Nick Wilkinson tours the palaces of Jaipur for a taste of Raj-era splendour.
When the ruler of Jaipur visited London in 1902, he brought his own water. Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II had three huge silver urns filled from the Ganges. One was heaved into the Red Sea to appease the god Varuna during a storm on the outward journey. The two that remain are the world's largest silver objects. Even without the maharajas, and the hubris they displayed in their approach to life, love and architecture, Jaipur could never be a dull city. But a legacy of grand gestures by the ancient rulers of Rajasthan, of which Jaipur is the capital, makes this a magical place to visit. It is still a land of opulent palaces with hidden harems and ornate walls flecked with precious stones. Peacocks strut past turbaned footmen in lush gardens, and elephants pad through the streets.
Yet this is India, and contrasts scream through every scene. Outside the palaces, the hum of a vast, kinetic population, dashing about its business, fills the ears and nose from the moment you arrive. The elephants ferry tourists through a mesh of bicycles, rickshaws and cars. There are far more paupers than princes on the street. But if there is a place where one can imagine living like a maharaja, or his maharani, it is Jaipur. Many of the city's palaces have become luxury hotels.
The hospitality of Jaipur's ruling class is legendary. One ruler ordered the city's buildings to be washed pink in honour of Prince Albert. Flamboyant welcomes survive in the palace hotels. Many are still owned and lived in by the descendents of the maharajas who built them. This is a very different India from the land of hippy trails or Goan beaches.
LUNCH LIKE A LORD
Most journeys to Jaipur begin in Delhi and continue by train or car. Even if you do not stay overnight, visit the Imperial Hotel and while away a few hours before your onward journey. The restaurant at lunchtime is a great place to start living like a lord.
RAJ MEETS BOUTIQUE
Most palace hotels in Jaipur will arrange to have a driver meet you at the station. Check beforehand. Samode Haveli is central and a great base from which to explore the city. It offers Raj-era sumptuousness with the atmosphere and intimacy of a boutique hotel. This can be lacking in some of the larger hotels, where tour parties are common. If you don't want your view of the peacocks marred by 20 ample backsides, places such as Samode Haveli are best. That said, many other hotels now discourage package tours. They just don't sit well with the elephant polo.
HALL OF MIRRORS
Samode Palace is 42km (26miles) northwest of Jaipur, in the Arvali foothills. A location for the BBC series of
MM Kaye's novel The Far Pavilions, it fulfils all expectations of what an Indian palace should be. The hand-painted Darbar Hall and Sheesh Mahal, a huge hall of mirrors, are breathtaking. So are the rooms, many of which have welcomed famous guests such as Jackie Onassis and Mick Jagger.
CAMP IN STYLE
The romantic garden paradise at Samode Bagh completes the Samode-hotels triumvirate. Visitors stay in tents, but this is camping in style. Each is air-conditioned and has a tiled bathroom. Guests sip tea at sunset on their large private verandas or lose themselves among the pools and fountains.
POLO ON REQUEST
For utter opulence and unabashed luxury, stay at Rambagh. The first palace in India to become a hotel is still one of the finest. Rooms come with a butler, and polo matches can be arranged on request. The palace is surrounded by 47 acres of immaculate gardens. Even if you don't stay, go for lunch on the lawn or sit out for dinner under the stars. The rooms, some of which are in the palace's cupolas, are exquisite. Maharani Gayatri Devi - Indian icon, legendary beauty and wife of the maharaja who owned Rambagh - still lives in the grounds.
EAT OUT
Honoured visitors to Jaipur's palaces never simply sat down for a meal. They were guests at a culinary opera. The days of 100-course feasts, stuffed camels and birds flying out of elaborately decorated dishes might be over, but you will still be impressed. Venture outside the palace walls and try the superb local food at restaurants such as Rainbow, on Amber Road.
GET A GUIDE
A good guide is essential. Find a reputable driver and stick with him. Ali Sattar is a gem. He will show you the sights, recommend restaurants and take you into the bazaars. Go farther than the tourist traps on the main roads and visit back-street shops filled with antiques, semiprecious stones and jewellery. After sightseeing and the palace hotels, shopping is the best reason to visit Jaipur. You can pick up beautiful block-print fabrics, antiques and carpets for a song. The longer you are prepared to haggle, the less you'll pay. Don't be afraid to walk out. Either you'll be called back or you'll find the same item elsewhere.
THE UNMISSABLE TIKLI BOTTOM
If you fly out of Delhi, linger for a few days at Tikli Bottom on the way. It is the holiday equivalent of several deep, relaxing breaths before you get on the plane. In general, Indian hotels don't quite get pillows. Tikli Bottom has the best you'll ever lay your head on. Enjoy the delicious organic meals, go bird watching, walk, or simply swim, sunbathe and read by the pool. They will drive you to the airport, and the relaxed, pampered atmosphere ensures that you arrive home from Jaipur feeling that a little blue blood runs in all our veins.
DRIVERS Ali Sattar, 00-91-98-28043857, ali4269@yahoo.com
HOTELS Samode Hotels, www.samode.com; Rambagh Palace, www.tajhotels.com; Tikli Bottom, www.tiklibottom.com
TRAINS SD Enterprises, www.indianrail.co.uk
INDIA TRAVEL SPECIALISTS Indian Dreams, www.indiandreams.ie
FLIGHTS British Airways, www.ba.com; British Midland, www.flybmi.com