No holiday in Rajasthan would be complete with at least one night in a cheap hotel in the bustling city of Jaipur. With its crumbing pink walls and amber palaces, the city is as regal as its impressive neighbours.

Train links are excellent from Delhi and visitors should have no problems exploring the ancient city, often noted for its expert planning. While New York was just a star in the sky, the Rajputs laid out this city in a grid-like formation with each street running in directions thought to benefit the inhabitants.

Traditions and culture in Jaipur

Jaipur, alongside its Rajasthani neighbours of Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer has a rich history dating back to pre-colonial times.

The city was founded in 1727 by Jai Sing II and acted as the capital of the princely state of Jaipur. The aristocratic history is evident in the city's lavish buildings and ornate palaces.

Interestingly, Jai Singh had a keen interest in astronomy and built a massive observatory in the city, making it the focus of academic and cultural develops.

The best way to get to grips with the ancient culture of Jaipur is to explore its winding bazaars and lavish gardens - learning more about the one-time ruler and the royal court's aesthetic sensibilities at every turn.

Folk culture is also prevalent and it's not uncommon to see traditional dances and puppet performances taking place.

Recommended in Jaipur

The Amber Palace located just outside of the city and overlooking Maotha Lake was the capital before Jai Singh II shifted his court to Jaipur. One experience that makes a Jaipur holiday like no other is taking an elephant ride up to the palace from the bottom of the hill.

Perhaps one of the most unusual sights is the Jantar Mantar observatory. Built by Jai Singh II between 1727 and 1733 the complex is modelled on a similar site in Delhi.

The ruler apparently used the 14 giant geometric instruments to measure time, planetary orbits and movements of the stars. Some of the stone and marble constructions reach up to 90 ft high and are built to an exact scale – measurements for which can still be seen on some of the pieces.

Weather in Jaipur

Like the other cities in the state of Rajasthan, Jaipur has a semi-arid climate and can be unbearably hot in the summer run up to monsoon season.

The climate is mainly due to its close proximity the Great Thar desert and this means that at night temperatures can fall - especially during winter.

Rainfall can be heavy during the monsoon period from June to September, with the slightly cooler months between October and March often cited as the best time to visit.

Destination checklist for Jaipur

Like in the rest of India, the official language of Jaipur is Hindi, though Urdu and English are widely spoken. It's more than handy to take a holiday guide with a few choice phrases especially as regional languages can vary quite substantially.

Jaipur is five and a half hours ahead of GMT and, like the rest of India, uses the international dialling code +91.

The Indian Rupee is the official currency and with the exchange rate very much in favour of the GBP, Britons will see their money stretches to cheap flights and hotels.