Jaipur India
Jaipur India, one of the most popular tourists stops, Jaipur is the biggest city in the state of Rajasthan (land of the kings), famous for its love of pink, proud elephants and pretty palaces.
Jaipur also happens to be home to one of the most expensive hotel suits in the world, and many palace style hotels, not that I got to sample any of these 😕 but the Lalit Jaipur Hotel was very nice indeed ✨
Popular Jaipur activities include a visit to The City Palace, visits to carpet and textile outlets, a wander around an observatory and practicing your haggling skills in the countless shopping bazaars.
Out and About Jaipur

Bangles at the Amber Fort

Street life, Jaipur

Lots of street sellers along the waterfront, by the Jal Mahal

Amber Fort, Jaipur

Chamber of mirrors at Amber Fort, beautifully mirrored ceilings and walls – it’s hard to convey in a photograph, you really need to stand and surround yourself with it, seeing all the twinkling reflections in the sunlight 🔆

Elephants at Amber Fort Palace, they carry thousands of tourists up and down the fort every day

Jal Mahal, a palace in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake

You’re never far from a seller….
Jewellery and Crafts
We did couple of craft visits.
These places were quite an Aladdin’s cave of curious ornaments and accessories for the home.
There were some beautifully framed mirrors, and artistic wall displays not to mention some of the most stunning decorative marble tables and table tops I’ve ever seen.
Some of these tables were huge, stunning – they were quite pricey too, but probably a lot cheaper than you’d pay back home for the same quality (we were not allowed to take pictures in the marble factory).
Some of these tables glowed in the dark when a light was placed beneath them, showing off their beautiful patterns and gemstones – I’d never seen anything like this before – very dreamy, and sure to score you some ‘Come Dine With Me’ points!! 😉
If you’re kitting out a new home and you want unique charismatic items – India might be a good place to add to your shopping destinations list.
I used to work with someone who said they went to India and had lots of furniture shipped back to the UK because it was such good value/quality – you’d probably pay the earth for the same things back home because of it’s novelty factor.

Fancy a game of chess? This board was literally like a huge wide dining table, for sale in this crafts showroom – they had some beautiful things in there….move over Ikea, step aside TK Maxx! (I’ll take that back – I do love TK Maxx) 😊

Ornate doors for sale – probably hand crafted
More from The Pink City

The iconic Hawa Mahal, built by a king for his queens to look out into the streets. I was surprised that this was on a ridiculously busy main road – not what you think when you see pictures of it. You stand on the pavement, in front of two way traffic to get a photo – it was pretty chaotic – everyone trying to get a selfie without ten other people photo-bombing it 😆
Carpets and Textiles, Jewellery and Crafts
During this visit we got to see how block prints are made on textiles, and the different stages of rug/carpet making, before a few personal shopping opportunities, with shipping thrown in…..I had a feeling that was coming!

Crouching and squatting like this all day, nimble fingered and very patient workers – this particular factory confirmed that they supply rugs to John Lewis in the UK amongst others

Yarn

Block printing onto fabrics with natural dyes…the displays behind this worker are examples of what they can do – beautiful!!
The arts and crafts aspect of India appeals to me a lot – the artistry and vibrancy embedded throughout and within Indian culture is ever enticing….its feels to me like an expression of joy, Indian joy!!

A spot of lunch time entertainment
Jantar Mantar
I’ll be honest, I’ve never really paid much attention to astronomy or horoscopes, so when I heard we were stopping off at an Indian observatory I didn’t know quite what to expect, it was pretty eye opening, and a a very busy Jaipur India tourist attraction.
Jantar Mantar was built in the seventeenth century – the instruments and giant sundials were/are used to help with the timing of certain rituals – in line with planetary and ‘earth axis’ related alignments (way over my head type-stuff).
There were even a set of fixtures dedicated to each of the zodiac signs, which were very popular.

Apparently, some of the instruments are still used today to help predict the seasons, including monsoons and possible famine.
Back on the road again
Jaipur was a great last stop – before heading back to Delhi for the flight home the next day.
My mind bursting and buzzing with all the colours, designs, sights and sounds I’d absorbed, as we made our last leg of the tour.
Jyothi
Wow… Awesome pictures! Each pic tells a story!
Cherryl
Thanks for taking a look – yes, Jaipur is such a feast for they eyes 😊
luisa zambrotta
Great photos for a wonderful place!
Cherryl
It definitely a great place – thanks for taking a look Luisa 😊
luisa zambrotta
🙏🌺🤗🌹
usfman
Just to advise you, I’ve been blasted on social media by posting pictures of these working elephants from a previous India visit. Some see it as publicizing abuse of these wild animals. I’m more sensitive to this topic now.
Cherryl
Hi Usfman, sorry to hear you were ‘blasted’, there are polite ways of making a point, it’s easy to be hostile when hiding behind a screen. SMH 😣
They say bloggers need to have a thick skin (probably true) and there are many who thrive on any excuse to criticise and argue online, no matter what you do or say (as per in life generally tbh).
However the topic of animal cruelty is defiantly something that I wondered about – as mentioned in my post, the tour company I went with did not include a ‘popular’ elephant ride (we took a jeep ride up to the fort and palace instead) due to ‘concerns’ about the welfare of the elephants.
I know there are very strong opinions on this and there are many who will want to vent against a picture of a working animal.
I don’t believe bloggers should hide what they saw for fear of what others might say – that ‘was’ your experience after all and isn’t that what you wanted to chronicle and share Others can learn from it.
Everyone’s going to have an opinion and not everyone will agree.
Do you know much about how well the elephants in Jaipur are cared for/their welfare?
One of the things I admired and respected about India was its apparent harmony with animals, the way animals and humans seem to have a connection that we don’t really seem to see in western societies. I am sensitive to these differences as well as the potential for cruelty.
It’s a deeply debated topic – how some animals are deemed to be abused simply because they are in human captivity, whilst others are farmed and bred, killed for food or designer leather shoes/bags/belts/wallets/jackets etc or ploughing fields – the list goes on, but those things don’t seem attract the same anger because they are more widely seen seen as the norm (rightly or wrongly) by the majority.
Keeping a beautiful bird in a cage or exotic fish in a tank in your front room…..the ‘pet’ industry in general….???
I picked up that India has a long history of living with and using the help of elephants in every day life, which is perhaps an alien concept to some of us who live a very different reality/’norm’ – it’s easy to judge/criticise differences – but if the animals are being abused/poorly cared for then raising awareness of this is helpful, and should help deter people from riding them and apply pressure to improve the quality of life for those animals.
Some bloggers have shown and described negative examples of animal cruelty in their blogs from their travels, and this helps raise awareness.
There are certain animal encounters that I have chosen not to partake in – e.g like dolphin shows (on holiday) for similar reasons, after learning more about how their health and behaviour is negatively affected by the confined conditions they’re forced to live in – but I don’t really know much about the current welfare of the elephants in Jaipur, I’d certainly be interested in hearing more….
Thanks for reading 😊
Anonymous
Cheryl:
On our recent adventure to South India, I saw isolated examples of painted elephants tied up near temples in the heat and trained to perform funny rituals with their trunks.
for tourism profit. I did not seem amused at the time.
Cherryl
That doesn’t good at all 😢
matteodegregorio
great Pictures! I love Jaipur
Cherryl
Thanks, yes, it’s quite a place! 😊
seekingdivineperspective
Thanks for the virtual tour! What a wonderful trip! I’ve never been to India, but now that I have friends and family there, I’d like to go.
By the way, where are you when you aren’t traveling? (I live in Kentucky, USA.)
Cherryl
Thank you for reading, I hope you get to visit India when this is all over, it will be great having friends to show you around – your’e going to love it!! I live in the UK 😊
seekingdivineperspective
How are things there? I hope you’re staying safe and well.
Cherryl
Thanks for asking – thankfully I’m well, our UK lock down was recently extended for another three weeks so we’re just sitting tight really. I see protesters have been out on the streets of Kentucky in the USA – that must be quite unnerving on top of everything else at the moment….I hope you are staying safe too 😌
seekingdivineperspective
We are quite safe. The protesters are mostly conservatives and pro-life, so they aren’t dangerous, just noisy.
JOY journal
Beautiful place!
Cherryl
Very much so 🤗
1944april
Great pics !
Cherryl
Thanks – it’s a very photogenic place 🤗
Nanchi.blog
WOW! Cherryl…you have captured the essence of pink city so well. Beautiful photos. I am sure you had a great time in Jaipur. Co-incidentally, I have also posted something from Jaipur on my blog. Please do have a look! 😀
Cherryl
Thank you Nanchi – Jaipur is such an easy place to photograph…I took a look at your India blogs too 🤗…and the Bali ones, Ubud looks like a shopperholics’ paradise!! 😊
catherinebwrites
Fabulous photos , so much better than mine. I’ll be writing more about the pink city, and you’ve been ther so yoyu’ll know what I’m talking about!
Cherryl
Awww, thank you Catherine 🤗I think every photo is special, with a different memory attached. I never get tired of looking at other people’s photos, and their experiences pf places I’ve visited – plus Jaipur is very photogenic!! I’ll look forward to yours 😊
Chocoviv
Nomination to an award from me;)
Cherryl
Awww, thank you very much Chocoviv, that’s a huge compliment, bless you. I’m enjoying reading your blogs too – p.s. keep watching the comedies!!! 🤗
Chocoviv
Thank you 🙏
PlantsandBeyond
So colorful and beautiful here. You definetely transported me to another world
Cherryl
Brilliant, job done 🤗thank you for taking a look 🔆
Dawn Renee
There is so much beauty there. I love awesome old doors, so I really liked those photos. I would need to visit a palace & listen to their unique music after experiencing that traffic – that looks hectic & I heard how loud it was. I hope the elephants like the interactions & are treated very well. In Costa Rica I refused to ride the horses on the beach because they did not seem happy, were a little too skinny & I saw signs of old, healed wounds. I’m glad you had this neat experience!
Cherryl
Thank you Dawn, I love those doors too, they ooze character. I know what you mean about animals and tourists on holiday – I wondered abut the elephants, especially since my tour company opted not to include an elephant ride in Jaipur due to concerns about their welfare….I hope they are well cared for 😊🙏
Dawn Renee
Oozing character is a perfect description. It seems you chose a tour company that cares as you.
Dawn
Great pictures! 🤗
Cherryl
Thank you 🤗🔆glad you liked them, have you been to Jaipur?
Dawn
No I have not. But it looks very nice. It’s great you were able to go. Was it your first time?
Cherryl
I’d never visited Jaipur before Dawn, or anywhere like it for that matter, (even Morocco didn’t come close – and they love their palaces and rugs too) it was such surreal experience – almost like watching a movie 😊🔆Thanks again for reading.
potatosandwich
Stunning pictures. Jaipur is on our bucket list once all this crazy stuff is over. We’re banking on a family wedding in India so that we can tag in some good sightseeing too.
Cherryl
Thanks for taking a look. Wow – a wedding in India will be amazing, the colours and flamboyance…🤗fingers crossed 🤞yes, when the crazy stuff is over Jaipur will be a lovely experience to look forward to as part of your trip.
India seems to be struggling with it all at the moment – God help those migrants trying to get home 🙏
potatosandwich
Lets hope so. A friend of mine here in the UK whose parents are in Punjab at present, he is desperate for them to return home.
Michael Polyak
Awesome post and photos! It really gives a great flavor of the city!
Cherryl
Thanks Micheal – that’s very kind of you…..Jaipur is a pretty awesome place, I really enjoyed it!! 🤗🔆🐘
Life Travel Soul
Thanks for taking us on a nice virtual tour around Jaipur. Great Photos!
Cherryl
Aww, thank you 🤗you’re very welcome…every little bit of escapism helps at the moment!
🔆🌼
Amy
Thank you for this fascinating tour! Rich culture and history showing through your beautiful photos.
Aleesha Joykutty
I love Jaipur…. nicely written…. Pls follow my account tooo😁😁😇
Cherryl
Your account is showing as ‘no longer available/deleted’ 🙁
D.S. Chauhan
Now Cherryl that was a brilliant piece of work from you! Thanks & Congratulations! You have covered everything that one can relate to Jaipur city.Your presentation on the Royal monuments,carpet and handicraft industry have been simply marvellous! Keep it up!
Cherryl
That’s very kind indeed, thank you for this and for reading 🤗 I’m glad you enjoyed the post – it’s hard to please everyone but I’m happy to please a few if I can 🐘Jaipur is another Indian gem we’ll probably never forget 😊
D.S. Chauhan
Why I had special praise for your Jaipur post is because I belong to Jaipur and that if I had to write on Jaipur , I could not have written better than you have. I again congratulate you for the great post.All the best for your future ventures! Last Sept when I visited Netherlands for 50days I wanted to visit Britain but could not get Visa.May be I will be able to make it in future after the Coronavirus crisis is resolved globally.
Cherryl
Thanks again, you belong to a very royal place!!! This makes your feedback all the more special 🙏50 days in the Netherlands must have been amazing – they have some stunning scenery from what I can tell. I look forward to your UK blogs when you eventually get to visit 🤗🇬🇧Let’s hope we can all move past this pandemic soon 🔆
Cherryl
Happy future travels too!!! ✈️ 🛳 🌏 💫
D.S. Chauhan
Thanks a lot. I did not find any flaw in your Jaipur narrative so I didn’t upraise it critically.But please manage time out of your busy schedule to comment on my writeups of my 50days tour so that I can improve being a new blogger.
equinoxio21
Shukriya, Dhaniavad 😉 for the trip to Jaipur. Definitely on my bucket list.
Cheers
Cherryl
You’re welcome 🤗
boyversusworld
The Jantar Mantar looks quite interesting. I see from the pricing sheet they have the composite ticket. Do you think that it’s worth it to get the composite ticket or just stick with seeing Jantar Mantar and hit the road? My friend’s family history is in India and she kind of wants to take a pilgrimage-type trip to find her roots, so I’ll be going with her whenever this coronavirus business calms down. Thanks for the tips. Great vibrant photos as usual!
Cherryl
Wow!!! A family pilgrimage – what a wonderful experience that will be, with deeper meaning than just tourist curiosity 💫 ✨
My visit was part of a wider tour itinerary, so we didn’t really think about it, but from what I’ve gathered https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/jaipur/in-location/sights/1b48cf6c-d0cf-40da-b064-0116b591facd/a/nar/1b48cf6c-d0cf-40da-b064-0116b591facd/356451 it sounds like it might be better value for money to get the composite ticket…but I would say – make sure you plan meticulously around visiting each of the sites so you get the full value…I think you only get two days to use it 😉
I’ll look forward to going back to India through your blogs ✈️(if you decide to blog any of it) – and this ‘down time’ we’re having is perhaps allowing for more time to research and plan your trip – I hope you are coping well where you are 🙏 🤗…we’re sitting tight in the UK 🙃
usfman
Your India trip resembles our itinerary there a few years ago. My views on that experience have increasingly gotten more spiritual in nature with the passing of time and returning to India again. For example those painted elephants mean much more to me than decorative entertainment these days. You might see the same effect.
Cherryl
Thanks for sharing this – I think you’ve highlighted something very important.
Being my first time in India I was overwhelmed with the excitement and visual appeal of it all. India is a deeply spiritual country – so the spiritual elements are very much there to be tapped into….and that connection between the people and animals had quite a spiritual feeling to it – for me…an admirable harmony 😊
mycreatorscreation
Very colourful and beautiful photos.
Cherryl
Thanks – yes India literally feels like living breathing bursts if colour, amongst other things….such a unique place 😊
mycreatorscreation
Yes it is….very beautiful and unique.
Carolyn Page
Wonderful images, Cherryl.
I can’t look at any without remembering my time in India; a truly diverse and vibrant country.
I love your reply above; it rings true!
“it felt like being in a film or a story…not real life, a vibrant escape 😊 “
Cherryl
Aww thank you Carolyn, I’m glad it brings back memories of India for you too – what a place!! 🤗
SaaniaSparkle 🧚🏻♀️
So pretty
KFBuchsbaum
Love your pics – have so many of the same! We even ate in that same lunch spot with the father & son entertainers. Such good memories. When were you there?
Cherryl
Ha ha, brilliant!! I remember thinking – shouldn’t he be at school! I was there in February – and thankfully returned before things started taking a turn. One of the nice things about blogging is that it helps keep lots of those memories alive 😊
pvcann
Such a rich history, and vibrant life going on too. Love the architecture.
Cherryl
Yes, it’s all very rich and intense – it felt like being in a film or a story…not real life, a vibrant escape 😊
pvcann
It sure comes across that way.