Jaipur, India

If you think India's colourful, Jaipur's a freakin' kaleidoscope. A pink-toned one, if I may add. 

Though we got by decently well in Mumbai without a local tour guide (to be fair we wouldn't know what we were missing), Jaipur's the kind of city where having an insider show you around makes all the difference. While it wasn't a full local immersion and we were obviously still extremely privileged tourists, it felt like a meaningful step in the right direction. 

Our guide was Shristi from Sair with Shristi, who places eco-conscious travel at the heart of her practice while offering a distinct female perspective as she gives you all the key historical facts about the gorgeous pink city. She curated a five-day itinerary for us which also included a detour to Agra for the one and only Taj Mahal, and I genuinely cannot recommend her enough. 

Everything was paced to perfection. She accommodated all our (sometimes ridiculous) preferences, balancing classic tourist must-do's with secret spots we never would've discovered on our own. She's also frankly simply a really good person, fiercely advocating for women's empowerment and other social issues across India. Even three years on, her Instagram posts still make me pause, reflect and care–her consistency is nothing short of inspiring. 

Day 3 | 26 November 

We met Shristi at Jaipur International Airport right after touching down from Mumbai. She took care of everything, complete with private buses ready to whisk us away to the Marriott. Funnily enough, every single hotel we checked into during this trip was hosting a wedding. Then again, we were in the country for that exact reason–it was peak wedding season in full swing. 

After settling in, we headed out in the late afternoon to experience Jaipur's claim to fame–the beautiful pink terracotta buildings lining the historic old city. The iconic blush tone isn't actually natural to the stone, but rather a layer of paint ordered in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales... kind of hilarious. 

We explored the old quarter on foot and stopped by the gorgeous Hawa Mahal. Fatigued from the flight and overstimulated by everything around me, I didn't snap a single photo, choosing instead to be present and take it all in. Our visit to the Govind Dev Ji Temple (Royal Temple) was incredibly well-timed, right in the middle of an aarti, sweeping us up in a sea of devotees paying homage to Radha and Lord Krishna.  

The evening took a gentler turn at dinnertime, where we headed to the Peacock Restaurant at the rooftop of Hotel Pearl Palace, and sampled Rajasthan food for the first time. 

 

Lovely, live music. 

Day 4 | 27 November 

Outside of the wedding itself, this was easily the most jam-packed day of our trip. We kicked things off at the Patrika Gate, a landmark that could very well pass off as an timeless historic relic, but was really built only in 2016 by a newspaper company with the new generation in mind.  

Some call it the Instagram gate, for good reason. 

Its vivid, patterned corridors inspired the first of my bottom-up self-timer photo series, complete with unplanned outfits that serendipitously matched the aesthetic of each location. 

Savvy vendors with food carts near the gate. 

Before breaking for lunch and retail therapy, we stopped by the Birla Mandir, a Hindu temple, which featured a stunning pure white marble exterior. A light drizzle kept the crowds away, allowing us to wander the grounds in near-total tranquility. 

We then headed to the Anokhi cafe and their flagship store. Lunch tasted... clean, which admittedly isn't my go-to flavour profile but I understand the appeal of trying out the seasonal, organic produce grown locally at the Anokhi farm. Founded in Jaipur, the brand is dedicated to reviving traditional Indian hand-block printing and supporting local artisans. To this day, the dress I picked up then remains one of my absolute favourites and most-complimented pieces. My only regret is not purchasing more variants since the label is nearly impossible to source both outside of India, and even online. 

Bellies full and shopping stowed safely on the bus, we made our way to the Jawahar Kala, a multi-arts center featuring architecture inspired by the traditional fort walls of the city. 

You can tell how much the city loves terracotta, and then there's B, bending over backwards. 

Just around the corner sits The Nila House, a non-profit committed to preserving sustainable craft traditions across India. Here, we got to try our hand at a natural dye printing workshop. 

The flower petals we used to dye our cotton handkerchiefs. 

Getting creative. 

Very tie dye-esque.

And off to the steamer they went! 

While our fabrics were undergoing their steam-set colour transformation, we took a guided tour through the facility's workspaces.

The Charkha Room where we witnessed organic kala cotton being transformed from its plant state to hand-spun yarn. 

Stunning display of textiles.

Truth be told, the space, filled with minimalist open studios, a research library, textile vaults and artists-in-residence quarters, felt heavily gentrified. If not for Shristi's stamp of approval, I might've written this place off as an experience polished purely for upscale tourists. 

At the same time, the organisation does legitimate, good work with its community partners to support rural artisan communities and I understand why spaces like these need to feel comfortable and inviting to drive advocacy and funding. Even if part of the setting felt a touch performative, I enjoyed every minute of it, so perhaps this little reflection moment is more a play about myself than anything else. 

My handkerchief reveal! 

Even more beautiful in the sunlight. 

Next came a quick stop at the Panna Meena Ka Kund, a 16th century stepwell that once functioned as a community water cooler and rainwater reservoir. It was fascinating to imagine how the place used to be a social hub where folks would gather to chat, rest, and complete daily chores–everyone's just so disconnected all the time now. 

With F, I love this photo of us.

We paused briefly along the shores of Man Sagar Lake to admire the Jal Mahal (Water Palace), timed perfectly with a flock of birds sweeping across the golden dusk sky.

To save time as it was getting dark real soon, we hopped on some local rickshaws which took us to the Amber Fort situated a the top of a hill. 

Plenty of monkeys around the hilltop fortress. 

While it features a similar terracotta colour, the palace is constructed out of red sandstone and marble, and serves as Jaipur's premier landmark. 

A huge town square, and a lot more crowded than some of the spots we'd visited earlier in the day. 

Views from the top. 

Before night fully set in, we still had one last destination: a walk around the Amer Village to reach a secluded local hilltop temple for Dev Diwali. Known as the Diwali of the Gods, this celebration differs from the more well-known Festival of Lights I'm more familiar with, and it ended up being my favourite memory from a day already stacked with pure hits. 

We were so lucky as this event only takes place once a year and happened to coincide with the time we were visiting. In fact, I believe Shristi made some tweaks to our agenda to ensure we got the chance to attend it in-person, and I know for a fact we'd never stumble upon this on our own. 

The evening started with traditional music and dance. 

We spotted the locals cooking, and were later offered savoury morsels of fried food–I had absolutely no idea what I was eating, nor could I ask in a comprehsible way, but it was all so delicious.

We were obviously out of place, but the community welcomed us with open arms, inviting us to explore the temple grounds and communicating through Shristi, or simply warm, universal gestures. 

From where we were at, we could also see the Amber Fort aglow as night fell. 

According to lore, Dev Diwali marks Lord Shiva’s triumph over the demon Tripurasura—the sacred night when deities descend to bathe in the Ganges and rejoice.

Truly unreal to have experienced something this unique. 

As if our senses weren't already full, dinner still awaited. We headed to Peshawri for what proved to be one of the best meals of the trip. I can't tell if it was the exhaustion, sheer hunger, or culinary brilliance, but somehow the overflowing feast of kebabs and fresh breads left us so happy, they hit the spot completely. 

Happiness, case in point. 

Day 5 | 28 November 

Topping the previous day was an impossible task, so we didn't try. Instead, we treated Day 5 as a breather to slow our pace and recharge before heading to Agra. We still covered plenty of ground, even if my camera spent more time in my bag.

We first headed to the City Palace where the Jaipur royal family apparently lives in (of course, in a private residential section away from the public). I was quite surprised at how freely we could roam around here, and my favourite room was the Chhavi Niwas, or the blue room. 

Second of the bottom-up series. 

We also visited the Gaitor Ki Chhatriyan, or the royal cenotaphs in Jaipur, which serves as the official cremation ground and memorial for past rulers. This peaceful location offered some respite from the crowds and allowed Shristi to share more stories from the city's past. 

At some point, we found ourselves back in the historic Old City, and had to pile on into a single rickshaw to escape the insane traffic. 

Pure chaos.

Way too close for comfort. 

Our final night in Jaipur was spent at Rambagh Palace, the maharaja’s former residence turned heritage hotel, where we soaked up every corner of lavish luxury we could access through its marble, regal corridors. While we did not spend a bomb to stay overnight there, we did drop a small fortune to dine at the Suvarna Mahal. The food was good, but the ambience was what made the experience. The grand dining hall was majestically draped in gold at every corner, though it was admittedly a little dated for my liking.  

I loved having taster portions of everything. 

What a way to bid farewell to the Pink City. There is something so special about Jaipur, where even amid sensory overload and relentless movement, it carries an underlying poise. Messy, noisy streets are framed by lovingly preserved pink-hued facades. Centuries-old textile art forms find quiet sanctuary in modern whitewashed galleries. Completely foreign chants that could easily overwhelm end up bringing me the deepest sense of peace.

Where Mumbai highlights stark contrasts between luxury and hardship, Jaipur masterfully balances chaos with elegance—and leaves an indelible, emotional mark in the process.

Next up: Agra & Alwar. India continues to leave me breathless and yearning to revisit.