Rajasthan
EASTERN
R AJASTHAN
Rajasthan
iNFORMAT
iON
Rajasthan
JA iPUR
larly good choice for women, and there’s a
small selection of handmade leather bags
and purses too.
Anokhi ̈ ClOTH iNG, TEXTil ES
(www.anokhi.com; 2nd fl, C-11, Prithviraj Marg,
KK Square; h9.30am-8pm Mon-Sat, 11am-7pm
Sun) A classy, upmarket boutique that sells
stunning high-quality textiles such as block-
printed fabrics, tablecloths, bed covers, cos-
metic bags and scarves, as well as a range
of well-designed, beautifully made clothing
that combines Indian and Western influ-
ences. There’s a wonderful little cafe on the
premises too, and an excellent bookshop in
the same building.
The ̈Silver ̈Shop ̈ JEWEll ERY
(Hari Kishan Somani Marg, Hotel Pearl Palace;
h6-10pm) A trusted jewellery shop on the
rooftop of Hotel Pearl Palace, offering a
money-back guarantee on all items.
8 Information
INTERNET ACCESS
internet cafes are thin on the ground, but almost
all hotels and guesthouses provide internet
access (sometimes for a daily fee), and usually
wi-fi too.
Dhoom Cyber Café (off Mi Rd; per hr ₹30;
h8.30am-8.30pm) Down a lane off Mi Road,
through an arch.
Mewar Cyber Café (Station Rd; per hr ₹25;
h7am-11pm) Near the main bus stand.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Most hotels can arrange a doctor on-site.
Santokba Durlabhji Memorial Hospital
(SDMH) (%2566251; http://www.sdmh.in; Bhawan
Singh Marg) Private hospital, with 24hr emer-
gency department, helpful staff and clear
bilingual signage. Consultancy fee ₹400.
Sawai Mansingh Hospital (SMS Hospital)
(%2518222, 2518597; Sawai Ram Singh Rd)
State-run, but part of Soni Hospitals group
(www.sonihospitals.com). Before 3pm, outpa-
tients go to the CT & MRi Centre. After 3pm, go
to the adjacent Emergency Department.
MONEY
There are plenty of places to change money,
including numerous hotels and masses of ATMs
(especially around Mi Road), most of which ac-
cept foreign cards.
Thomas Cook (%2360940; Mi Rd, Jaipur Tow-
ers; h9.30am-6pm) Changes cash and travel-
lers cheques (Amex only) and does advances
on credit cards.
POST
DHL Express (%2361159; http://www.dhl.co.in; G
Geeta Enclave, Vinobha Marg; h10am-8pm)
Head office is just off Mi Rd. look for the sub-
branch on Mi Rd (next to Standard Chartered
Bank) then walk down the lane beside it. For
parcels, the first 500g is expensive (eg ₹
to the UK), but each 500g after that is cheap
(less than ₹500). All packaging is included in
the price. Credit cards and cash are accepted.
Main Post Office (%2368740; Mi Rd; h8am-
7.45pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5.45pm Sat) Cost-
effective and efficient (though the back-and-
forth can infuriate). Parcel-packing wallahs in
the foyer must first pack, stitch and wax seal
your parcel for a fee (₹50 to ₹100 per small
package) before you can then send it. As a
guide, a 950g parcel cost us ₹600 to send to
the UK.TOURIST INFORMATION
The Tourism Assistance Force (police) is sta-
tioned at the train and bus stations, the airport
and at Jaipur’s major tourist sights.
RTDC Tourist Reception Centre (www.rajas-
thantourism.gov.in) Main branch(%5155137;
Room 21, former RTDC Tourist Hotel;
h9.30am-6pm Mon-Fri); Airport (%2722647);
Amber Fort (%2530264; Amber Fort); JaipurJAIPUR’S ̈GEMS
Jaipur is famous for precious and semi-
precious stones. There are many shops
offering bargain prices, but you do need
to know your gems. The main gem-
dealing area is around the Muslim area
of Pahar Ganj, in the southeast corner
of the Old City. Here you can see stones
being cut and polished in workshops
tucked off narrow backstreets.
There is a gem ̈testing ̈laboratory
(%2568221; http://www.gtljaipur.info; h10am-
4pm Mon-Sat) in the Rajasthan Chamber
Bhawan on MI Rd (on the second floor,
behind the tax office). Deposit your
gems between 10am and 4pm, then
return the following day between 4pm
and 5pm to pick up an authenticity
certificate. The service costs ₹1000 per
stone, ₹1600 for same-day service, if
deposited before 1pm.
A warning: one of the oldest scams in
India is the gem scam (see also p 1174 ),
where tourists are fooled into thinking
they can buy gems to sell at a profit
elsewhere.