Rajasthan’s very name—the “Land of Kings”—conjures up images of yesteryear. Elegant, tall polo players with bristling moustaches, bedecked in the most gorgeous jewels and dressing-up trunk togs (and, in the myriads of paintings and photos, the women look pretty good, too).
Rajasthan, at 342,239 square kilometres, is the largest of India’s 28 states and eight union territories. It’s also one of the massive nation’s most popular tourist spots, both for locals and for internationalists who want the best as they travel the world. Since it’s impossible to do justice to the whole area in one article, here are a few of the standout hotels. All have offerings and service that are way above par, and all offer a sundown ritual of lighting of candles in a highly emotional way.
Taj Lake Palace, in Udaipur, is still famous because part of Octopussy was shot here, but it’s really unique because it’s a palace that appears as a ship on Lake Pichola. In fact, in 1743, what happened was that Maharana Jagat Singh II built the all-white structure on a rock that stuck out of the water. Unbelievably—as you only ever see, at most, a fifth of the circumference—it measures four acres, with 60 bedrooms and copious beautiful inner courtyards (over 300 staff members work here, shipped in from the mainland via a rear entrance).
Touchpoints continually surprise—the morning views, with a flautist playing on an upper terrace; the evening performance by the bird-basher, a man wielding an oversized flag in a vain attempt to dislodge flying wildlife that only appears as the sun sets. And oh, there’s the thoughtfulness of the team. I was in room 117, one half of the maharana’s queen’s suite. One night, all of the ingredients for a footbath arrived—a copper bowl, red rose petals, and bath salts—and I also had supplies to make your own masala chai, with herb and spice mixtures “hand-picked by our chef.”
It’s the ideal vacation spot, especially for fitness freaks. Walking around on the mainland, which is seven minutes away by shuttle boat, museums specialise in vintage cars, and the world’s most awe-inspiring collection of crystal, including a crystal bed shipped here from England but never used. Back home, walk around the grounds. Every evening at six o’clock, there’s a cultural show with local dancers and musicians who encourage you to join in.
The palace is on three floors, and its stairs are jolly useful for doing “steps.” As I did my floor exercises, I lay on my marble floor, on one of its many Indian rugs, looking up at the 20-light crystal chandelier above. Take time for a massage on a dedicated spa boat, reached via shuttle, and on one evening dine, privately, on an historic boat that circumnavigates “the palace” during the meal.
Don’t be surprised, incidentally, if you run into the characterful Crown Prince of Mewar, the 70th generation of the dynasty. Eton-educated, he’s known as Raj and as well as being totally immersed in heritage and philanthropy, he’s in the Guinness World Records nine times for such activities as planting 21,058 tree seedlings in one hour.
Among the many hotel alternatives in Udaipur is a newbie, Raffles, on a promontory and out of sight of any competitors. It looks as though it’s also on an island and it’s similarly reached by boat. Raffles Udaipur is a 21-acre estate hosting a 101-key grey palace and four acres of meticulously manicured green gardens, predominantly given over to different topiary forms. Start the day with yoga in a pavilion, looking at the sun as it hesitantly makes its appearance and a flautist plays. At breakfast, choose produce from the hotel’s own gardens and your choice is squeezed in front of you. Take a buggy tour around the estate to view its offerings, which include archery, a climbing wall, and one of India’s two national sports, cricket. You will get plenty of exercise merely walking Raffles’s corridors (room 306 was about the most convenient to reach wherever). There’s a good gym and the spa uses Subtle Energies—I had a butler, by the way, who had so much energy he even escorted me on the incoming plane.
Umaid Bhawan Palace, in Jodhpur, was voted TripAdvisor’s Best in the World only eight years ago. It feels as you think a palace, on 26 acres of land, should. The owner, the maharaja—called His Highness—still lives here, while the rest of the elongated building is a 64-room hotel. (I’m very fond of suite 205, deliberately 1930s in style, with a ceiling-high bedhead formed of an oil-on-canvas of a pair of peacocks, a reminder that there are about a hundred real live and real noisy peacock in the gardens around.)
You feel royal the moment the arrival car starts mounting Chittar Hill to the palace. You’re escorted through to the main domed hall, which is 105 feet high. Later, room service arrives on silver trays, with lacework mats. Dine outside on the main terrace, looking out at the beautiful grounds and the peacocks—and the pagoda, where yoga is held.
Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan, hosts, inter alia, Rambagh Palace (“ram” is god, “bagh” means garden). Built in 1835 as the maharaja’s hunting lodge, there are 95 rooms, and the spa is in permanent tents. Check out the Polo Bar—today’s maharaja, unmarried, is mad for polo. And don’t miss the regular community bazaar on a back terrace, perhaps showcasing a local potter who turns his wheel simply by wielding a stick, or young men who cut wood shapes to block-print fabric.
After a Rajasthan journey fit for royalty, I felt suite 222 was a suitable ambience, with high ceilings and a squash-court-sized sitting room. It’s all themed for Maharani Gayatri Devi (1919–2009). There’s the famous Pietro Annigoni portrait of her, and among dozens of photos of her and her husband, they’re there with Jackie Kennedy and with Queen Elizabeth II. Oh, and the sumptuous bedroom has dining for four, cantilevered over the peacocks.
All images courtesy of their respective brands.
