Chokhi Dhani- Jaipur

Last day at Jaipur, today we kept ourselves more or less free for shopping. Had breakfast at the hotel lawn for the first time. The buffet breakfast at Hotel Madhuvan is only worth it when you have time to enjoy it. We met an Indian family who were traveling from Gujarat for the Diwali weekend in Jaipur and wanted to join us at Chokhi Dhani later in the evening. Around 10, we left for shopping with Mr. Singh. Many shops were closed due to the post-Diwali mood, but we still managed to hop from one shop to another - Rajasthali, the blue pottery shop, etc. Then we tried the famous Ram Chandra Kulfi (Indian Ice Cream) in Tripolia Bazaar on the way back to the hotel for a siesta and left for Sanganer & Chokhi-Dhani around 5ish.

We took the Jaipur-Tonk Highway and did more shopping at Sanganer, famous for its block printing, screen printers, blue pottery, and handmade papers. According to Mr. Singh, many stores/small factories do not let Indians inside as these items are a bit expensive for the common Indian and mostly for export.

Chokhi Dhani basically gives a picture of rural life in Rajasthan, a miniature theme park. A bit expensive but worth going for dinner alone. This resort is divided into two sections, one for daily visitors while the other for overnight stays. The first section charges an entrance fee (350 INR) that includes an authentic vegetarian Rajasthani dinner with a traditional floor seating arrangement and allows visitors to enjoy traditional rural activities such as tightrope walkers, camel cart rides for minimal fees. There is also an A/C section for food which charges around 700 INR.

Ram Ram Sa!!! Was the first thing to hear. First, we had dinner there, which was a wise decision as the crowd was getting thicker with time. According to the ticket schedule, our dinner time was 10 PM, but as it was around 8, there was not much crowd, and we got a seat quite easily. The elaborate Rajasthani thali has many varieties of chapatis (bread) and vegetables, which is served until you ask them to stop.

Took a few rides to give Aarush exposure to all those village life; different types of Rajasthani folk dances and songs were performed live. The whole place is lit with modern-day lanterns, but as they are not very bright, you get a feeling of going back in time. Overall, we had a nice time, and then we were back at the hotel around 11.00 pm.

Next morning, we had a flight back to Bangalore in the morning. A bientot!!!!