bundi palace and bike - nominated for the sunshine blogger award

Photo diary: Glimpses of Jaipur, Ranthambhore and Bundi

Touring through east and south Rajasthan on our motorcycle gave us a unique perspective and a greater appreciation of the things we experienced. Here are some glimpses of our experiences in Jaipur, Ranthambhore and Bundi.

Also read: Eight reasons why you should visit Rajasthan

Sunsets and twinkling lights in Jaipur

Whether it’s watching the sunset from the outer walls of Amer Fort; strolling through the old city during Diwali; or just negotiating the chaotic traffic, Jaipur gave us a bagful of unique experiences.

Amer Fort outer wall, Jaipur
The sun sets over the outer wall of Amer Fort
Watchtowers on Amer Fort outer wall, Jaipur
From one lonely watchtower to another
Top of Amer Fort Wall, Jaipur
A long way down!


Old city gate, Jaipur
The Sanganeri gate of the old city, lit up for Diwali
Diwali lights in old city, Jaipur
Crowds, dazzling lights and loudspeakers belting out music: that’s how Jaipur celebrates Diwali
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
The Hawa Mahal dazzles even more than usual
Loaded motorcycle, Jaipur
Locked, loaded and ready for the road


Also read: The vast Qutb Shahi necropolis of Hyderabad

The Jungle Book comes alive in Ranthambhore

Hearing the bellow of a sambhar deer echoing through the morning mist in Ranthambhore and watching the king of the forest take his afternoon rest made us feel like we were in one of Kipling’s famous stories. Only Mowgli was missing.

Ranthambhore Fort
Ranthambhore Fort gazes over the serene Lake below
Darter bird, Ranthambhore
A darter dries off in the morning sun
Fruit bat, Ranthambhore
This flying fox seems as surprised as me at this lucky shot
Hunting lodge, Ranthambhore
The maharaja’s hunting lodge is in a reflective mood


Nilgai, Ranthambhore
A big male Nilgai shows off the colour that gives this large antelope its name
Sloth bear, Ranthambhore
A sloth bear digs for some ‘bear necessities’—in this case, termites
Tiger, Ranthambhore
This one is enjoying his rest too much to do more than give us an annoyed stare


Grey langur, Ranthambhore
A grey langur munches tender acacia leaves in the evening sun
Watchtower, Ranthambhore
A watchtower stands guard over Sawai Madhopur, next door to Ranthambhore
Bundi Road, Bundi
On the bumpy road to Bundi, with the Vindhya hills for company


The crumbling grandeur of Bundi

Lost in time, the still-imposing old palaces, mansions and temples of Bundi (pronounced ‘boondhee’), are fading reminders of a bygone age.

Raniji ki Baodi
The 40-metre deep Raniji ki Baodi step-well looks like something straight out of a fairy tale
Garh Palace, Bundi
The imposing but neglected Garh Palace at sunset
Garh Palace windows, Bundi
Lords and ladies must have gazed out over Bundi from these windows hundreds of years ago
Morning mist, Bundi
Bundi in the morning mist


Dha Bhai Kund, Bundi
The steps of the Dha Bhai Kund, still used for religious ceremonies
Temples, Bundi
An old temple takes on a magical glow at night
Badal Mahal, Bundi
The incredibly intricate murals in the Badal Mahal of the Garh Palace quietly flake in the darkness
Cenotaph, Bundi
A hilltop cenotaph at sunset


Bypass, Bundi
Admiring the Garh Palace from the bypass road around the old city
Bhimlat gorge, Bundi
Spectacular natural beauty at Bhimlat River gorge
Garh Palace at night, Bundi
Garh Palace at night, lit by a lone spotlight

Jaipur, Ranthambhore and Bundi all have something unique to offer. And each leaves lasting memories of its own.

Also read: Rajasthan on two wheels: Glimpses of Chittorgarh and Udaipur


Travel accessories

Resources

I’m a fan of Lonely Planet travel guides, and I found some very useful information in my Lonely Planet Rajasthan, Delhi & Agra guidebook.

Photography equipment

I took most of these photographs with my trusty Canon EOS 200D DSLR camera, using my new Tamron 18-400mm zoom lens (read my review). One or two were taken with my brilliant old Samsung Galaxy S5 phone. I took the footage for the video (and some photographs) with my GoPro Hero5 action camera. I used my Moza AirCross camera stabilizer (read my review) to keep it steady when I wasn’t on the bike.

Tamron 18-400mm lens for Canon camerasTamron 18-400mm lens for Nikon cameras

In case you’re wondering how I took the videos while on the road… First, I tried strapping my GoPro Hero5 onto my helmet’s face guard with a few of these useful extra-long Velcro-type straps, but that threw my helmet’s balance off. So I alternated between strapping it onto my chest with an elastic chest harness, and mounting it on my bike’s crash guard with a handlebar mount. I used a protective case too, and strapped it in place, just in case. It doesn’t last too long on a single charge, so I had to take along an extra battery and an external charger. I used these high-performance microSDXC memory cards for the hours of footage (Tip: You can use them for your phone too, and they come with an adapter to fit DSLRs and card readers).

Safety gear

This is all the riding gear I was using during our motorcycle tour.

  • Helmet: MT Mugello
  • Jacket: Joe Rocket Alter Ego
  • Gloves: Cramster Raven
  • Elbow guards: Cramster REDSETGO
  • Knee guards: Spartan ASPIDA bionics
  • Riding boots: Exustar SBT130


10 comments

  1. Awesome clicks. Colours, angles, the light and shade effects were perfect. Did you have to wait for any particular time of day or were you lucky?

  2. Each picture makes you go Wow! Do share more details of where you stayed and your itinerary… Would love to follow your route.. Maybe on four wheels not two LOL

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