Things to Do
The Taj Mahal: getting the timing right matters more than anything else
The building does not change. The light, the crowd and the temperature change enormously, and all three are decided by…
Travel
Travel writing with the practical detail left in. What a place is actually like to be in, how long things really take, what a trip costs, and which parts of an itinerary deserve the time. Covers destinations, weekend getaways, budget travel and packing.
Travel Tips
First trip to India: the things that actually catch people out
Not the dramatic warnings. The ordinary logistical assumptions that turn out to be wrong, and cost a day each.
Read more: First trip to India: the things that actually catch people out
Weekend Getaways
Two days in Udaipur, and why it asks for a slower trip than Jaipur
Udaipur has fewer must-see sites than Jaipur and rewards you for noticing it. The mistake is arriving with a Jaipur-shaped…
Travel Tips
Indian train classes, and which one you actually want
The class codes look like a hierarchy of comfort. They are really a set of trade-offs between price, privacy, air…
Travel Tips
Delhi to Jaipur: four ways, and which one suits which trip
About 270 kilometres, and four genuinely different answers depending on whether you are optimising for time, cost, comfort or flexibility.
Food & Lifestyle
What to eat in Jaipur, and what each dish actually is
Rajasthani cooking was shaped by a shortage of water and fresh vegetables. Knowing that explains most of the menu before…
Travel Tips
Getting around Jaipur without losing half the day to it
Jaipur is two places joined by one slow road. Choosing transport for each half separately is what stops the commute…
Things to Do
Jaipur has three hill forts. Only one of them needs a morning.
Amber, Nahargarh and Jaigarh get listed together as though they were interchangeable. They are not, and treating them equally is…
Things to Do
Jantar Mantar: what the instruments actually measure
Without knowing what you are looking at, it is a field of handsome shapes. With it, it is the most…
Weekend Getaways
The best time to visit Jaipur, and what each season actually costs you
Jaipur is an outdoor city built largely in stone, so the weather does not just affect comfort. It decides how…