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Danang - Miami of the East

  Having explored the north of Vietnam , it was time to move down South from Hanoi towards the more tropical climates. Danang, which is right in the center of the country was the next logical stop for us with its diverse geography containing vast expansive beaches to amazing hills.  Why Danang? Danang is one of the newest cities in  Vietnam with a large expansive waterfront skyline. It is fast catching up as a major tourist destination and has been coined as the Miami of the East. Along with amazing sunsets at the My Khe beach, one can also visit the nearby Bana hills to get a feel of the mountains. The city has some amazing bridges, water cruises, and in a way, it feels different from the whole of Vietnam due to its well-designed architecture.  How to Reach & Where to Stay? Danang is very well connected from all major countries through its International airport. The airport being right in the center of the city makes the commute times even less. One can easily book a grab under

Jodhpur - The Magical Royal Blue City

 


From Udaipur, we move further north in the Royal State of Rajasthan in search of another treasure and stumble upon a truly magical city. Jodhpur or The Blue City of India is a small city with rich ancient architecture and host of forts and palaces. The blue colour of the city has been attributed to various reasons such as an offering towards the Hindu God Shiva, secondly, it helps keep the houses cooler in the scorching summer months, and lastly, some would also say it helps keep the pests away. 

I made a 3-day plan to visit the city so that I get ample time to completely absorb the aura of the place and also try my hands on some delectable cuisine and try on some traditional Jodhpuri shopping. So without much ado, let the journey begin.....

How to Reach & When to visit

Jodhpur is well connected to all major cities in India via all 3 major modes of transport road, rail and air. The Jodhpur airport is a military shared airport and as such, the frequency of the flights on the lower side but trains or roads pose as the best way to reach the city. The major international hubs around the city would be Jaipur & Delhi.

The best time to visit Jodhpur is from October to February when you can safely indulge in desert safaris and fort visits due to cooler temperatures. 

Where to Stay

The Blue City has a lot of accommodations options to offer ranging from famous hostels such as Zostel to old palaces turned hotels where you will get a king size experience. It boils down to your budget and the kind of experience that you are looking for. I stayed at two different properties, Fern Residency (~50$/night) which was a 4-star business hotel right in the middle of the city in Ratanada area giving a good view of both Mehrangarh fort and Umaid Bhawan Palace from the room. Next, I stayed in Bijolai Palace (~70$/night) which is a palace turned hotel on the outskirts of the city overlooking the Kaylana Lake. This hotel had a heritage feel to it with palatial rooms and ancient styled furniture which was the major highlight along with the food it had to offer. 

While roaming around the city, you can easily rent out a scooter or a bike and also Uber & Ola are easily accessible at cheap rates.



Things to do in Jodhpur

Visit the Mighty Mehrangarh Fort

Mehrangarh Fort is the most popular destination when it comes to Jodhpur. It is counted among one of the biggest forts in India which is standing tall since 1459 when it was constructed by Rao Jodha who has been given the credit of establishing the city of Jodhpur.

The fort stands tall with its 120 feet high walls on a small hill which paves way for it to provide a 360-degree view of the complete city. Mehrangarh Fort which stands for Sun Fort has various palaces within itself with big palatial rooms along with an amazing museum. The area outside the walls has served as a backdrop for a scene in Batman Begins movie. A good walk through the complete fort is going to easily take close to three hours but it's all going to worth it.

Don't forget to go to the top either by steps or the paid lift to get amazing views of the complete city.



Fall in love with Umaid Bhawan Palace

Umaid Bhawan is currently one of the world's largest residences. This magnificent 347 room palace built by Maharaja Umaid sign is currently managed by the famous Taj Hotels Group with a portion of it still being resided by the family of the Maharaja.

The palace was constructed very recently around 1943 and hence the condition is top-notch. You are sure to get a fairy tale feeling here especially in the night with all its lights turned on. There is a Museum and Vintage Car Showcase to completely imbibe the royal heritage of the palace. Also, the Taj Hotel here has been awarded the best hotel in world award a few times and has been host to some high profile weddings as well such as Priyanka Chopra in the recent past. You can also book yourself a room here starting 680$/ night.


Take the Flying Fox experience and visit Jaswant Thwada

Just around the Mehrangarh fort, there are multiple options to further explore the city. You can indulge yourself into Flying Fox Experience where you would ziplining amidst the dry barren backdrop. You can visit the Jaswant Thwada which is a marble based Mausoleum built to commemorate Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Till today, the members of the royal family of Rajasthan are cremated there. 

You can then visit the nearby Kaylana Lake which is the biggest lake in Jodhpur. It was built by Pratap Singh in 1872 and you can sit and relax along the banks of it. These spots are generally less touristy so if you are looking for some peaceful spot away from the hustle-bustle, this can be your pick.


Buy some Authentic Jodhpuri style shoes in Sadar market around the Clock Tower

The area around the clock tower which used to serve as the city centre for long is the place to be if you are a shopping maniac. Jodhpur has long been famous for its traditional handicrafts and clothes ranging from classic Jodhpuri shoes to the ever colourful scarfs to my favourite Jodhpuri style kurta... you name it and you will find it. 

There are multiple furniture and handicraft shops here where you can buy anything from big furniture pieces to handicrafts and all this while gazing upon the famous clock tower which was made in the year 1872 by Maharaja Sardar Singh. My favourite picks for the shops would be Baba Art Emporium, Isha Silk, Lalji Handicrafts, Toorji Ka Jhalra, Royal Blue



Dine at Indique while gazing upon the mighty fort

All major restaurants in Jodhpur provide an amazing view of the Mehrangarh and the whole experience is amplified in the evening when the whole fort is lit up. While Rajasthani cuisine needs no mention but Indique takes it up a notch with an amazing experience altogether, There are multiple places to try out but Indique should be tried at least once. It is located on the rooftop of Pal Haveli which is close to the clock tower. Do try the Laal Maas over there.... it's heavenly.


Desert Safari

Just outside of Jodhpur, there are various travel tour companies providing desert safari options. The soft sand and the picturesque location turns to be an amazing backdrop for the same. Please do note that desert safari in Jodhpur is on the pricer side and I would recommend skipping it here if you are headed towards Jaisalmer which is the best spot all the way through with their the various sand dunes there.


Try the amazing local food


Just like any other Indian city, Jodhpur is also host to some amazing food options which are a must-try when in town. I have tried to list down some of my favourite options here
  • Try the Masala tea at the Bhati Tea Stall
  • Gulp down a glass of famous Makhaniya Lassi at MisriLal Hotel
  • Sample some mouth-watering MirchoVada & Kachoris at Janta Sweet House
  • Try the Unlimited Rajasthani Thali at Gypsy restaurant
  • Breakfast at Dylan's Cafe
  • Try the various rooftop dinner places such as Indigo, Jhankar, The Curry's

Go click Instragamable photos in the blue lanes of the city

The Old City area around the city is still completely blue and you can find some amazing picture and video locations. It's an experience which can't be matched anywhere else. I made a point to go on an evening stroll in this part of the city and I was happy that I did it.


With each passing day, it is becoming more clear to me that Rajasthan is special and I have still have a lot of ground to cover. To more such adventures ahead.













 










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