Amber fort was our final destination during our first stop in Jaipur. Because the location is far away from the city, around 45 minutes by tuk-tuk ride, we put Amber fort as our last place to visit in our itinerary.

Amber fort or 'Amer fort' as pronounced by the local stood high up on the hill, situated 16 kilometers from the main city of Jaipur. Amer Fort is also known as the Amer Palace.

Amber, or Amer, is derived from Amba, the Mother Goddess who was the protector of the world.

Amer Fort is known for its artistic Hindu style elements. With its large ramparts and series of gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks Maota Lake.

Amber fort has also a series of water and drainage system built in the palace. The water is circulated around the palace in order to lower down the temperature during a hot weather or during the summer. The system is also used for their jacuzzi pool (yes they have jacuzzi too but in a more luxurious way).

Photo courtesy: The Independent Tourist

At the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2013, Amer Fort, along with five other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.

Situated nearby to it are also Nahargarh fort and Jaigarh fort, it took us about 2 hours to finished the whole of Amber fort. We didn't had the chance to visit Jaigarh and Nahargarh fort due to time constraint.

You can take the tuk-tuk from the hotel and it cost around Rs 350 for one trip. The journey takes about 30 minutes and the entrance of the fort is not accessible to any vehicle but if you choose not to hike up the fort, you can take the elephant.

The main attraction of this fort, I believe is the Mirror palace or Sheesh Mahal. What is  Sheesh Mahal?

Sheesh Mahal is situated in the third courtyard, where the private quarters of the Maharaja, his family and attendants were located. The building is exquisitely embellished with glass inlaid panels and multi-mirrored ceilings. The mirrors are of convex shape and designed with coloured foil and paint which would glitter bright under candlelight at the time it was in use. Also known as Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), the mirror mosaics and colored glasses were a "glittering jewel box in flickering candle light"