Rajasthan Itinerary

25 Dec 2017

I was sitting in my place reading an article about Rajasthan and thinking how three years back I had nearly missed being made to the land of Maharajas, Rajasthan.

23 Jan 2018
I am sitting in the airport looking at the tripod and backpack, again dreaming about Rajasthan. But this time, I am going to live this dream.

When the land of royalty finally called us to its solace, we couldn't be more happy. That was a music to the long waited ear. Wasn't it?

But there was a constraint! We had only five days in hand and we had planned Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer(I know! I know! It's a hectic plan). But travelling with a full time job would come with this constraint called time right?

Curious to know how I planned my trip to the Land of Maharajas in the measly 5 days. 

Here's the itinerary for you!

Day 0 : Chennai to Jaipur

Fly into Jaipur from Chennai(Night flight to save the day)

Day 1 : Jaipur

Short itinerary for the day : City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Amer fort, Jal Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Johari bazaar

Our trip kick-started with the famed city palace, a photographers paradise and a place to learn more about the culture of Rajasthan. But the special fee of INR 2000 for visiting the second floor was way too much we felt.

Our next stop was Jantar Mantar, which was just opposite to City palace. I would recommend hiring guide to know the astronomical excellence of our ancestors.

We headed next to the famed Amer fort. Timeless beauty of Amer fort can't be described in words.

On our way back from Amer fort, we saw the surreal Jal Mahal basking in it's night glow.

And our final stop for the day was Hawa Mahal and Johari bazaar.

We boarded our train to Jodhpur from Jaipur around 10 pm.

Check here for a detailed post on how Jaipur's magnificence had taken me on a journey to the glorious yester years.

Stay at "Hotel Pearl Palace" was a pleasant one. Room was neat with a touch of Rajasthan. All at a quite reasonable price(INR 1680 for three adults)

Day 2 : Jodhpur

Short Itinerary for the day : Mehrangarh fort, Jaswant Thada, Umaid Bhavan palace, Clock tower market

We started our day with the mighty Mehrangarh fort. Built by the Rajputs, Mehrangarh fort is a testimony of the former times. This fort, being one of the best preserved forts of India, cannot be missed in your Rajasthan itinerary.

Our next stop was Jaswant Thada, The Taj Mahal of Mewar. Away from the hubub of the city, this milky-white marble cenotaph is sure to make any visitor stunned with it's beauty.

We headed next to the spellbinding Umaid Bhavan palace. From the majestic sight of palace to the accomplishments of Umaid Singh mentioned in the musuem, everything was so breathtakingly crafted.

We winded the day walking the bazaar and chilling at the Cafe Royale near clock tower.

We boarded our train from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer around 11 pm.

Read more about my day in Blue city, Jodhpur here!

Stay at "Hare krishna" was really bad. We regretted the decision of booking this. Cab couldn't drop us till the stay as the path to the stay was narrow and also deserted with street dogs chasing us away.  Not to mention the stinky smell of open sewage killing our senses.

When we somehow made it to the stay, we found that there seemed no reception. After a few calls, the owner opened the doors and showed us the room to be again disappointed by the poor maintenance.

Day 3 - Jaisalmer

Short itinerary for the day - Jaisalmer fort, Sunset Desert Safari, Desert camping

Our first stop for the day was Jaisalmer fort. Having seen Amer fort and Mehrangarh fort, we thought of not visiting this fort. Thank goodness we didn't skip this fort.

If not for the fort, where else would we have got to know about the Rajasthani culture?

After exploring the fort premises, we headed to the Desert camping and sunset desert safari.

Want to know what all we did in desert? Head here.

Stay at "Desert gateway resort" was overall good. Food and Folk dance needs to be improved. Price : INR 5100 for 3 adults including a camel safari.

Day 4 : Jaisalmer

Short itinerary for the day : Sunrise camel safari, Patwon ki haveli, Jaisalmer fort, Gadisar lake, Bada bagh

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise from our camp and headed for a camel safari. We spent sometime walking in the endless sand dunes.

After breakfast, we checked out and headed to Patwon ki haveli in fort complex. This haveli indeed stole our hearts with it's intricate carvings.

After shopping in Jaisalmer fort, we went to Gadisar lake and finally ended our day with a nearly missed Sunset in Bada bagh.

Hopped on to our train for a long journey from Jaisalmer to Jaipur.

For knowing detailed things to do in Jaisalmer, head here.

Stay at "Hotel Mehrangarh" was very much good. Loved the extra bed arrangements in the window sill. Price was just 700 INR for three adults.

My fav place!

Day 5 : Jaipur

Short itinerary for the day - Jal Mahal

We have reached Jaipur around 1 pm. We checked into our hotel, refreshed and went to savour the Rajasthani Thali.

Having seen the beauty of Jal Mahal in night on day 1, we headed there in the evening to see the spectacular palace in the day light. Unfortunately plastic covers were floating on the water surface. We were heart broken to see the sad state of it. Hope we Indians become more responsible towards all this.

Stay at "Hotel Vinayak" was good too. The owner would itself act as your guide, giving you a insider's view about Jaipur. 

Whether it is the unflinching beauty of forts or famed havelis or dreamy sunsets in lakes or spectacular Thar desert, Rajasthan has a mixed bag of things which would make your holiday unforgettable.

May be that's why maximum number of foreign tourists like to visit this culturally rich part of India.

What are you waiting for? Go book your flight to Rajasthan!

No of days : 5 
Month of Trip : January'18
Overall cost of trip : INR 18000

Jaipur

Between rugged hills and fortified walls, lies this bustling city full of life, trying to handle the enormous tourists' visit.

Amidst all this, Jaipur's magnificence is something that is going to take you on a journey to the glory of yester years.

How naive I was to think there were not much to see in Jaipur?

City has got lot of touristy and non-touristy places to it. And how badly I wish for another trip to this place.

Admire the quintessential architecture in City palace

City palace indeed is a testament to the royal lifestyles of our erstwhile Maharajas and a must visit for those seeking a culturally rich experience.

City palace houses a museum which exhibits items from royal dresses to arms used in wars.

What left us dumbfounded was the special fee of INR 2000 for visiting the Chandra Mahal of City Palace. We felt that was way too much to demand from the tourist.

Except for this part, we had a good time in city palace.

Get to know Astronomy in Jantar Mantar

In contrary to architechtural excellence of City Palace, this one showcased the scientific instruments which were used to study astronomy in ancient times. 

You can either hire a guide or you can read about this before visiting it to appreciate the crux of it.

Reminsce memories of Jodha Akbar in Amer fort 
Located 7 km from the city, Amer fort is sure a highlight of the day. This majestic fort reminded me of the scenes of "Jodha Akbar" movie.

Amer fort indeed requires a day to explore. From the majestic Ganesh pol to beautiful Sheesh Mahal made of mirrors, every place in Amer fort was breathtakingly crafted.

You can also view the perfectly laid out garden in the lake surrounding the Amer fort from the courtyard near Ganesh pol.

Witness a surreal Jal Mahal basking in it's night glow

While we were returning from Amer fort, we saw the surreal Jal Mahal Palace basking in it's night glow reflecting itself on the calm waters. That was a sight to behold.

Later in the day light, when we came to see Jal Mahal, we saw garbages being thrown into the waters where Jal Mahal was sitting with it's charm.

If a sight which gives unparalleled beauty is treated like this, I don't know what else we will take care properly.

Wind up the day seeing Hawa Mahal.

Hawa Mahal also known as Beehive castle, which stands in all it's glory in the heart of pink city is sure to take your breath away both day and night.

It is also called Palace of winds, as the architecture is designed in such a way to circulate cool breeze in the palace.

No doubt that this Beehive castle is an epitome of quintessential Rajput architecture. 

Go shopping in Johari Bazaar
In Johari bazaar, you can get variety of Rajasthani dresses ranging from skirts to shawls.

But please be prepared, in order for the shop keepers to reduce price, you need to be a strong negotiator. Being accustomed to foreigners' visit, the shop keepers stick to the fixed price even during the closing hours.

Interesting things about Rajasthan

Color coordinated city

Every big city in Rajasthan is color coordinated. Wondering what I am talking about? See! Jaipur as pink, Jodhpur as blue and Jaisalmer as golden and finally Udaipur as white.

Food
Treat your taste buds to the royal taste of Rajasthan. For a South Indian like me, it was a blissful treat to have tasted so much of it's delicacies. Indeed a Foodie's heaven.

Arts and Artifacts
Whether it is the beautiful handcrafted wooden puppets or the metal souvenirs or the silver jewelry, name it, Rajasthan has it all.

Wooden Puppets
These wooden puppets are a delight to every visitor who drops by.

Who knows, you can even watch a craftsman creating a puppet in the fort like we did or end up watching the ancient folk puppet dance called Kathputil dance.

Patch worked wall hangings

This is one thing which stole my heart. May be because of the employment it provided to many muslim women in rural Rajasthan or because of the creativity involved or because of my favourite topic of reusing the old cloth bits, I couldn't find a single reason as to why I love this Patch-worked wall hangings. Wondering what I am talking about? Read here!

Parade of Colourful Jootis

While boarding our flight to Jaipur, my friend was intrigued by a co-passenger as to know where she had bought her jootis? When she said that she got it in a Rajasthan mela, he said being a Rajasthani he had never seen any jooti like that in Rajasthan.

But Guess what! It looks like he has never searched for jootis in the land of Rajas?

Durban wala land
When you are in the land of Durban, you can't leave without buying your own right? You will find Durbans being sold in lot of places. We got our Durbans from Jaisalmer fort.

Colourful Street scenes
From the streets of Jaisalmer fort to the path leading to Amer fort, if I can call one thing common, it is the colourful street scenes that is synonymous to Rajasthan.

Say no to plastic

This one is going to nail you. In Jaisalmer, shop owners don't give you plastic covers to carry your things. Instead they use cloth bits stitched in the form of a pouch for packing. Wow! What an idea sir ji?

Lost for choice of Souvenirs
Be it the iconic Durban Moustache T shirt or the Hawa Mahal fridge magnet or the colourful decorative items, I am sure you will buy as many souvenirs as possible in your trip to Rajasthan.

Colourful vibe
Where do you think, the otherwise monochromatic desert state would have got it's vibe?

Of course from it's people!
Rajasthani people love colours. You could evidently see it from the choice of colours they used in their souvenirs and their dresses. And look at these autos? You want anything more to prove?!

Colourful autos in Rajasthan

Shopaholic heaven
Well! Do you call yourself a non-shopaholic? Have you ever been to Rajasthan? If not, please go street shopping in Rajasthan, then come and tell me!

Whether it is the colourful shawls or Bandej sarees or intrinsic handicrafts, Rajasthan has a way to make even non shopaholics to go on a shopping haul.

It's really tough to refrain guys!

Cafe culture
Thanks to the huge number of foreigners who visit Rajasthan every year. Cafe culture in Rajasthan has grown so much in the recent years.

A cafe in Jaisalmer

From Jaipur to Jaisalmer, there were interesting cafes we came across. If you had been reading my blog, you would have read about a cafe in Jodhpur named Cafe Royale which stole my heart with it's food. Yum! Yum!

Lonely planet recommended or TripAdvisor recommended

Funny how almost every homestay or restaurant in Rajasthan is either lonely planet recommended or TripAdvisor recommended.

There were places which seemed to have maintained the status of it. But few were terribly bad.

While searching for a stay near clock tower in Jodhpur, our search results ended us up in a stay named 'Hare Krishna'.

Our instincts and few reviews said not to book the stay at Jodhpur, but we finally gave in to the fancy lonely planet recommendations. You know what! we ended up in a shabby room!

Whereas we went to a Lazzi shop and Sweet shop seeing the recommendations to find it worthy. So when in Rajasthan, go with your instincts than with these recommendations.

These are all the few things which I found quite interesting in Rajasthan.

Guys! Did I miss out on any other interesting thing? Do drop in your comments.

A day in Blue city,Jodhpur

Jodhpur
The very name invokes images of blue city, mighty Mehrangarh fort and expansive Thar desert. Trust me! The grandeur and charm of the city will leave a permanent mark in your heart. But the blue lanes! I badly wish that it could have been maintained much better with proper drainage system.

In a nutshell, a perfect amalgamation of old and new city brings to you the much famed Sun city, Jodhpur.

Mighty Mehrangarh fort

Perched on a hill top, this 100 feet fort is sure to make any visitor struggle for words to describe its majesty.

While in Mehrangarh fort, every wall tells a legendary story of it's daring leaders and every doors and windows conveys you their love for art and architecture.

Wars won and lost, days gone by, still the gate of Mehrangarh fort remained intact. Such was it's mightiness!

Palaces and museum inside fort
Though Mehrangarh fort is primarily built for defense, you would find beautiful palaces inside the fort.

It is said that various generations of Rajput rulers have added structures like palaces, temples to the fort.This fort houses several beautifully decorated palaces like Moti Mahal(Pearl Palace), Phool Mahal(Palace of flowers), sheesh mahal(Mirror palace).

Not to mention the musuem inside the fort is one of the well-stacked museums stocking from royal palanquins to archaic paintings.

Shops inside Mehrangarh fort
The musuem shops have tie & dye sarees, chudithars, shawls, colourful jootis and various showcase items.

As the shops inside Mehrangarh fort are instituted for the conservation and restoration of local crafts, the prices are reasonably kept.

Treat yourself to the view of Jodhpur city

And don't forget to treat yourself to the Grand view of Jodhpur city and Umaid Bhavan palace below from Mehrangarh fort.

Can you spot Umaid Bhavan Palace in this pic?

View of Jodhpur city will be different from different sides. On the old side you would find more blue houses and the other side surrounding Clock tower, you would find less houses painted in indigo.

Jodhpur Blue city
In the early days, Jodhpur people painted their houses Indigo to escape the heat and protect them from insects. It was believed that ingredient in indigo reflected sunlight and repelled insects.

Fun fact : Blue city is actually not fully blue, you will find other colored houses too.

Jaswant Thada
Taj Mahal of Jodhpur is not going to let you down by it's stunning architecture. The mausoleum, built by Sadar Singh on memory of  his father Jaswant singh, is sure a beauty to behold.

There was something quite mesmerizing about this place which made me badly wish for a paper and pencil to have drawn this monument.

This white marble cenotaph has got some beautifully carved marbles jhalis.

Umaid Bhavan palace
On a rocky chittar hill, set in twenty six acres of land, of which fifteen are garden, it took 3000 men and women to work for fifteen years to create this masterpiece.

Umaid singh is someone who has chased his dream. From playing polo at London to giving equal importance to the love for flying, this man had chased his dream all long.

Umaid Bhavan Garden

The versatility and resourcefulness of this man had made me moved after reading about him in Umaid Bhavan palace museum.

How the king lived his life was a story enough a blog!

Clock Tower Market
Sardar market, located right in the middle of the city, surrounding the famous clock tower is the most famous market square in Jodhpur.

As you plunge yourself onto the busy streets of the market, you will find a wide array of goods from spices to vegetables to beautiful clothes to umbrellas.

Be ready to be on a binge shopping mode.

Cafe by the Clock Tower
Clock tower indeed surprised us with it's hidden gems. One such gem is Cafe Royale, a cafe we stumbled upon in Zomato.

This one is a small cafe run by a traveling couple. And they make really good food. I am not someone who likes continental food much. But Cafe Royale was an exception.

Their sandwiches were really tasty. How could I miss mentioning the Pav Bhujia we had there? A fusion dish of Bhujia stuffed inside Pav. Yummy treat!