A City With Pink Hues…
It was Nov 2019, we (I, Surabhi & my sister Priyanka) planned a road trip to the Pink City Jaipur, so we decided to leave on the 18th.
It was our first trip together to a city. To make this trip more adventurous I also carried my bicycle which was safely hung at the back of the car on a bicycle stand.
Day 1 in Jaipur
We woke up at 3 AM, got our bags set and started our journey around 5 AM. We were driving on NH-48, which is the Delhi-Jaipur expressway. On the halfway, around 8 AM, we stopped at a food joint to have a light breakfast. Haldiram’s was the best option there so we ordered tea, black coffee, chole bhature and masala dosa. We also clicked a few photos and continued our drive. In between, I also rode my bicycle to enjoy this trip. To be honest, the Jaipur highway at that time was not meant for cyclists as the road was under construction and there was no separate pathway for cycling.
Reaching Jaipur & Visiting the Amer fort
We reached Jaipur around 11:30 AM. Then we searched for some hostels online and we went to check a place “Bagpackers Headquarter” but unfortunately we didn’t get the accommodation there, then we looked out for other places and randomly went to hotel Kalyan and that was the exact kind of place we were looking for. As we entered, the vibes and the aura we felt was amazing. We asked at the reception for a triple room and it was on the top floor. The room was clean and tidy. The rooftop also had a beautiful restaurant with a nice ambience and decor. After settling in the room we freshened up and headed towards the restaurant as we were hungry. We ordered kadhi, chole masala, rice and chapatis along with a green salad. We loved the food and the service was also good.
The first place in our checklist was Amer Palace, so around 2:30 PM we started our drive. We reached there in about 45-50 minutes. Located high on a hill, it is the principal tourist attraction in Jaipur. Amer Palace is actually a Fort that is known for its artistic style elements. With its large ramparts and series of gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks Maota Lake, which is the main source of water for the Amer fort. We explored the fort and clicked mesmerizing photographs. We enjoyed ourselves and did some shopping also from the shop inside the fort. It was late evening around 7 PM, the fort was about to close so we came out. On the way back, we stopped at Jal Mahal which had an amazing view at night. We clicked some pictures and drove back to our hotel.
We reached our hotel around 9 PM and it was almost dinner time, so we decided to have dinner at our rooftop restaurant. We freshened up, took some rest and went to the restaurant. We ordered matar mushroom, dal tadka and roti. After having dinner we went upstairs to take a look at the night view of Jaipur city. It was a 360-degree view of the whole city covered with bright lights. We clicked some photos over the top and enjoyed the view. Later we went back to our room and took some rest for the night.
Day 2 in Jaipur
The second day was very important to us, basically to me as it was my cycle tour planned. I had planned the cycle tour from the city to the Nahargarh Fort which is quite a long distance- almost on a hill. The route was going to be very steep so I started my journey at a slow pace.
Cycling to Nahargarh Fort
We woke up early in the morning at 4:30 AM and got ready. We left the hotel around 6 AM and I started my ride. It was almost a 20-kilometre ride and the route was from Bapu Bazaar, on the way we saw Hawa Mahal and after a while Jalmahal also. There were many cyclists who were going to Nahargarh, I had a little chit-chat with a few of them. Actual Fort’s route was started after crossing Jalmahal we took left for Nahargarh on the “Jaigarh Fort’s Marg”. It was like a steep hill (for me) on which I had to cycle, I never had an experience of cycling at this steep so I was pedalling on my second gear but the route was very scenic. Surabhi and Priyanka were driving so they were ahead of me and met me halfway from where Jalmahal was visible. This view is literally mesmerizing as the sun was rising at the same time and the view of the lake was awesome.
We had some snacks and snaps there, then started our destination after this little break and I was again feeling energetic and full of enthusiasm. Within 1 hr we were at the Nahargarh Fort.
Fort was closed when we reached and was about to open in the next half an hour, so we decided to have some breakfast till then. We had Maggi and juice from a shop just outside the fort. At 10:00 AM the fort gates were opened, I chained my bicycle with a pole as they did not allow it inside.
Exploring the Nahargarh Fort
After entering we got our entry tickets (50Rs each) and then started exploring the fort. The scenic hilltop location of Nahargarh fort provides breathtaking views of Jaipur and its natural defences. Initially built by Sawai Jai Singh in 1734, it was enlarged to its sprawling, present-day glory in 1885 by Sawai Madho Singh, who commandeered it as a lookout point. Cannons placed behind the walls recall the days when artillery was positioned against potential attackers below. During the 1857 revolt, several Britishers took refuge here. The palace of nine queens—with nine separate apartments for the wives of Maharaja Ram Singh—within the fort is also worth a short visit. The massive channels that carried rainwater from Nahargarh to Jaigarh Fort, a few miles away, where it was stored in large tanks as part of a rainwater harvesting system, can still be seen from the approach road. A couple of famous Hindi films were shot on the battlements like Rang De Basanti.
After exploring the fort we headed back to our hotel. We freshened up and had lunch. In the evening we planned to do some local shopping at Bapu Bazar.
Shopping at Bapu Bazaar
We parked our car at Bapu Bazar and took an E-Rickshaw to find some of Jaipur’s famous Blue Pottery shops. We reached one spot where there were few shops. We entered one of the shops and bought a few items like a Tea set, candle stand and wall hanging plates.
Then, we went to Hawa Mahal which was on the way back to Bapu Bazaar. At night with all the decorated lighting, it was glaring majestically. We took some snaps there and enjoyed the view. Then we checked into some shops and bought Rajasthani Puppet dolls, Jutiyan and Jaipuri printed skirts.
Dinner in WTP Mall
After our shopping we decided to have dinner somewhere outside as this was our last supper in Jaipur, so we went to WTP mall and had dinner. Then we drove randomly in the night for a few hours in which we sighted Albert Hall, of course, it was closed at that time so we didn’t get a chance to explore it from inside. Albert Hall Museum was built in 1876 as a concert hall. The museum got its name from the Victoria and Albert Museum of London.
Then we came back to our hotel as the next morning we had to leave for Noida, back to our square one from this Leisure weekend.