The highlight of Jaipur is the City Palace. It is so beautiful and Instagram-worthy and yes, I spent ages waiting by the peacock door to get a perfect snap when no one was walking through. The back of the door depicts the back of the peacocks. Wonderful.

 

 

The Amber Fort is set high on a hillside and we took a bumpy open-back jeep ride to the entrance which was my favourite part. My mother and I tried and failed to come up with fort puns. The never-ending stream of elephants through the gates is a sad sight – such majestic creatures should not be reduced to carting selfie-stick wielding tourists on their backs. Pleased to confirm that our group did not partake.

The Palace of the Winds is as Accidentally-Wes-Anderson as they come. It’s not an actual palace – it’s just a facade built so that society ladies could discreetly glimpse at the happenings on the street below without being spotted. Tourist accoutrements a-plenty in the shops opposite!

We also visited the observatory and learned out to tell the time using sundials and had lunch at the beautiful Samode Haveli, as well as perusing silks, gemstones and carpets, loaning out my father as a “carpet broker” in the process because Persians can spot the difference between 300 and 400 knots-per-inch at five metres (possibly).

We stayed at the Trident Jaipur which is opposite the Water Palace which reflects beautifully in the surrounding lake at night. We started our Jaipur day with an early morning yoga session with a “yoga guru” who later poured me a gin at the bar because #balance.

Well, that was a whirlwind Jaipur run-down. Final destination, Amritsar, coming very soon!