This was our first family trip to Jaipur. We checked in on 09/02/2023. We were greeted with wonderful traditional music and dance performance at the entrance. The property at Jaipur is located in a smaller compound compared to other Club Mahindra properties. It looks more like a hotel, albeit a very good one. It is very close to a busy road and the view from our room was of that road.

However, within the space constraints, the resort manages to accommodate all the regular Club Mahindra features including a happy hub, a decent gym, a poolside lawn, a party area, clothing store etc. We rented a Maruti Swift to drive on our own from a local car rental. This is a very good option in Jaipur as traffic is not too bad except for the peak hours.

On our first day we visited City palace. This is a private palace owned by the royal family of Jaipur and the family still lives there. The entry tickets are a bit steep at Rs. 300 per person, but it is totally worth it. We recommend hiring a guide as it helps enormously to know the interesting history behind each room and each exhibit. Our guide Mr. Asif shared many entertaining stories about the palace. The pick of the lot was the dresses worn by a king who weighed 250 kg. They apparently had to invent a new lightweight fabric to clad the king who couldn't carry the weight of his own clothes.

And another king would drink only Gangajal and had a 400 litre silver jar made for Gangajal to be transported to England along with him. I might have made the Kings of jaipur sound like buffoons, but the rest of the kings were fearsome Rajput warriors. The City palace was built in 1727. This was a period of relative tranquility as the Rajputs had made peace with the Mughals by then, enabling them to come down from the hilly fortresses of Amer to the easily accessible City palace located in the plains.

We had lunch at Govindam Retreat Restaurant close to the palace. We had a delicious Rajasthani Thali. But we had no idea that Baati had to be crushed with bare hands and enjoyed with dal. The waiter was too busy to tell us that. The next day we made a trip to Nahargarh Biological Park, as it is routine for our 3-year-old to visit the zoo wherever we go. But it was closed due to an employees' strike leaving him disappointed.

We went to Amer Fort next. Amer Fort is the old palace of the same dynasty. Our guide here showed us the many wonders of the palace including the Sheesh Mahal and the king's harem equipped with a jacuzzi of sorts. On the way back we stepped down at the Jal Mahal. There was a birdwatching and conservation camp going on there. We could watch exotic birds like the Pelican in the lake through telescopes installed at the bank. This almost compensated for our son's disappointment at the zoo being closed.

We had a very good lunch at The Vegetarian Grill Restaurant which is close to Club Mahindra. In the evening, we visited Chokhi Dhani which is a 1-hour drive from the resort. This was easily the most memorable experience of our holiday. Chokhi Dhani is an amusement park of sorts modeled on a traditional Rajasthani village with several small and short experiences and rides accessible at small fees. Our little boy enjoyed the 2 minute camel ride and the puppet show.

We suggest booking the Royal Thali entry ticket a week in advance like we did. The Royal Thali dining experience was excellent complete with a soothing live Ghazal performance. On the third day, we did some shopping at Johri bazaar. The markets Bapu Bazaar and Johri Bazaar are the best places to shop for clothes and crafts. There are touts and taxi drivers close to the monuments who would try to convince you otherwise and try to take you to other places for a commission.

This day we had lunch at the resort. It was truly the best food of our trip. The moong dal halwa was heavenly. In the evening we tried the delicious ghevar at Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar and also picked up some tasty sweets for friends back home. We strongly recommend the mewa bites at Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar. In conclusion, this was a very happy and fulfilling trip and we would definitely come back for more.