Destinations

India is not an easy country to travel, which makes the choice of hotel even more important. After a day of sightseeing or meeting with business clients, your hotel can be a quiet refuge from the noise and jostling of a city. Each day we were grateful for our accommodations. The Taj and Oberoi Hotels were welcoming and provided relaxing surroundings with an exceptionally attentive staff constantly offering assistance to enhance your stay.

All the Hotels have beautifully appointed rooms, public areas, restaurants, etc. Because some lobby areas are open there is no air conditioning in them. However, we never had an issue with a lack of air in our rooms. Quite the contrary some rooms were very cool. The suites were spacious; bathrooms tended to be all marble and varied in size from large to huge with rain showers. Two of the rooms we stayed in were the standard double and a bit small. All rooms had slippers, robes, fruit plates, a pillow menu, great bedding, etc. The amenities in the suites included a bottle of wine and better products in the bathrooms. My daughter used the gym/health club in each place we stayed and was impressed with the equipment, staff, trainers and surroundings. Each of the gyms was quite busy. The only exception was the Umaid Bhawan Palace. They don’t have a facility on site but will drive you to a gym a couple miles away. However, that venue was not open when Samantha inquired.

The grounds at each property were absolutely perfectly manicured; shrubbery, trees, flowers, etc well cared for and nicely laid out. The swimming pools and their surroundings were amazing and in some instances jaw dropping gorgeous. We never had enough free time to take a dip. However, other guests seemed to be enjoying the pool areas.

The hotels all had several choices for restaurants; everything from coffee shops to Chinese to Indian fare etc. The food was well prepared and the service attentive. A couple were outstanding and detailed below.

Samantha had her laptop with her and never had a connection problem in our rooms. WIFI use was reasonably priced. I used the business centers in each hotel that had one. (In Udaipur, Jaipur and Jodhpur there weren’t “official” business centers but I was given a laptop to use in my room. For some reason on the borrowed laptops the connections weren’t as good.) The business centers were well equiped and had knowledgable, helpful personnel standing by.

Miscellaneous observations about specific hotels:

In our tour of the Oberoi in Udaipur there was a lot of walking to get from point A to point B. It may not be suitable for older less active travelers.

The Lake Palace is very charming but the “lake” has barely enough water in it for a boat to get to the hotel. You can pick a specific room for your client on the internet.

The Rambaugh Palace and the Lake Palace have Indian dancing each evening to entertain guests.

Samantha and I ate in the Wasabi Restaurant in the Taj Mumbai and Delhi (In the latter the restaurant opened the day we arrived). They are operated by Chef Masahuru Morimoto (the Japanese Iron Chef) and the food is receiving rave reviews. They are in our top ten best meals ever.

Also, making that list was a group lunch at the Imperial Hotel with a site inspection. The hotel is a classic from the British era and still retains its place in Delhi history. Samantha and I went back for dinner on our last night in India.

Abercrombie and Kent did their usual excellent organization of the land portion. Kudos go to the bus we traveled in (We heard over and over from people it’s the best bus in India.) The driver knew how to safely navigate the Indian highways and keep us alive. There are some scarey moments when on the roads so driving ability is huge. We didn’t really have any free time although in our itinerary we were suppose to. It just takes a lot longer to get around than you think and random events can wreck havoc with a schedule. Such as the morning we were going out to the countryside of Jaipur to ride elephants, traffic was at a standstill because villagers had blocked the highway to protest a nonarrival of their water supply. India is not a place for clients who can’t be a little flexible. When I book anyone I will suggest a couple down days worked into the schedule. Our three days at the end in Delhi were much appreciated. There were a couple museums (Folk Art and National Museums) in Delhi that Samantha and I went to that were not on the itinerary which I would recommend to people. All of our guides did a great job teaching us about India. I would especially recommend Pritam Singh Rathore in Jodhpur and Devesh Kumar Agarwal in Varanasi. Our tour director Shagun Mohan was one of the best we’ve ever had.

There were several bombings in Jaipur a couple days before we got there. As a result our schedule for a day or two kept very public crowded places to a minimum. Having experienced this type of activity in other countries, Samantha and I knew we would be kept safe.

Cave Hotels:

Elkep Evi, Cappadocia, Turkey: Ancient caves converted into a beautiful and unique hotel. The suites include private terraces that open to a spectacular view of the Goreme National Park.

Le Prince Noir, les Baux de Provence, France: This French Bed and Breakfast was Roman-area fortress carved out of mountainside. This exclusive lodging is located in one of the most fascinating villages in the south of France.

RainForest:

Safariland Treehouse Resort, India: This Resort consists of four three-houses built from local materials and bamboo all about five meters high. This resort is for the truly adventurous traveler looking for an eco-experience.

Canopy Tower Ecolodge, Panama City, Panama: Built to defend the Panama Canal by the US Air Force this tower is tucked away in the heart of the Soberan­a National Park. Find yourself looking above the tree canopy, great for bird watchers and nature lovers.

Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel, Manaus, Brazil: This hotel is made of four Kilometers of connecting walkways and lodges located deep the Amazon rainforest. Immerse yourself in the beauty of one of the most exceptional wildernesses of the world.

Devi Garh, Delwara, Udaipur. This boutique hotel was a former fort built in the 1700’s. This upscale hide a way is someplace where you would expect to find Brad & Angelina on holiday! Only 39 all suite rooms, all with a contemporary design and very private. Another out-of this world spa. This is modern India at it’s best. Send your young hip clients.

Amanbagh, Alwar. After all the intensity of traveling around Rajasthan, this is t-h-e place to ‘ relax & recharge’. It is a 2 hour drive from Jaipur, located in the hills, in a area that was favored by the Maharaja’s for hunting. Contemporary architecture, yet with a nod to the past. Sixteen pool pavilions are located on the perimeter of the property, all with lavish enormous baths & sitting areas. No TV! Courtyard & garden rooms are located in the two story structures on either side of the pool. All with sitting areas & lavish marble baths. Another world class spa with traditional & healing therapies. I had my first ever Indian head message. thought I had died & gone to Heaven!! Indoor & outdoor dining with Western & Indian cuisine. Many local activates can be booked from the hotel. We went on a jeep tour to the local village, which was one of the high lights of the trip. Your high end travelers will love this place.