Achingly beautiful and historic with marble palaces, imposing stone forts, decadent hunting lodges, not to mention the natural landscape of the Aravalli foothills and safari, Rajasthan, the largest state in India has it all. Whether you want to dive into spice and textile markets, be inspired by the blue city of Jodhpur or pink-painted (for Queen Victoria in 1876) city of Jaipur or experience the wilderness, the options are endless.
TASTE
With converted hotel palaces galore, Rajasthan is a treasure trove of beautiful hotels. Our favourites include the Taj Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur; the 17th century royal retreat of Rawla Narlai; the Suján Rajmahal Palace of Jaipur, a royal family-owned hotel; the Amanbagh Hotel or the RAAS Devigarh, both set in the stunning Aravalli Range; Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, or for something quite different Chhatra Sagar, a luxurious tent camp with far-reaching views. We love cocktails at Bar Palladio in Hotel Narain Niwas Palace and at Jaipur's ornate Samode Palace, which is 450 years old. Lunch overlooking Lake Pichola from the terrace of Ambrai Restaurant in Udaipur. Dinner at Pillars at the Umaid Bhawan Palace
EXPERIENCE
With so many beautiful sight-seeing must-dos, you will be spoiled for choice. Our favourites include: Pushkar Lake, a stunning sacred lake where Hindu pilgrims come to wash away their sins; riding tuk-tuks through the blue city of Jodphur; visit Udaipur, the so-proclaimed "Venice of the East" on Lake Pichola. Then of course, there is shopping - it is a true shopper's paradise! Try these for starters: Anantaya Decor for luxurious interiors and fabrics; Johari Bazaar, Jaipur for beautiful Rajasthani jewellery made with precious and semi-precious stones; Nehru Bazaar, Jaipur for shoes, clothes, pottery and bags; Bapu Bazaar in central Jaipur is one of the most popular shopping destinations for footwear, jewellery and silverware; Jaipur Blue Pottery Art Centre which sells beautiful pottery in all shapes and sizes and makes for perfect take-home presents; lastly, great little street markets include the clock tower market in Jodhpur, Hathi Pole Bazaar in Udaipur, the Golden Fort market in Jaisalmer and the Shilpgram Handicraft market in Ranthambore. And of course as a fellow trunk-lover, Trunks Co for fabulous luxurious custom-made trunks.
READ
Inglorious Empire - Sashi Tharoor; Kim - Rudyard Kipling; Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts; The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy; The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga; A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth; A Passage to India - EM Forster; Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India - William Dalrymple; White Mughals - William Dalrymple; Up the Country - Emily Eden; The Great Mutiny - Christopher Hibbert
LISTEN
To get you into the Indian mood check out on Spotify: Bollywood Remixes and Mashups, Indian Chill, Bollywood Romanc
