Where am I – Rajasthan, India
We spent an extraordinary two weeks travelling around Rajasthan - from Delhi and Agra, to a tiger safari at Ranthambore. A highlight stay in a 16th-century fort surrounded by sand dunes (Khimsar), romantic Udaipur and the iconic cities of Jaipur & Jodphur. We even trekked out to the former medieval trading centre of Jaisalmer, a long day of driving there and back but so worth the experience of this golden citadel in the dunes.
We did this trip independently, with the delightful company of our private driver throughout and local guides at every stop along the way - booked with our longstanding Indian experts and collaborators; Trailblazer TBI.
Highlight - So hard to pinpoint just one, so I’ll narrow it down to three! First up would just have to be our time spent at the Taj Mahal, it’s iconic for a reason. First glimpsed by us from the Mehtab Bagh gardens, directly across the hazy Yamuna River, I was (pleasantly) surprised at how serene and otherworldly the 17th century mausoleum complex feels - despite being very familiar with it from countless photos, books and clients that I have sent there over the years. Finding a quiet spot (not as hard as you would imagine) and just taking it in was a real treat. We took sunset drinks from a shabby local rooftop bar, the Saniya Palace, which had an unforgettable view out across the rooftops of the old town towards the minarets and dome in the near distance. This sticks in my mind all these years later as an unforgettable moment - watching the sun go down and the monkeys scamper across the roofs as the call to prayer echoed all around (nb. they didn’t stock alcohol but were only too happy to dash down and find some refreshing cold beers from somewhere on request.)
Side note; almost as impressive as the Taj (and much less visited) is the so-called ‘Baby Taj’ (Itmad-ud-Daula.) Also situated on the banks of the Yamuna, just 10mins away, this mausoleum was constructed a few years before the Taj itself and is a perfect jewel box of arabesque design.
My next highlight would be the afternoon we spent rambling around the incredible Amer Fort (30mins from Jaipur.) It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site of absolute wonder that brought out the child in me - I loved the rambling ramparts and the sheer overwhelming size of the hilltop fort, perfectly complimented by ornate interiors and gorgeous courtyards and gardens. The history of this residence of the Rajput Maharajas is so intriguing, and I just could not get enough of the complicated tales of their lives (particularly the women) spent behind these walls. Speaking of walls, the Jaipur Wall which criss crosses over the surrounding Aravalli hilltops brought to mind a strong comparison to the Great Wall of China - and was yet another thing to love about our time here.
And of course, as anyone who has spoken to me about India will know, I loved every minute spent in lakeside Udaipur. From our wonderfully atmospheric hotel on the shore of the lake itself, the Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel (definitely recommend a room with a view & dinner on the rooftop to make the most of it’s picturesque location.) To the mighty and impressive City Palace, which conveniently looms large just behind the Jagat Niwas. It’s also a great city for getting out on foot and strolling around the interesting streets filled with boutiques stocking local art, and surprising little temples that crop up at every corner. Nb. the ability to walk independently without being hassled is a rarity in this part of India so it was a pleasant change of pace to be able to get out and explore ourselves.
I also snuck in a couple of hotel inspections here, one of which was to the Taj Lake Palace (perhaps best known these days as the secluded lair of Octopussy, from the 1983 Bond film shot here - more on that to follow.) The moment you step off the hotels private boat as you arrive you are struck by the tranquillity (and beauty) of this gorgeous property, certainly a unique and unforgettable place to stay.
We had a lovely boat trip on Pichola Lake, stopping off at Jagmandir island (home to a 17th century palace) and one evening we dropped in at a funny little bar that was advertising Octopussy showings…we were the only patrons that night but they happily obliged, projecting the movie on to a big screen in the middle of an empty bar, while the family took their evening meal with us.
Recommendation (fav meal / drink) – We stuck to a veggie diet for the duration and that worked well for us; I never got over the variety of dishes (we even had a “McPaneer” - not a culinary highlight but when in… ‘Rome.’) One of my favourites meals was actually at a rather uninspiring hotel in Agra, Who would have thought?! Any opportunity we could get a meal outside or on a rooftop we of course jumped at. When staying at the atmospheric Khimsar Fort Hotel we were lucky enough to have the walls of the fort all to ourselves as the sun went down and we had a couple of “Kingfisher” beers pre dinner in one of the corner turrets.
Lost in translation moment – Well of course this happened most days! You don’t travel to India to feel like you’re back at home. We had the fabulous assistance of our driver and local guides who were always available to field any queries and iron out any kinks. Not that we encountered anything too dramatic. In fact, I’d say on the whole the entire trip was less confronting & challenging than I had perhaps prepared myself for.
My partner and I usually got mistaken for brothers which was a laugh for us. And tattoos are obviously a bit of an oddity in India as everywhere we went we were swamped by friendly photo requests. I don’t know how many families have a lovely smiling collection of pictures of us, but it would be a lot!
Insider tip – Pack a pair of old socks and have these with you on days when visiting temples and the like, as you’ll be asked to take off your shoes. You’ll need some loose change handy to pay the person looking after the shoes and most monuments etc will charge a nominal amount for a photo fee, so have that ready to go as well.
We did a safari at Ranthambore National Park, on the lookout for the elusive tiger (which we did not spot.) I’d go with reasonable expectations, particularly for those clients that have had the good fortune to visit Africa beforehand, as it’s a very different experience. We had a great time bumping around in an open topped jitney vehicle, trying to spot wildlife and on the prowl of course for a glimpse of one of the big cats. A lot of the fun was in the searching and we weren’t too disappointed not to be lucky enough this time around. An unexpected high here was the Ranthambore Fort in the middle of the NP, this made the day and was like something straight out of the pages of the Jungle Book.
Fun fact – When in Jaipur we would highly recommend an evening at the Raj Mandir movie house, the opulent art moderne theatre is a symbol of the city. We splurged on some (inexpensive) premium seats up in the royal circle; during intermission we had access to a cute little bar area. Great fun watching a Bollywood blockbuster with the huge crowd that shouts and sings along for the entirety.
