We are traveling round Rajasthan during the month of
March with our eleven-year-old girl: Jaipur,
Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur. Apart from the usual
precautions about the water, food and higiene, we
would welcome any suggestions about reasonably priced
hotels which welcome kids, also things to see and do
(a break from architecture and handcrafts) and about
clothing both for sun/dust protection (she's quite
fair skinned) and for morality (would jeans cause
problems?) Thanks, Sleepy
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Have a look at #11 for getting her used to the poverty she
will encounter. Make sure you take water for her whenever
you leave the hotel. Nothing like the heat to make you
feel sick in India. We found (In April) the heat quite
unbearable and had to walk via the soft drink vender every
block or so. Get into the habit of not leaving the hotel
without her water bottle.She'll be too hot in jeans.
Jeans would be OK if she has a camel ride in Jaisalmer.
Little girls in India tend to wear skirts and t-shirts and
dresses. Good luck.
www.southwest.com.au/~lockley/index.htm
*
a family travel example including Rajasthan.
I can second the above post it will be HOT in April 45C
quite often when we were there. March may be cooler.
I live in Bombay with two small children and have travelled
with them to Rajasthan. I can recommend some hotels in the
midprice range ($US 40-70). Chirmi Palace in Jaipur is a
bit out of town, but it has a nice, enclosed garden that is
safe. It is a friendly, family run place. Rooms have old
furniture and have a sleeping area plus a sitting area (i.e.
a bit more space). The bathrooms are pretty old, but
everything works. The address is: Chirmi Palace,
Dhuleshwar Garden, SP Marg, Jaipur, tel: 365-063 (you'll
have to look up the dialing prefixes), fax: 0141-201-180.
If you're travelling between Jaipur and Agra by road, you
can split up the trip (about 7 hours if I remember right),
by stopping near Bharatpur to see a wonderful bird
sanctuary. The peak season will have just past, but there
are a lot of water birds there and it's not so uptight that
you can't take kids there. My favorite hotel so far in
India is near Bharatpur. It's called Chandra Mahal Haveli.
It is a big house built around a stone courtyard. It was
bought and renovated by a couple. It is in a real village.
Right outside the hotel, there is a house with children
staring at you from the gate who are happy to have you take
their photograph without even asking for money! The address
is: Chandra Mahal Haveli, Peharsar Jaipur Agra Road,
Nadbai, Bharatpur, 321 001, Rajasthan, INDIA, tel:
91-5643-3238, fax: 91-5643-4238. The room was $US50 when I
stayed there a year ago.
In Jaisalmir, I can only tell you that Mandir Palace hotel
was just o.k. It's a beautiful old palace, but not very
comfortable because there are low windows (dangerous) and
other pitfalls and problems getting hot water. I've heard
Jaisal Palace is also just o.k.
Animal rides will probably be a big hit with your daughter.
Elephant rides at the fort in Jaipur. Camel rides into the
desert in Jaisalmir.
In Udaipur, the Lake Palace is really fancy and really
expensive. The Shiv Niwas is located IN the city palace and
has two types of rooms, the lower priced ones are about
$US100 and are pretty nice. In my opinion, it's worth it
because of the location. There are also other hotels in
that same area, but I don't know enough to recommend them.
People love children and especially western children and
you'll have to tell your daughter that she can expect people
to want to pinch her cheeks.