This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 

Have lunch at the Olive Bar and Kitchen in Qutub

Beautiful Italian restaurant with indoor and outdoor areas. The outdoor patio is enclosed by the building and is a small, cottage-themed heaven. There is also an upper deck (not always open) with a great view. The menu is upscale and all, oh so very tasty, with great service. And as a bonus, there are a few nice Indian designer shops near there, including Ashima Leena.

See a show at the Kingdom of Dreams

This is about half a day trip and a very entertaining show: singing, dancing, flying witches – the whole thing! There is also a lot to see and try in the main building. You will find many restaurants with cuisines from across India, beautifully painted decor, souvenir shops, and live performances. It’s all super fun, in a slightly cheesy kind of way. Just make sure you’re well rested. We went the day after landing and no lie, I fell asleep in the dark with the jet lag. Still feel bad about that but have found many ways to deal with the jet lag afterwards.

Explore Cyber Hub in Gurgaon

After the show head over to Cyber Hub in Gurgaon (or any other night, it’s a bit of a trip though). The area is a gated community hub for all nearby offices. There are shops, ice cream cafes, and many restaurant bars around. The centre of it all is an outdoor TV where people gather to watch Cricket matches. All bars, I noticed, are called pubs, regardless of it being a club or a brewery. No matter the name they all seem like great party places – yes party! Well, at last here (and Hauz Khas Village but more on that later). People have drinks, dance, sing along to the music, and just generally share good vibes.

Dine in luxury at the Indian Accent

Recently rated by TripAdvisor as one of the best restaurants in the world, Indian Accent is fine dining at its best. The dress code is in effect so you will need to wear your best dress for the night. The cuisine is modern Indian with a great selection of wine. Here we tried some Indian white wine, which was quite lovely, a bit on the spicy, earthy side. Reservations are needed ahead of time.

Eat & Hangout at the Junkyard Cafe

Yes, it is very junkyardy in decor, over the top so. In fact, the majority of the younger demographic restaurants in Delhi are heavily themed and super fun. The Junkyard Cafe has a large mixed menu selection, comfortable seating, and plenty to look around at. We went in for weekday lunch so it was quite empty but in the evenings this is a very happening spot. 

Note: You need to go upstairs and across the patio to find the front door, a bit of a maze.

Have dinner at the Kainoosh

Wonderful, upscale Indian restaurant in a shopping centre (next door to a great store!). Everything is ordered to be shared. Plates are dropped off in the centre and portions are served by the wait staff – fairly standard practice. The three of us shared quite a few plates after working a 12-hour day and all of it was simply delicious.

Spend an evening at the Piano Man Jazz Club

A very popular, two-level, small music bar. On weeknights especially it gets very busy, people sit on the tight round staircase to watch the show. As it goes with live music bars the music is not always Jazz. We were seated on a balcony with a perfect view of the stage. The balcony offers a great vantage point on the rest of the bar as well making great people watching. Make sure to order bottled drinks and bottled water and don’t eat here. Their cooking techniques are subpar and might not be the most agreeable with your particular North American stomach. Fun spot nonetheless. 

Note: You’ll need to email for reservations in advance.

Have a spiritual experience at the Akshardham Temple

A Hindu temple designed by the famous Pramukh Swami Maharaj. It’s a “spiritual-cultural campus” that people flock to. There is an organized gated entry line and you can’t bring anything with you, not even a purse and definitely not a phone or a camera. I walked in with cash in my pocket and a scarf to cover my head. Purchased some postcards to remember that I went there. The temple is absolutely stunning. It glows in the sun and inspires you to be silent, to sit down and contemplate life. As you take your shoes off and walk inside, each room brings a whole new sense of amazement. There’s truly nothing else like it. 

Hot tip: the white tiles are not as hot as the black. It will make sense once you take your shoes off.

Visit Agrasen ki Baoli

A little architectural secret in the heart of New Delhi Agrasen ki Baoli is a 60-meter long and 15-meter wide historical step well near Connaught Place. It’s quite deep and peaceful and as you stand at the top you see the stark contrast between the old well walls and the new tall buildings in the background.

Hang out in the Hauz Khas Village

Small artsy neighbourhood with narrow streets, mixed architecture, lots of established art galleries, fashion boutiques and a vivid nightlife. So vivid the cool kids avoid it on the weekends. Adjacent to the Village is a deer park in which you can find some picnic huts and a lovely lake. 

While there, eat at the Hauz Khas Social: a popular chain across Delhi. The Social is a bar, a restaurant, and a co-working space. Each location has a theme, this one for example is “100% recycled and upcycled” with rough bare walls and hard industrial elements. Compared to the rest of the restaurants in this blog Social is cheap, like one-dollar-sign cheap. But the food is great and the atmosphere is very welcoming (two images above). This place is chill AF. Oh, and it looks out onto that deer park!

Eat & Drink at the Leela hotel

This hotel is overwhelming with wealth – the selling height, the heavy curtains, and the marble floors are, well, breathtaking. There are quite a few restaurants and bars there. We opted for the Japanese Speciality Restaurant and the Library Bar for some classic cocktails. The menu has a nice selection of fresh fish and a few cooked dishes. All of it is great to share.

And because you need a home and you’d like to be fancy stay at the Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel*. This hotel is located in Connaught Place, the safest neighbourhood in New Delhi. From the outside the hotel is not very impressive but it is a fantastic place to make a home. The rooms are spacious with an open view of the foggy city. The staff and room service team are very helpful and attentive. There is a nice enclosed pool around the corner from the patio and a great selection of restaurants. More about this hotel here.

Notes on Eating

I’ve heard of people acclimatizing their stomachs to the local water and vegetables but didn’t want to take the risk. So as advised, well by everyone, I’ll do the same: don’t drink tap water, only drink cocktails if the ice is purified, don’t drink milk or eat soft dairy, don’t eat any sort of vegetables or street food. Peelable fruits are fine (oranges, bananas) but I was repeatedly pulled away from every watermelon I put my eyes on.

The post What to do in New Delhi: from architecture to nightlife appeared first on Paths to Travel.

Hire a guide & a driver

Jaipur has a rich and fantastic history. There are many little secrets around the city which only a well-versed guide can show you. We had a guide for a day and he was really beneficial. This very lovely man not only showed us the secrets of Jaipur but also served as a kind of bodyguard in the markets and advised on purchases.

Shop the markets

Rajasthan is where many of the items sold across India come from. Similarly, most of the precious stones come through and are made here as well – the mountains are very healthy! I bought some unique pieces, like the skirt below, representative of the local embroidery pattern. Most tours here would involve a stop at some sort of jewellery shop. Our stop proved to be very fruitful. Not only did I find some great earrings at a fraction of North American cost I also had a custom ring made. Many of these quick finds might require tailoring. My skirt, for example, needed a custom waistline finish, tailored to my body. Both the skirt and the ring were delivered to me the same day to a place I indicated I’d be at a specific hour.

This blog post uses affiliate links denoted by ( * ).
Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here

Splurge & sleep like royalty at the Rambagh Palace

The hotel is currently run by the Taj company but for many years was home to the Rajasthani royalty. It is an unforgettable treat to stay here, read more about it here.

Spend time with elephants

There are many places you can do that but not all are ethical. Riding elephants is incredibly painful for the animals, even though you can see many of them dressed up for the occasion around town. Elephants of Jaipur live in the Elephant Village where various organizations take care of them.

A friend did a lot of research on the topic and chose Elefantastic because they appeared most ethically responsible. Many of the elephants are circus rescues. Some of them were born in the village, and the only way you can ride them is bareback. This is also not advised but much kinder and more uncomfortable than painful for the animal. Riding the elephants is really only popular because tourists want to, so help the elephants by not riding them. The owner is a lovely man. We spent a few hours in the park and got to feed and wash the elephants. This time period was enough to build a small bond with these majestic animals. My elephant, Chanda, was born and raised in the village and is known to be a bit of a moody creature, but we found common ground easily. Dear Chanda, I still miss you! Experiences like this one are often accompanied by a home visit with a lunch.

Tip: See me wearing pants? Don’t follow that example, it’s too hot and too uncomfortable and I was dumb.

And now, on to the cultural & architectural sites!

Hawa Mahal 

Hawa Mahal translates to Palace of Winds. This is one of the most photographed places in Jaipur, as you may have noticed on Instagram. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh this palace was primarily a zenana – women’s chambers. The women of the main palace used it as a way to observe street processions and daily life while they couldn’t be seen themselves. We had a rather quick stop near the Palace but there is a cafe across the street that offers a great view.

Jantar Mantar 

This is an observatory built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II. I know, names are hard to keep up with but they make these places more personal. The site is home to a collection of 19 architectural astronomical instruments including the biggest stone sundial in the world! With mad accuracy, I might add. Among many other structures – instruments – each zodiac sign has its own structure. Jai Singh built the site to be able to better predict the position of celestial objects. There is a mini version of this in New Delhi but it’s not nearly as impressive.

Amer Fort

This entire site is absolutely majestic! I won’t retell the whole story because it’s a lot and you should hear it while visiting the Fort. But in short: Amer Fort is the centre of Amer Town. It was built by Meenas and later ruled by Raja Man Singh I. As the town grew, the city of Jaipur, as we know it now, was built below. That land was chosen for Jaipur because of its flat nature to facilitate Jantar Mantar, in addition to all the people of course. The views of the surrounding area from the Amer Fort gates are fantastic!

The Patrika Gate

Patrika Gate is the 9th gate of Jaipur and is located in Jawahar Circle. On the other side of the gate is a nice park but the gate itself is absolutely stunning! From the outside, it is decorated with intricate stone carvings. On the inside, the colours, fine lines, and layers create an incredibly intricate frame. A lot of people, naturally come here to take pictures, but it’s also a nice place to relax.

To see the India trip on Instagram look up #xoIndia18.

The post A quick guide to Jaipur, India’s Pink City appeared first on Paths to Travel.

This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 

The vibe & Shared spaces

The hotel is recently renovated and is always spotless, all day, every day. The grand lobby leads to the many restaurants and the ground floor bakery, if you fancy a samosa. On the property is a gym and a spa, neither of which sadly I got to try due to the packed work schedule. Next time! The service is impeccable. You are greeted upon entry and all and any wishes or needs you might have the hotel team can find solutions for. After visiting Jaipur and the elephant sanctuary all three of us took advantage of the laundry service which offered a quick turnaround and great service.

Down the stairs from the lobby and through the spa is the entrance to the private pool. The pool is modest in size, surrounded by palm trees and comfortable sunbeds. All in all, this is a nice place to spend a morning between meetings and excursions. There are also a couple of nightclubs on the hotel grounds, with separate entrances through the side gate. The second-floor event space, near the business centre, sometimes hosts fairs. During our visit, a couple of dozen local fashion boutiques were showcased there.

There are 3 restaurants on the property: Shang Palace, serving Chinese; Sorrento with an Italian menu, and Tamra, offering international cuisine. Grappa is the primary lounge and bar set away from Mister Chai, a lobby bar/cafe offering Indian treats and beverages.

Inside the Suite

Over my nearly two-week visit, I had the pleasure of staying in the Horizon, Premier King room. The rooms are soundproofed and equipped with a service request button at the entry. You can choose to not be disturbed or leave it on for nightly turndown service. All of my items, like shoes and toiletries, were neatly organized daily on crisp white napkins.

Deluxe Rooms are spacious, and the shower is fully glass, which makes the room feel bigger. The glass shower, of course, limits your privacy but there are blinds all around the shower to help you block the world out.

My travel companions shared the Executive Suite which also has a living room. A stay in the Executive Suite includes breakfast and a few other perks, such as access to the higher-level lounge with a nice view. The room is not enough space for 3 people as the booking sites claim. The couch in the living room is more like a day be but not one you can sleep on comfortably.

Note: There is only one cash machine in the hotel and it is outside near the lounge entrance. Keep in mind, that it is often out of money.

Address: 19 Ashoka Road, Connaught Place, Connaught Place, New Delhi, 110001, India

The post Making India home at Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel, New Delhi appeared first on Paths to Travel.

This article might contain affiliate links. Read the disclaimer about affiliate links & PR gifting here. 

Having toured a bit of Jaipur for a day we drove into the majestic Rambagh Palace in complete exhaustion. Upon exiting the car we were greeted by a parade of the hotel staff. They tossed rose petals in the air and offered all sorts of traditional pleasantries that immediately uplifted our spirits.

We stayed in the Palace Room. This suite has a garden view, a spacious bathroom, a king-size bed, and a great window seat framed by heavy curtains and wood detailing. The hotel grounds are impeccably clean and filled with Rajasthani history. The building is structured around a rectangular courtyard garden. From the outside, it is surrounded by 47 acres of a green oasis. As you wander through the palace grounds you’ll come across neatly laid out marigold flower patterns, strolling peacocks, and traditionally dressed staff greeting you with a polite smile.

The Indian speciality restaurant, Suvarna Mahal, and the Verandah Café are in the back of the building. Both restaurants are looking out on the wide-open field framed by an arched doorway. In the morning it’s nice to sit outside on a soft couch sipping tea and reading in the heat of the Indian sun. The restaurant is a place of luxury and may require reservations. But since we don’t eat on the local schedule (they prefer to have dinner much later) we were the only ones at the restaurant, slightly overwhelmed by the service and attention. 

On the way to the pool, you’ll pass a steam train, permanently parked it is now a bar-lounge. The Steam offers a fine selection of liquors, wine, snacks, and wood-fired Italian pizzas. The spa and pool area are surrounded by a wall of trees creating a private space for reflection and wellness. There are indoor and outdoor pools, both impeccably kept, a full-service Jiva Grande Spa, and an outdoor yoga room. With the little time that we had, we tried to take advantage of everything. I chose to spend my last hours as a guest of the Palace by the pool, listening to birds chirp.

If I ever felt like a princess it is here in the Rambagh Palace, a place I would certainly like to return to for an extended visit.

Address: Jaipur Bhawani Singh Road, Jaipur 302005, Rajasthan India

The post Rambagh Palace: A royal experience in Jaipur appeared first on Paths to Travel.