Jaipur, India travel tips
Where we ate:
- LMB (Laxmi Misthan Bhander) – A classy (and a little pricey) restaurant with excellent Rajasthani food and a bakery in front: YEH
- Jai Shankar Pavitra Bhojnalaya – Great dosas, other South Indian food, and other snacks by the bus station. Ignore the jenky appearance, they serve a lot of food and they serve it fresh: YEH
- Natraj Restaurant – There’s nothing particularly special about this restaurant, which has a stiff upper lip and some low-value “thalis” of two or three items that come with oddly flavored, dry rice: MEH
- Handi Restaurant – Not the cheapest place to eat, but they have some tender tandoor’d meat worth every penny after a few too many pure veg Rajasthani meals: YEH
Where we stayed:
- Atitha Guest House – First stay, we thought this place was great: clean rooms for decent prices, WiFi (for a fee), friendly staff, and beer on the rooftop. Then, when we reserved a return stay ahead, they dropped our reservation, the owner tried to charge us 250 Rs to stay in his office, and the owner acted like it was our fault, offering us free tea and toast as his only apology. The owner is a greedy scam artist, watch out: NEH
What we saw:
- Hawa Mahal – A striking building where you can spy on the street below, just as it was designed for…though these days you’re not women in purdah so your life is a lot better.: YEH
- Jantar Mantar – The royal observatory has very old-skool style astronomical and astrological measuring devices. The quality of your visit will depend on the thoroughness of your tour guide, so talk to a few before you choose if you can. We made “insta-friends” at the ticket counter to offset the cost of the guide between four, instead of two, people: YEH
- Raj Mandir – Buy your tickets in advance, get the samosas and the popcorn, and enjoy the scene of watching the big screen in Jaipur. See the dispatch above for the full experience: YEH
- Jaipur Post Office – Though there are twenty people working behind the counter, only two are helping the customers, while the rest are stamping things. The hand-stitched packaging service was nice. Allow at least two hours to send a package and bring your sense of humor and a bucket of patience: NEH
- Galta, the Monkey Temple – Worth a visit for a good view and monkey photos (lots and lots of monkeys – don’t be scared!), but expect to be hassled by touts and beggars all the way up. Ok, we admit, the monkeys are scary: MEH
- Johari Bazaar shopping – You can spend hours talking to the shop-keepers on this road, and you might even buy something. Bargain hard: YEH
As staying at New Delhi Jaipur is near by destination for me. I have spent several weekends at Jaipur and i must say every time it was different experience.