Boutique hotels are taking the world by storm, and there are a couple of new breeds springing up in India. The first caters to the really rich, creating a designer mirage of the Merchant-Ivory meets yogi-Vogue variety; the other is a collection of almost private homes that offer a mixture of family life and desi cooking.
Explore the luxury and grandeur of Rajasthan royalty in one of the Taj Group’s boutique palace hotels. The group manages three of the world’s most celebrated boutique hotels (of the more decadent variety) housed in palaces throughout India:
Jaipur
The hot pink city of Jaipur is not only the state capital but the retail capital, where designers such as Isabelle Fraysse and Celia Forner Venturi get their jewellery and accessories manufactured. This is the city for gemstones, abounding with skeins of rough-cut emeralds and rubies.
Rambagh Palace: Sleep a la Maharaja in Rambagh’s presidential Suryavanshi suite, which was part of the personal chambers of the royal family.
Udaipur
Home to the Kingdom of Mewar, Udaipur lies south of the Aravalli ranges; lush rolling green hills following the monsoon contrast vividly against the parched spurs in the arid season, with the City of Lakes and Palaces in its shadows.
Taj Lake Palace: Constructed, because Maharana Jagat Singh II took umbrage at his father’s refusal to allow him to have moonlit picnics with the ladies of his Zenama (women’s quarters) on the neighbouring island palace. No wonder James Bond picked the summer palace of the royals, which remains a quintessential pleasure palace.
Jodhpur
Jodhpur is encompassed by the Umaid Bhawan to the east and the Meherengh Fort to the west; the fort is one of the best preserved heritage sites in Rajasthan with a collection of historical artefacts dating back hundreds of years.
Umaid Bhawan: Commissioned in 1929 and designed by the British architect H.V. Lanchester, the palace took 16 years to complete and stands now as a perfectly-preserved monument to the art-deco style of the ‘Twenties. Inside, it’s a treasure trove of elaborate furnishings and finely worked exports.
Homey Boutique Hotels
Equal to these palace retreats in comfort and ambiance, if not in scale, are some smaller boutique hotels of the homespun variety:
The Cottage: A very lovely hill home that has been opened to guests by its owner Bhuvan Kumari. They serve delicious, homemade food, and there is nothing arch or fancy about the place. The cottage’s gallery of exquisite doorways and window frames recalls the time when the kings of Nepal ruled the region.
Sitla Estate: An old apple estate further east, where you can sit on the roof and watch the sunrise over the Himalayan peak of Nanda Devi. Run by Vikram Maira, a delicious action man who doubles as kitchen genius, the atmosphere breathes warmth and simplicity.
By: Tom Ingrams
Posts Tagged ‘Pink City’
Boutique Destinations of India
March 7th, 2010Flavor With Palace on Wheels in India – Welcome to Luxury Train Tour in India
January 3rd, 2010
The Palace on wheels is one of the top ten luxury train journeys in the world. It provides you a cozy trip to the splendid forts and palaces of Rajasthan within eight days.
Palace on Wheels starts with the aim of offering the tourists an unforgettable tour with a unique enthusiasm. If you wish to travel with cozier or enthusiasm, explore the best tour package and make your journey memorable with palace on wheels. Palace on Wheels is luxury train that is completely in sync with the attraction and majestic of the places that you will be visiting on board. In this article, we provide more information on Palace on Wheels, India.
Many facilities are provided in the palace on wheels; it has been one of the ten most excellent luxurious train journeys. It provides a series of restaurants, a bar, luxury cabin, a library, lounges, personal attendance, individually designed saloons with en-suite bathroom, wall to wall carpeting, two dining cars and a lot more on board. While traveling in the palace on wheels, you will feel that you are the one who is traveling of heave being on the earth for eight days.
Palace on Wheels takes you on a memorable or wonderful eight-day journey of the royal state of Rajasthan, it is started from Delhi. During the journey it is covered many cities like ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur; Jaisalmer; Ranthambore ‘Sun City’ of Jodhpur; and Udaipur or ‘Venice of the East, red city of Fatehpur Sikri and Agra or “City of the Taj’. Be a part of this extravagance safari and we trust you that you will feel like regal yourself.
Details palace on wheels package program
Day 1 – Delhi
Delhi is a beautiful city. The city Delhi has always been the interior of politics and therefore has several edifices of great historical significance. The famous historical buildings are Qutub Minar, Red Fort, India Gate, Jama Masjid, Lotus Temple, Humayun Tomb and Rashtrapati Bhawan etc in Delhi.
Day 2 – Jaipur
Jaipur is also known as ‘Pink City’ which is the capital of Rajasthan of India. The city of jaipur provides a micable blend of traditional modern ways and lifestyle.
Day 3 – Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer is a beautiful city. A visit to the Patwon Ki Haveli is a must on any traveler’s itinerary.
Day 4 – Jodhpur
Jodhpur is a lovely city which found by Rao Jodhaji in the mid-15th century; provide fascinating tourist attractions like Phool Mahal (Flower Palace) Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), and Sukh Mahal (Pleasure Palace).
Day 5 – Ranthambore
Sawai Madhopur is the town at the entrance of Ranthabore National Park, which is famous for lush environs, meandering rivers clear lakes and many wild species.
Day 6 – Udaipur
Udaipur is found in the mid of century by king Udai Singh. Udaipur is known by “city of lakes”. Lake Palace is the attraction of the city.
Day 7 – Bharatpur
Today, Bharatpur is known as the country finest bird sanctuary. Best time to visit sanctuary is between October and February when a lot of migratory birds can be seen. You can enjoy the saras cranes, storks, darters, herons, geese, ducks, eagles, hawks, shanks, stints, wagtails, wheatears, flycatchers, buntings, owls and pipits, larks, spoonbills, kingfishers, and several other things also.
Day 8 – Agra
Agra is famous as being home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World “the Taj Mahal”. You can see many things in Agra like Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikari, Red Fort, Sikandra, the journey ends in Delhi.
By: Pradeep Kumar Sharma
