India with Kids: Part 1 Jaipur

This past December, we went to India to visit our family. We try and visit every 1-2 years, if possible. Our hometown, Indore, is in a state in Central India called Madhya Pradesh. Since our last two trips, we’ve been taking a mini vacation to a new destination within India before heading to Indore. This allows us to give the girls a little taste of various parts of India. In Indore, all we like to do is to spend time with our loved ones and gorge on food. Literally! I, of course, sneak in shopping. But, then again, I can sneak in shopping anywhere anytime NBD.

During our last India visit in 2016, we visited the beautiful state of Kerala in the South of India, and this time around we went to Rajasthan, located in India’s North West. Rajasthan is one of my favorite states in India as it’s symbolic of India’s rich culture and heritage. There is a lot to see and do in Rajasthan - historic architecture and palaces, deserts, manmade lakes, delicious food, warm hospitality, and so much more! We only had four nights to spend in Rajasthan (before heading to our hometown Indore) so we chose Jaipur and Bundi as our destinations. I’ve visited both these cities quite a few times as a child since we have relatives here. I wanted my girls to experience these beautiful cities as well.

Jaipur

My parents traveled from Indore and joined us in Jaipur - it was perfect! We only had 2-3 days in Jaipur, and we (especially the girls) needed at least one day to get over the jet lag. It had been more than a 36 hour journey including layovers (Boston to Paris to Delhi to Jaipur!) In this short time, our agenda involved meeting relatives, eating, shopping, and sightseeing! Whoa! So you can imagine how eventful (but fun!) those 2-3 days must have been. We couldn’t do as much sightseeing as we had hoped, but I am sharing snippets of our time there via photographs. I only had access to my camera at our hotel and during our visit to Amber Fort. I was too busy enjoying each new moment the rest of the time so that part went undocumented. In case you are wondering about the food, I’ll leave you with a teaser -- thali & laal maas (lamb cooked with a lot of red chillies) are Rajasthani delicacies and we couldn’t have enough of those.

For the girls, I was a little careful as their stomachs and bodies needed some time to acclimatize. My general rule is as long as the food is thoroughly cooked and non-spicy, it’s OK to consume. I steer clear of salads, raw vegetables and meat in the beginning. Most places were accommodating and customized non-spicy dishes for them.

Enjoy the pictures, including some from our hotel. It was a beautiful and sprawling property and one fine jet-lagged morning when everyone else in the family was asleep, I took my camera out for a spin and let loose. It was so fun and is definitely one of my favorite experiences from the trip! I can still hear the birds chirping and the enchanting sounds of a live bansuri (flute) performance by a local artist. Truly a treat for mind, body, and soul!

It was time to wake up the sleepyheads and have a cup of masala chai!

Live traditional dance performance at the hotel at night (and we joined the performers as well!). We went to Amber Fort during the day. Sharing pictures below.