JAIPUR, the gateway to and capital of Rajasthan, is a picturesque city built of blazing pink sandstone which turns a deep glowing blush at sunset. When hundreds of lights appear at dusk, outstripping the stars, and the monuments are floodlit, you feel as if you've been whisked to another planet. It's a magical, twinkling image which stays with you long after you're home.

Surrounded by a massive crenellated wall, Jaipur first became pink in 1876 to honour the visit of Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII) and has since retained the "colour of welcome". In Rajasthan, colours grow wilder and Jaipur is considered the most vivid of all Indian cities. Beautiful, kohl-eyed women wear tinkling, ankle bracelets and glide by in saris of fierce orange, red and yellow, with magenta and peacock blue trim. Men's turbans come in all shades, and the station porters wear red waistcoats with matching turbans.

The old city's grand, wide boulevards are lined with pink oleander trees and the atmosphere is electric, with hundreds of cyclists, jangling their bells, skimming between teeming ancient cars with shouting drivers, and painted rickshaws with "English speaks" which jostle for tourists' attention. Garlanded cows wander about, making their way to the fruit and veg stalls, while the traffic skirts around them. Sundays are easier for crossing main roads, when you mostly have to cope only with cyclists and cows.

Laid out in grid style, Jaipur's superb town planning was invented in 1700 by King Jai Singh, who was enthroned at the tender age of 11. A gifted child, he became an architect, engineer, astronomer, mathematician, inventor and patron of the arts. The more adventurous can explore his city on foot and discover an exciting world not obvious to organised groups.

The chief tourist sites are in the old walled city, where the City Palace, a gigantic complex, takes up one seventh of the area. Open daily, it has houses, courtyards, outbuildings and temples, and the opulence is staggering. Save the museum, which has a fantastic collection of arms, carpets, paintings and other royal paraphernalia, for another day. Two urns, among the largest pieces of silverware in the world, stand in a courtyard. They were used by a former ruler to carry water to England for the coronation of Edward VII, as he didn't want to drink any of the murky British stuff.

Nearby is the well-preserved Jantar Mantar Observatory, built by the starstruck King Jai Singh and featuring cube-shaped astronomical instruments chiselled out of yellow stone, most of which still give fairly accurate information today.

Facing a frantic boulevard, another major landmark is the Palace of Winds (so called because a westerly wind blows through it). This is just a frontage, adjoining the palace wall, and was erected to allow ladies of the court to watch street life without being seen.

Of the last stop on the tourists' "golden triangle", Delhi Agra Jaipur, it is said that you need two days there and one to get over it. There are so many attractions in and around the city, you could easily fill five.

Set among the lovely Aravalli hills, Jaipur is surrounded by magnificent forts in wonderful settings, chief of these being Amber, the Fortress Palace in the old capital, reached by elephant or jeep. It is set high on a cliff, backed with masses of bourgainvillea, overlooking a lake. From the main gate you go into a square with monkey-filled banyan trees, spice stalls and an elephant rank.

It's a splendid spectacle. A blend of Mughal and Hindu architecture, the ochre-coloured fortress glints like gold in the sun and has a very rich interior. Everything seems to shimmer thanks to the use of mosaics, marble, cut glass mirrors edged in silver and gold, and walls covered with paint mixed with pearls. The ceiling in the Chamber of Mirrors, once the maharajahs' bedroom, is a radiance of tiny mirrors which give the illusion of stars crossing a night sky. Through pavilion doors of ivory and sandalwood there are beautiful gardens and, if you can climb to the top terraces, the views are magnificent.

The Nahargah (Tiger) Fort, once a retreat for the maharajah's wives, is delightful for a stroll in the Indian sunset. Up a steep path, it's three miles from the centre of the city and has views worth the effort of a walk.

Indians travel to Jaipur from all over for bedlinen, blankets, white and lapis blue pottery, and gold and silver jewellery. Tourists go for most of the same, especially the fabrics and gemstones, some of the finest in the world. They sell for considerably less than you would pay in elegant jewellers anywhere else. At the Rajasthani Government Emporium where you can wander through bazaars and treasure houses given over to a particular craft, many using age-old methods, including leatherwork, textile printing and weaving.

Fact File

Sylvia stayed at the Hilton Gatwick for an early flight (01293 518080). She travelled with JMC Holidays (0870 555 0440, www.jmc.com) on the Highlights of North India tour. In Delhi, she stayed at Claridges Hotel; Jaipur, Holiday Inn; Agra, Mughal Sheraton, with a view of the Taj Mahal.

Reading: India, Lonely Planet; India, Cadogan; Insight Guides, Rajasthan and India; India, Berlitz (pocket size).

India Tourist Office, 7 Cork Street, London, W1X 2AB (020 7437 3677).