After a rigorous training period of 3 months and before stepping into a monotonous professional life, everybody was looking for a short break. It all started with a random discussion on trips and exploring different parts when all of us came to the conclusion of exploring Jaipur which nobody among us had visited. Of all Purs and Mers of Rajasthan, Jaipur being the closest to Delhi NCR was the obvious choice.
Our journey started at about 12 am from Gurgaon, Haryana and ended in Jaipur, Rajasthan at approx. 6:30 am. We had no prior booking in any hotel but it took us about 15 mins to find a good budget hotel. Few dozed off but few were ready to explore.
After a delicious breakfast, we visited Jal Mahal or the Water Palace, a palace situated in the middle of a lake and I wish I could enter into. Next, we enjoyed the camel ride. Such rides are generally done in an enclosed area, but those animals were roaming on roads competing with other vehicles. We have read a lot about Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds in our school books, but frankly it was not very fascinating. I actually expected winds to be blowing in all directions.
The later part of day-1 was meant for Chokhi Dhani, a village created for leisure that gives you an authentic Rajasthani experience. People welcomed us with folded hands in a traditional way. From dresses to food, and from language to dance, everything was Rajasthani. One can enjoy camel ride, elephant ride, horse ride, puppet show, music show, folk dance, try traditional costumes and click photos, and buy handicrafts. The buffet was deliciously awesome and heavy. One thing that needs a special mention is halwa or sweetmeat which was one of the best things in that giant thali.
Although we reached the hotel a bit late at night, everyone was up early on day-2. Next in our list were Amer Fort and Nahargarh Fort. Those forts will take you back to Jodha Akbar era and give you a chance to vicariously see the history. The view of city from Amer was amazing. Take an elephant ride in any of these forts and roam like a king.
Before leaving, we visited a local market, and tried and bought different kinds of namkeens or savory snacks. A visit to Jaipur is incomplete without trying its namkeens. The name 'Pink City' for this city is justified as not only its houses are painted in pink but also one receives a warm welcome.
Note: There were 8 people in total. We booked 3 rooms in a budget hotel for 2 days and 1 night, and a traveler for to-and-fro and visiting locales. Shortage of pictures is because of lack of interest in photography then.