Jaipur
The wedding took place at the Fairmont Jaipur and two venues near it. Five events happened over three days, each one more breathtaking than the last. Walking into each event felt like walking into a movie. Each event was elaborately decorated, with its own color palette, program, live performances, and thousands and thousands of fresh flowers.
During the wedding, I had time to visit two cultural attractions: Jaigarh Fort and Elefun.
Table of contents
Food
I ate the best Indian food I’ve ever had throughout the wedding.
Each morning started with a buffet breakfast at the Fairmont featuring local and Western staples. 10 chefs situated on the hotel terrace cooked different fresh breads that paired with dals and curries. And of course, there was always someone boiling fresh masala chai.
Our other meals took place at the wedding events. The Welcome Night, Haldi and Sangeet all included what I can only describe as an upscale food market, with over 50 stalls each manned by a local chef or artisan. The variety was extensive. At times, when staff members could see guests hesitating, they would describe the different dishes and provide instructions how each one should be eaten. I had curries, dals, breads, desserts and drinks – some of which I had tried in the States, others which I had never seen before.
A few moments that stood out from the Welcome Event included a French chef making cacio e pepe in a large cheese wheel and an Italian chef making pressed paninis. A caterer at the event pushed me to try Gulab Jamun, carrot Halwa, and Jaleibi. I never realized how decadent Indian desserts were. Haldi, which took place on Day 2, featured a massive frozen drum spinning fresh ice cream, and a cotton candy station with a rainbow of flavors. After the wedding ceremony on the last day, we were served a beautiful thali and the NYE reception featured a three course seated meal.
Culture
Elefun Elephant Sanctuary
Elefun is part of an elephant wildlife sanctuary in Jaipur. Visiting Elefun gives guests the opportunity to play with, feed and ride elephants. The cost per person is ~$30 and the activity takes ~2 hours.
A driver picked us up from the Fairmont in an air conditioned Toyota Innova and drove us 25 minutes to a small neighborhood in Jaipur. We walked into a walled yard with three elephants standing in the back. A few other guests were already with the elephants, petting them and feeding them.
We were given bottled water and a place to sit in the shade while Aftab shared how his family had rescued and cared for these elephants for generations. When the elephants aren’t in Jaipur, they live in a sanctuary nearby. When the elephants were brought over, I was in awe. I’d never been up close to one before and I was struck by their size and kind eyes.
Aftab encouraged us to introduce ourselves to them by petting them and feeding them bunches of leaves. Afterwards, we painted them with organic paint and were asked if we wanted to ride them around the neighborhood. I was initially hesitant about riding – it looked so high up, and I’ve never even been on a horse, but I told myself to get over it. At the back of the yard is a set of stone stairs you can climb to get on and off of the elephants. Each elephant can take two guests and one member of the Elefun team. While we rode, another team member took photos of us from the ground using one of our phones.
The excursion was definitely worth it and a nice change of pace from everything happening at the wedding.
Tips
- Book directly with Elefun by visiting https://www.elefun.today/ and texting Aftab at +91 77370 91222 on WhatsApp to reserve a time.
- Put down a 50% deposit through PayPal to secure your reservation.
- Available times vary based on the time of year – in the winter, noon is the earliest.
Jaigarh Fort
The Welcome Event for the wedding took place in Jaigarh Fort, a 300-year old fort that was built to protect the Amer Fort nearby. Situated 500 feet above sea level, it offers 360 views of the surrounding areas.
After a winding drive up a hill to the entrance of Fort, visitors walk through several rooms and narrow passageways before reaching the center of the fort – an expansive area featuring stunning views.
Because it was evening, our hosts had lit up each room with hundreds of candles. Each room had a candle display that was more elaborate than the last. The stone doorways and narrow paths were lit up by gentlemen holding flaming torches. Finally, we landed in the center of the Fort where the main event had been set up with countless live food stations, heated tents, and performers on a center stage.
I can imagine that even in absence of the event, the fort and its views would be striking to see, especially during the day.
Accommodations
The Fairmont Jaipur was built to mirror the region’s grand Mughal palaces, and in that sense, the hotel was very grand. With 245 guest rooms, two restaurants and many different common spaces, the hotel leaves a lot of room for exploration and relaxation. The terrace right outside of the Zoya restaurant and the rooftop are particular highlights.
Room
We stayed in a Fairmont Deluxe Room. The room was bright, spacious and had a large bathroom with a massive standalone tub. The room was stacked with fresh towels (love!) and had ample space to get ready and lounge around in.
Service
The service was generally quite good, but sometimes there were language barriers with the staff. That being said, they always figured out how to get you what you needed. Each evening, members of the staff roam the halls to perform turn down service and are generally available to help you with anything you need. The evenings were a good time to sneak in requests for pressing before the next day.
On the first floor, there is a salon that provides hair and makeup services. I had my hair done once before the NYE reception on the last night, and it was a particular highlight. After showing my stylist a few pictures of the old Hollywood curls I wanted, she executed perfectly in 20 minutes. On another occasion, I went to the salon to have my saree draped. The staff was incredibly helpful, pointing out when I was missing the saree underskirt and quickly getting me one from the store next door.
My one piece of feedback is that sometimes the service seemed a bit inconsistent – on the last day, it took a few calls to get my laundry back even after having specified the latest drop off time I could wait for, and some rooms received a New Year’s souvenir gift while others didn’t.
Would I stay here again? Yes, definitely. I really enjoyed the hotel overall and it was a very relaxing place to spend time (even in spite of all the wedding festivities!)
AMANDA'S CHANTICS 