Continue Reading →
Khem Villas, Ranthambhore National Park, Rajasthan, India
The project Tiger Watch was started in the late 1970s by the father of the current owner of the Khem Villas, Mr. Rathore. He devoted his life to establishing the National Park, protecting the tigers and helping and educating the villagers. Without their cooperation, the project would be doomed: cutting down trees for firewood and poaching are the real threats for both the park and the already dangerously low population of tigers. Alternatives like using biomass for cooking and job opportunities in the booming tourism industry should offer a different perspective to the mostly illiterate farmers (literacy of women is a mind-boggling 7%) in one of the poorest areas of India. Continue Reading →
Tiger (?) in Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India
Who would resist the opportunity of seeing a tiger in the wilderness? Along with a considerable number of other visitors, Indian and international tourists alike, we took this pilgrimage to see one of the very last 32 tigers that roam Ranthambhore National Park. Continue Reading →
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 →
Streets of Jaipur, the Pink City, Rajasthan, India
Travelling for days, getting little sleep, the heat and a five-hour train ride left us in a shaky state. Nevertheless, immediately after we arrived in Jaipur, we trotted off to explore the Pink City. On foot, on boiling hot concrete, along one of Jaipur’s busiest, most congested streets… All sights were closed when we finally dragged our exhausted bodies into the Old City. Refusing to admit that this was a pretty silly start, we continued, fighting our way through the narrow alleys of the bazaar. Feet burning, mood crumbling, we wondered who would rebel first… Continue Reading →
On the train from Agra to Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
With 1.2 billion on the move, transport becomes a challenge. More and more Indians are able to afford private transport of various kinds, from scooter to large SUVs. Add an ill-adapted infrastructure in a megacity and you have got the picture… Continue Reading →
