The pink sandstone used to build many of Jaipur’s palaces, including Hawa Mahal, above, gives the city its nickname. Getty Images
The pink sandstone used to build many of Jaipur’s palaces, including Hawa Mahal, above, gives the city its nickname. Getty Images

My kind of place: Jaipur - A capital of colour



Why Jaipur?

Clubbed with a tour of Delhi and Agra to form the famed Golden Triangle circuit, Jaipur is the portal to the desert state of Rajasthan. Magnificent forts and towering palaces in salmon-hued sandstone lend the state capital the moniker “the pink city”.

Founded in the early 18th century by Rajput ruler Maharaja Jai Singh II, the city retains its grand Rajasthani flamboyance and traditional roots while embracing modernity. Wide roads, an airport and edgy hotels stand alongside colourful bazaars and impregnable forts, and many local women sport heavy jewellery and bright oranges and pinks on a daily basis.

A comfortable bed

Away from the chaos of the Old City but still within walking distance, Diggi Palace (www.hoteldiggipalace.com) is the site of the annual Jaipur Litfest. Housed in a 200-year-old haveli and run by the Diggi family, the hotel features open courtyards, lawns and an alfresco restaurant. Doubles from 6,000 rupees (Dh330).

The former home of Maharaja Man Singh II, and his fashion-icon wife Gayatri Devi, the Rambagh Palace (www.tajhotels.com) is now a heritage hotel run by the Taj Group. Unsurprisingly, it is luxurious, with marble arches, acres of lawn space, filigree-work interiors and butler service in some rooms. Doubles from 41,000 rupees (Dh2,270).

The grand Alsisar Haveli (www.alsisarhaveli.com) in the midst of the action-packed Old City is run by a Shekhawati Rajput family. Antique pieces and traditional Rajasthani furnishings lend the 19th-century mansion an old-world charm, and the pool is an added bonus. Doubles from 9,000 rupees (Dh500).

Find your feet

Jaipur’s historic character comes to life in its many grand palaces, forts and havelis. A convenient way to get your bearings and take in all the city’s sights is to sign up for an informative walking tour with Jaipur Walks (call 0091 98 29071784 or email jaipurwalks@yahoo.com).

Devote a fair bit of time to the magnificent Amber Fort, the old Rajput capital. The 16th-century sandstone behemoth was built over a period of more than 100 years and features a fine blend of Mughal and Rajput-style architecture. The City Palace, built in 1727 by Maharaja Jai Singh II, is a warren of courtyards and chambers in marble and sandstone. The museums house royal garments and palanquins, while the Diwan-i-Am is an impressive marble hall with an ornate painted ceiling. The upper floors of the seven-storey Chandra Mahal are still a royal residence. The five-storey Hawa Mahal or Palace of Winds is perhaps Jaipur’s most recognisable structure. Nearly 1,000 latticed windows adorn the pink-sandstone façade of the 18th-century palace. Women of the palace would discreetly watch the action on the street below while taking in the cool breeze.

Meet the locals

Jaipur’s bazaars are a riot of colour and chaos. Spread out around Hawa Mahal is Johari Bazaar, where turbaned, mustachioed men and neon-clad women haggle over the prices of jewellery, crafts, leather products, textiles and utensils. Wander through the streets to get a lesson in the art of bargaining and stop at Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar for a sweet treat. Locals are chatty and only too happy to display their range of block-printed textiles, kundan jewellery and pottery. At Khazana Walon ka Rasta in Chandpole market, watch artisans carve marble and create miniature paintings.

Book a table

For the complete Rajasthani experience, including a cultural extravaganza, vegetarian feast and floor-seating, a visit to Chokhi Dhani is recommended. The cultural complex is modelled on a village with camel and elephant rides, puppet and dance shows and is located about 45 minutes outside Jaipur. The buffet-style vegetarian dinner features every Rajasthani speciality, from dal baati (lentils served with flaky circular wheat bread), churma (a crushed wheat bread and jaggery dessert) and sangri (a bean-like vegetable). Entry is 600 rupees (Dh33) and includes dinner. The swanky Peshawri at the ITC Rajputana hotel offers North West Frontier cuisine – delicately spiced kebabs, murg makhani (chicken in creamy butter sauce), soft naan and paneer tikka. A meal for two costs 3,500 rupees (Dh193).

Shopper’s paradise

The street markets in the Old City, including Bapu Bazaar, Johari Bazaar and Tripolia Bazaar, are the best bets for bargains and a taste of traditional shopping. Look out for camel-skin leather products, jootis (shoes or sandals), silver jewellery and brass pottery.

For a more leisurely and comfortable shopping experience, head to an emporium such as government-run Rajasthali (www.rajasthali.gov.in) for a range of crafts and textiles. Buy gems and jewellery at Gem Palace (www.gempalacejaipur.com), where British royalty is known to have shopped. Jaipur Jewellery House (www.jaipurjewelleryhouse.net) and Amrapali Jewels (www.amrapalijewels.com) stock a range of silver pieces and semi-precious stones.

What to avoid

Save your sightseeing, especially Amber Fort, for early morning or late afternoon as the midday sun can be particularly punishing.

Don’t miss

The annual Jaipur Literature Festival, or Litfest, is a cultural extravaganza, bringing together eminent international writers, thinkers and speakers. Expect discussions, debates, workshops and live music. The 2016 edition, featuring speakers such as Margaret Atwood, is scheduled for January 21 to 25.

Go there

Direct return flights on Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Abu Dhabi to Jaipur cost Dh1,389 including taxes.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

yallacompare profile

Date of launch: 2014

Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer

Based: Media City, Dubai 

Sector: Financial services

Size: 120 employees

Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)

If you go

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.

The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5