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palace of a local royal family . The opulence was staggering , guest rooms that they themselves were of a regal fashion , vast gardens , state rooms with artworks better seen in museums or galleries . And for just sixty Australian dollars per night .
Stepping out of the gates to our hotel brought a quick reality check , this is India and amongst the beauty and opulence is a grimier side . We were in streets where once palaces and the houses of the powerful sit inline with the slums and at times underbelly of urban life .
It all gave way to more relics of the past , ornate marble structures , palaces and temples that defied a modern way of thinking . Complexes that contained identical palaces , one summer , one winter . Mirrored constructions to take advantage of the weather .
Unabated the rain added to the rich colours , seemingly washing away the grime , complex reds , oranges , and creams . There ’ s a reason Jaipur is known as the Pink City as ascribed by UNESCO in offering India more World Heritage sites within one area .
The Amer Fort , just outside of Jaipur , is a splendid example of Rajput Architecture , with much influence of the Mughals . The outer walls hide the many walkways and paths that lead to red sandstone and marble buildings , each unique and each bidding to outdo the last . There ’ s little surprise that the Amer Fort is Jaipur ’ s greatest tourist attraction however , surprisingly only 5,000 people visit the vast structure each day .
The surrounding hills play host to the Amer village , a place to immerse in the localised culture and constructions . Be mindful of the tourist traps , they will drag you in with a ‘ daring ’ snake charming episode or friendly banter with an elephant ‘ trainer ’.
Heading back toward the city is
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