JAIPUR ITINERARY: 2 NIGHTS

Weekend with Family in Jaipur

2 Nights is too short to cover a place as gorgeous and full of Heritage as JAIPUR but sometimes when you are travelling and wanting to cover a country as diverse and huge as India that is the maximum you can spend at one location. So here are some suggestions to make the most of your time.   

When travelling with the family, picking the right location to stay is very important. M.I. Road, Hathroi Fort, Bunny Park are a few areas that lie right at the heart of the city and very close to most of the sight-seeing. That said Raja Park and Moti Doongri area are very central too. Pick from one of the many hotels in these areas so sightseeing becomes very convenient.

For your packing needs, you may want to check my previous posts on this blog:

PACKING FOR JAIPUR VACATION

JAIPUR: THE WEATHER AND WHEN TO GO

SUGGESTED ITINERARY FOR 2 DAYS IN JAIPUR:

DAY1: Check into the hotel, Change and go around the hotel property to explore the hotel so you can decide what all parts of the hotel you would like to spend time in. Further go to the Walled City and see The HAWA MAHAL- it is the most recognizable monument of Jaipur and for many it has become the symbol of JAIPUR.  Post Hawa Mahal, visit The JANTAR MANTAR- an 18^th century Observatory. Please not both these monuments are open between 10:00 a.m. to 16:30 p.m.

HAWA MAHAL

Following this you can go to johri bazaar by a bicycle rickshaw or Auto rickshaw and have a traditional Rajasthani Lunch at LMB restaurant. Its nothing fancy and is a vegetarian restaurant but serves some nice rajasthani dishes. Try the world famous Ghewar when at LMB- mind you its extremely sweet and made with a lot of clarified butter. Diabetics, watch out!!!

THE WORLD FAMOUS GHEWAR of LMB

If you are not interested in a vegetarian Rajasthani meal then go to The PALACE CAFE at the City palace of Jaipur. This is a multi cuisine restaurant and you will get burgers and fries to pastas as well. I used to particularly love the Spaghetti Bolognese but its been over a year since I have gone to the palace cafe, so cannot comment much about the taste. Post Lunch if you still have some time in hand- try to see The City Palace and S.M.S II Museum. Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. *CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. *Subject to change: Earlier it opened through the year and shut only on Holi and Diwali, but recently a few of my guests faced the issue on Sunday. Please check with City Palace Jaipur at: +91-141-2609196. or Email: ctpalace@sify.com

THE PALACE CAFE at THE CITY PALACE

Post lunch take a nap and then early evening (5:00 p.m.) leave for some retail therapy. Since most MARKETS ARE CLOSED ON SUNDAY- it is better to finish shopping on Saturday. Go to Bapu Bazar for knick-knacks, souvenirs, mojaries (the typical rajasthni footwear), quilts, bangles, cotton kurtis, cheap jewellery, puppets, handicraft items etc etc. Make sure you bargain to get the best deal!

The shops here are open till about 8:30p.m/ 9:00p.m. You can also find henna artistes sitting by the road and can get a tattoo done on one hand for approximately 100 Rupees.

If you want more shopping go to Saraogi Mansion at the entry of Bapu Bazar and you have the big Saree Emporiums- Nikhaar fashions, Pratapsons, Utsav and my favourite Parineeta. You can also find the Bnaraswala store here for exclusive hand weaves of bananras/ Varanasi. At the basement of Saraogi Mansion are many stores selling beautiful footwear, handbags, bangles and cosmetics.

Post Shopping, you can explore one of the many restaurants of M.I. Road for Dinner. Some of my personal favourites: Moti Mahal Deluxe, Dasaprakasa, Niros, Surya Mahal, Natraj, Handi and for the non experimental types we also have KFC & McDonalds at M.I. road. For fine dining, go to the end of M.I. road to Country Inn & Suites- and try one of the 4 restaurants there- Chinese/ Indian/ multicuisine coffee shop or The Lebanese Lounge.

DAY 2: Start early at the Amber Fort. Post Amber Fort go to Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort. Then a drive and photo session at Jal Mahal and from there proceed to The Albert hall- The Central Museum-Jaipur- open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm. Post Albert Hall proceed to the famous LASSIWALA at M.I. Road have some Lassi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lassi) and then further for Lunch, choose from one of the many restaurants at M.I. road.  Post Lunch go and visit the Birla Mandir also known as the Laxmi Narayan temple. If too tired, after lunch retire to the hotel for a nap!

On your last evening in Jaipur, I recommend, you to go to the Light & Sound show at Amber. The show is an attempt to revive the pride of Amber, bring forth the traditions that moulded the lives of its people, the pomp and show that once existed in its fullest form. It brings forth The spirit of Amber. This musical extravaganza has highlighted the local legends, folklore, and a connoisseur of folk music that continues to give Rajasthan its unique identity. The show has been set in a very exotic location with the panoramic view of the Amber Fort & Palace Complex in the front, the rising Jaigarh on the left, the hills at the back and the gallery itself in the Kesar Kiyari Complex of Maota lake. The Show runs on daily basis at 6:30 pm (Hindi Language ) and  in English at 07:30 pm  This show is for 50 minutes. And approx Tariff for the Indian National is Rs.100  and  Foreign natioanls  Rs.200.

THE LIGHT & SOUND SHOW- AMBER FORT

Post The Light and Sound show you can have dinner at 1135 A.D., Expensive fine dining restaurant OR one my favourite restaurant- The Spice Court- Civil Lines, Veg & Non Veg Indian & Rajasthani Cuisine. For more details on of Spice court go to: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d1091582-r114380767-Spice_court-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html#REVIEWS

Another Great option for wonderful Rajasthani Food at a dhaba ambiance  (very non pretentious) is HANDI, Maya Mansion- M.I. road. For more about Handi, visit- 

http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d952616-r114296547-Handi-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html

GETTING AROUND JAIPUR

Getting around Jaipur can be an interesting experience if you hire the local transport. Similar to other places in India, Jaipur also has its fair share of prepaid taxis. These are available right from the airport and the railway station itself. Besides, you can also avail taxis which are not prepaid. You can also ask your hotel to arrange a taxi for you. Jaipur also has a lot of Dial a cab- you can check my post TAXI SERVICE in JAIPUR regarding these- http://thejaipurguide.blogspot.com/2011/06/taxi-in-jaipur.html

Getting around Jaipur in auto-rickshaws/ 3 wheelers is also a good option. The three wheeled auto-rickshaws are available form every corner of the city including the Bus Terminal and the Railway Station. Auto-rickshaws are found everywhere and generally cheap. However as a tourist you must bargain initially as the meter never runs and sometimes they charge astronomical amounts compared to the actual chargeable price.

* Since November 2011- It is mandatory to use the meter. When you take the Rickshaw (tuk-tuk) ask him if he has the meter chart and has he started the meter. Once you Get down ask the driver to hand you the chart- read the amount of money against the meter reading and pay as per the chart. If The driver tries to act smart, tell him you will note down the number plate details and inform The Traffic police! He wont act smart!

A lot of tourists hire cycle-rickshaws but one of the problems is that the cycle-rickshaws are small, completely open and very slow. But, you can always avail them if you are moving to very short distances, just for the experience.

Travelling to Jaipur can be very exciting if you have a well organized Itinerary. It is always a good idea to reserve a mode of transport beforehand. In that case, you would really have no problems for your sightseeing. Public transports like the city busses are not all worth trying, they are too crowded and not in a very decent condition.

For any queries regarding getting around Jaipur or planning a jaipur Itinerary. Please write to me at anubanerjee@hotmail.com

TAXI SERVICE in JAIPUR

The days that I do not have my car I prefer to hire a Radio Taxi that charges from point to point service on per km basis.

A sedan with air-conditioning generally charges Rupees 15/- per kilometer and a smaller car charges approximately Rupees 10/- per Kilometer. There are 3 companies offering the radio taxi services these are:

Meri Car: +141-4188888

My cab: +141-5000000

Metro cabs: +141- 4244444

There are many local travel agents providing the taxis but I personally prefer radio taxi. You can order a cab atleast 45 minutes in advance and not waste money on keeping it for the whole day.

WOMEN TRAVELLERS in JAIPUR

Jaipur is pretty safe for women travellers. It is true, sometimes nasty things can happen but it can happen in any country/ city. You just have to be careful. Try not to do stuff alone at night and just be sensible. Sometimes it can be about attitude and how one carries herself.

India and jaipur is generally safe for woman alone. That being said, groping of females does occur sometimes- even if you dress conservatively. It very rarely goes beyond that. Any indecent behaviour with women is considered very bad in Indian society, so everyone will support you if you raise a fit. The best way to deal with it, If and when it happens, is to shout "who did that?" this will result in every other woman (and several men) around you looking for, and admonishing, the culprit. Usually they will not even hesitate in hitting such a person.

You will find that if you are friendly, but not over friendly, dress up conservatively and do not interact too much with strangers- you will not face issues. Sometimes one might have to face some eve-teasing but that is not serious. Just be careful, do not go alone in nights and do not let go off your guard.

I am an avid contributor at tripadvisor and have created the same topic there. You may want to read more of my reviews and traveller articles on TA, for the same visit my page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/anuroopabanerjee

If you have any queries on Jaipur, please write to me at anubanerjee@hotmail.com

SAFETY OF TOURISTS & FOREIGN TRAVELLERS

Jaipur is a fairly safe place to visit if you are cautious. The local people of Jaipur are very helpful and friendly. It is always a good idea to deal with licensed travel agents rather than trusting some anonymous local guides.

You can always be safe if you are careful enough about yourself and your surroundings. You should carry your belongings properly, including your money and important documents like your passport and other articles.

Incidents of mugging tourists are unheard of in this city. Still to be on the safer side, make sure not to carry too much cash with you. Credit and Debit cards are acceptable at most of restaurants, stores, shopping malls, hotels and movie theaters.

The Traffic situation is a little scary for foreigners but that prevails in the whole of India. Be careful while crossing  the roads. Driving for foreigners is an absolute NO in Jaipur plus private cars/ cabs/ taxis are easily available and not very highly priced. There are many cab companies in Jaipur, where you can call and book a cab 45 minutes in advance and a sedan with air conditioning will charge you approximately Indian Rupees 15 per kilometer. You can call Meri Car, Metro cab or My cabs and pre book.These are safe and not very expensive and available 24X7.

Tap water is definitely not drinkable anywhere in India and the same goes for Jaipur. Please stick to Bottled water. Aquafina, Bisleri and Kinley are preferred by me. And then there is Himalya and Evian ofcourse!!!

For any emergencies you can dial the Police on 100. For Medical Emergencies dial 108 and paramedics will come to assist you.

Have a safe trip!!! for any other jaipur related query feel free to write to me at anubanerjee@hotmail.com

THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE OF RAJASTHAN

AT MOUNT ABU- A COMMON MAN IN RURAL RAJASTHAN

ALL DRESSED UP: WOMEN WEARING COLORFUL CLOTHES IS A COMMON SIGHT IN RAJASTHAN

A WOMAN DYER

KALBELIA DANCER AT A FESTIVAL

PERFORMERS AT CHOKHI DHANI

RANDOM MEN- MOUNT ABU

FOLK PERFORMANCE AT THE ROOFTOP RESTAURANT OF A HOTEL

A THELAWALA ON WAY TO MEHANDIPUR BALAJI

A DYER WOMAN

WOMEN- CANT REMEMBER WHERE I GOT THIS ONE FROM

LAL KOTHI MANDI

SOUVENIRS

RANDOM MAN PLAYING MUSIC

A PIECE OF JAIPUR THROUGH MY LENS

A Pictorial story of Jaipur and its many moods...

One of The Gates at City Palace Jaipur

Mubarak Mahal- City Palace Jaipur

Gate at Pitam Niwas Chowk

Amer Fort

Rajasthani Mural

Amber Fort and Palace at Night

A Special Room at The City Palace Jaipur

Guest Weclome at City palace fot Exclusive Private Dinner

A Royal Rajasthani Wedding

Mubarak Mahal

The Gorgeous City palace

The City Palace

Mubarak Mahal in the Day

Enterance- City palace Jaipur

The City Palace of jaipur- The Royal Family of Jaipur still resides here

A Part of The palace is open to Tourists- You can see the Palace museum and some of the premises daily

The Jaipur Palace

Views of Jaipur from the Amber Fort

 

Way out of Amber Fort

Amber Fort in january Sun!

Amber Fort

Lawns- Amber Fort

Intricate roof of a room at The Amber Fort

Sheesh Mahal- Amber Fort

Amber Fort

Amber Fort & Palce

Amber Fort And Palace

The Lawns at The Jaigrah Fort

Amber Fort

Amber Fort- Inside

Amber Fort and Jaipur from The Jaigarh Fort

The Jaigarh Fort- "The Victory Fort"

Views of Jaipur from Jaigarh Fort

The Jaivaan- At Jaigarh Fort- The Largest Canon on Wheel in The World