I had the pleasure of spending the evening at Samode Palace (thanks, mom, for the challenge to stay at a five star hotel on you!), a magical place about an hour outside of Jaipur.

Nestled in the cliffs and desert, the interiors are opulent and intricate, and the surroundings weathered and rugged.

Monkeys frequent the property, and I loved watching this fellow sit, think and stretch in the sunlight… I’m glad I was practicing my Shambhala open-eye technique… and that we got to share our morning rituals together!