V&T Daily
The latest travel news
|
|
insight into india
by Jac Taylor
Published in the July-September 2012 issue.
Channel your inner maharaja on a luxurious new tour of the subcontinent, where impossibly lavish palace hotels, exclusive access to historic monuments and royal banquets all await.
Inevitably, when you’re swapping funny stories with other travellers, India will turn up sooner or later.
In one of my own favourite tales, my partner and I pull up outside our hotel in the city of Ajmer; it’s a brand-new structure that came thoroughly recommended by the local tourism bureau. I sort out the bags while my partner runs in to start the check-in process. After a long absence, he comes running out again, wild-eyed.
“We can’t stay here,” he says, out of breath. “I mean, they want to check us in but there are no windows, and they’re still making the bed.”
“Oh come on, princess,” I joke. “We can do without a window for a couple of nights. And we can wait for the bed.”
“You don’t understand,” he insists. “There is actually no glass in the windows yet. And,” he mimes hammering nails, “they’re still making the bed!”
India’s often painted as a love-it-or-hate-it destination by those who’ve visited, but this sells it very short indeed. Centuries of diverse ethnic, cultural and intellectual history have inscribed themselves upon every part of life here, leaving it as multifaceted as the Koh-i-noor (that 105-carat diamond discovered in Andhra Pradesh) and just as mysterious. Any country that’s managed to make and break the fortunes of so many dynasties and empires from across the globe, over such a monstrous span of time, is unlikely to be a straightforward place.
The brochures tell us about India, a land of contrasts – and they’re not joking. There is still a chasm between the very rich and the extremely poor and, rightly or wrongly, both are equally exotic to tourists. But, politics aside, if you were given the chance to live at the very top – the way that only royalty or the upper echelons of Indian society are able to – would you be able to say no?
Faced with the choice, I couldn’t.
Insight Vacations has just launched their inaugural tours into India. The company’s Insight Gold Luxury Journeys, in particular, have been touted as featuring the finest experiences India has to offer, and the level of comfort afforded by such a tour is brought home to me in Delhi.
Day one of the journey: we’ve just explored the Mahatma Gandhi Samadhi at Delhi Raj Ghat– the serene memorial park and final resting place of the father of the nation – and the Qutb till the tallest of its kind in the country. It has outlasted even ghosts – but my own ghost of Indian holidays past reminds me to steel myself for the walk back to the bus through the usual scrum of never-say-die souvenir sellers and their quadruple-priced wares. A few choice words from our tour director, Madan, however, and they vanish from our path, allowing our group to walk in peace back to air-conditioned comfort.
As we settle in, impressed, an orderly procession of potential souvenir items is passed through the door of the bus, to be handed around among us and perused in peace.
“Sandalwood chess set,” Madan announces, with the grandiosity of an auctioneer. “Two hundred rupees! Not a bad price for that, I think.”
The haggling done for us, the purchases examined, and we are served ice-cold water as we set off for lunch.
One of Delhi’s new be-seen spots, Olive Bar & Kitchen, brings gazpacho, tiramisu and a perfectly chilled local zinfandel. No “Delhi belly” for us: all meals over the course of our trip are prepared by chefs in well-known hotels and restaurants.
Last drop of wine swilled, we’re whisked away to Agra on a drive that, anywhere else in the world, would seem long and tedious. But the relentless theatre that is the Indian road keeps me glued to the window for five hours straight, my trigger finger poised on my camera. Orderly New Delhi gardens give way to suburban fruit stalls and then to fields of grain; city dogs are replaced by monkeys, then bullocks and, to our great excitement, horse-drawn carts. Trucks trundle beneath seemingly impossible hessian-encased loads, and families seem to compete with each other to see how many people they can fit on a 250cc motorbike.
Arriving in Agra, we all crane our necks to try and glimpse the city’s – indeed, India’s – most fabled landmark. The Taj Mahal has had countless songs written for it, but it’s The Oberoi Amarvilas hotel that has me humming. The sense of occasion that comes simply from walking through the fountain-studded forecourt is magnified once you pass beneath the beautiful domed lobby ceiling and see, for the first time, the Taj Mahal, perfectly framed by a marbled window.
It feels almost criminal to turn my back on the monument, but when I realise there’s an unobstructed view from every window of every room in the hotel, I feel less hesitant about exploring the premises. I can ogle the polished white dome from my balcony, at breakfast, poolside…
The main sights of Agra are markers of the history of the very rich and ultimately powerful. But the rule of the rich and powerful didn’t end with the Mughal Empire. The Brazilian president and her entourage are reportedly taking up the palatial suite topping Amarvilas and, it turns out, they’re hosting a private party at the Taj Mahal while they’re in town.
We rise in darkness and board golf carts for the short ride to the Taj, finally free of private parties for presidents. Although it means a wait outside the gates, even for those who have purchased VIP tickets, our dawn visit becomes worth it as the sun rises and casts all manner of colours over the white marble of the dome and its minarets.
Then we’re off for another lesson in wealth and power at the ghost city of Fatehpur Sikri, built on the outskirts of Agra at the whim of emperor Akbar after he’d been told by a Sufi saint to move his empire’s capital into the desert. While it took around 14 years to build, the emperor resided here for only a decade, shifting yet again after a shortage of water and local unrest made the location untenable.
Having slept in a hotel fit for maharajas, tonight we find ourselves dining in a palace. We drive through to the desert state of Rajasthan, watching as bullocks become goats and then camels, saris become brighter and plains become hills, then mountains of sand. We are quickly checked in to Samode Bagh, our “camp” for the night, set across eight hectares of Mughal-style gardens and replete with air-conditioning and marble-clad ensuite bathrooms. We’re told to dress in our finest clothes and are whisked off again into the night.
Finally, we’re standing in a darkened palace courtyard, waiting for something to happen. A signal is given; a thousand lights illuminate and a band strikes up. We’re led past obedient camels, through golden petals cast and up red-carpeted steps into a fairytale.
Samode Palace is a maze of mirrored galleries and halls, heavily decorated with delicate miniature paintings and hundreds of colours. Dinner here is prefaced by dancing girls, whirling with sticks and pots of fire the way dancers have impressed special guests on this patio for centuries.
It’s one thing to travel as a five-star guest, quite another to cross over into the realm of the maharaja. In a place like Rajasthan, where one can’t throw a slab of marble without hitting royalty, hospitality of this standard at places like Samode Palace comes as easily as breathing. What is disturbing is that it’s equally easy to get used to it.
The next day brings a visit to the behemoth Amber Fort. Well over a million tourists visit the fort every year to see wonders such as the Hall of Mirrors, so skilfully designed that it’s said the entire fort can be illuminated with a single candle. After an hour of exploring, we leave the crowds behind and climb to the rooftop restaurant, where lunch is served on fine silverware beneath crystal chandeliers, the valley stretched out before us.
The opulence becomes a blur. Our next hotel is the Taj Rambagh Palace in Jaipur; they greet us with music, a shower of pink rose petals and matching cocktails to welcome us to the Pink City. The hotel is so decadent, it comes with its own resident palmist-astrologer and a perfectly turned-out man whose sole job is to wave a white flag to keep pigeons from settling on the courtyard fountains – though peacocks are deemed regal enough to roam the gardens freely. Every time I leave my room, for whatever length of time, I return to find my clothes folded, shoes lined up on a fresh towel and a tiny new sticker placed carefully on the toilet roll. We dine in the golden light of centuries-old chandeliers in the palace’s Suvarna Mahal restaurant, eating from 24-karat gold plates and surrounded by walls lined with silk-and-alabaster-marble lamps.
Back in my room, turndown includes a small platter of chocolatey desserts and a steaming bath filled with rose petals.
The next night brings more finery and royal pageantry. The City Palace, part of our sightseeing schedule by day, sees us return by night as special guests of the royal family – a treat exclusive to Insight Gold Luxury tours.
Arriving at the gates, we are received with the most fanfare yet, and invited into a procession with a horsedrawn carriage, painted elephants and intricately decorated camels. Trumpets announce our arrival in no uncertain terms and we proceed into the palace square. Treasures here, including the world’s largest silver jars, draw crowds every day. Tonight, we walk nonchalantly past them as we make our way up secret ramps to the rooftop, where dancing girls and entertainers await.
We sit where the prince reclines when in residence, listening to singing from a nearby temple packed with devotees of Krishna and drowned out only when our own music starts up. Next month, the talented troupe before us will entertain Queen Elizabeth II. And when we move on to dinner in the family’s sitting room, we learn that the Lalique crystal dining table has hosted the likes of Prince Charles and Lady Di, Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton. Family photos adorn sideboards and tables, as you’d expect in any home – except the children in these pictures are wearing formal jackets, braiding and turbans.
We are somewhere we never thought tourists could be: in the heart of royal life. And I have a new raft of amazing stories about India to tell. They won’t be chaotic, idiosyncratic or funny. The problem is that no one will believe me. •
Photography by Jac Taylor.
getting there
Singapore Airlines flies to New Delhi via Singapore from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and from Darwin with SilkAir. 13-10-11; singaporeair.com
getting around
Insight Vacations just launched its Insight Gold Luxury 11-day tour, “Imperial Treasures of India.” It starts in New Delhi and ends in Mumbai, with stops in Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur. Insight Vacations also offers a 10-day “Splendours of the Taj & Tiger” Gold Luxury tour, as well as a number of premium escorted journeys. 1300-237-886;
insightvacations.com.au
when to go
Northern India experiences extremes of heat and cold; the best time to go falls between October and March, when the weather is cooler and dry, though nights can be cold. For an extra-special experience, time your visit to coincide with one of the major Hindu festivals, such as Holi or Diwali.
where to stay
Book the Insight Gold “Imperial Treasures of India” tour and you can look forward to accommodation in the following hotels:
• The Leela Palace, New Delhi. 91-11/3933-1234; theleela.com
• The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra. 91-562/223-1515; oberoihotels.com
• The Oberoi, Mumbai. 91-22/6632-5757; oberoihotels.com
• Rambagh Palace Jaipur. 91-141/221-1919; tajhotels.com
• Samode Bagh. 91-141/263-2407; samode.com
• Taj Lake Palace. 91-294/242-8800; tajhotels.com
• Hotel Umaid Bhawan. 91-931/450-3423; umaidbhawan.com
further information
The Indian Ministry of Tourism has an informative website; you can also email their office in New Delhi directly from the site. incredibleindia.org
|
|
|
V&T Takeoff
Updates from our editors and writers
 |
The team from the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau were in town last week to update Australia on some of the BIG things happening in the Texan state. |
 |
V&T mag dropped into Bali last month and helped the W Retreat & Spa celebrate their 2nd anniversary and what a splash it was. With local and international fashion designers on display, the W Lounge was transformed into a catwalk party zone. 2500 people flowed through the resort late into the night, moving to NYC DJ Sandy Rivera. This was the biggest ticket in Bali for some time and the resorts pulling power is a testament to just how hot this property and international hotel brand actually is.www.vacationsandtravelmag.com/Mca/874/765/3/0/0/#takeoff1 How did we cope the next day? Poolside. Don’t wait until their 3rd anniversary as the vibe, sound and style of this resort makes for a very cool holiday. In the heart of Seminyak and right on the beach, Bali beckons. |
 |
Thanks to our friends at Air France we got out of the office for the day and enjoyed a great round of golf at the annual Financial Markets Charity Golf Day and Gala Dinner. Held annually in February, this event as well as the Financial and Media Markets Charity Sailing Regatta in October raises AU$1.2 million for a wide range of charities.The ASX Group and Thomson Reuters Australia (formerly Reuters) joined forces in 1999 to form a Charity Foundation with the objective of helping Australian-based children, disability and medical research charities by organising fundraising events in conjunction with the Financial Markets. Pictured here: Thomas Reeves Air France, Middle, Patrick Benhamou, Atout France; Anthony Gallagher Vacations & Travel magazine. |
 |
Vacations & Travel magazine rubbed shoulders with local and international buyers and sellers of travel from around the globe at 2013 AIME (Asia Pacific's Incentive Meeting Expo). This is the biggest event on the Australian travel industry calendar, where key decision makers congregate to network over a three-day event of hosted parties, trade and leisure travel meetings and press conferences. |
 |
The who's who of Sydney's entertainment industry turned up for the recent opening of the city's newest hotel to receive a makeover, The Parkroyal. Located in Darling Harbour, the property has just emerged from a milt million-dollar makeover to reveal striking rooms and seriously sexy public spaces. Speaking of sexy, some of the celebs on hand to celebrate the re-launch included Casey Burgess, Danielle Blakey and Amy Milne, not to mention Timomatic who entertained the crowds into the witching hours… |
 |
 |
|
