Aman-i-Khas

Stayed 3 nights. Full board including house wine and sprits, laundry, some activities and transportation included.

Pre arrival
All pre arrival communication was answered very quickly and the GM or hotel manager took very good care of arranging everything according to our wishes. Again everything was very flexible and they really made us feel that our stay would be just as we were hoping for.

Arrival
We arrived early afternoon after a smooth 3 hours drive from Amanbagh. Upon arrival we were served delicious cold drinks, brought cold towels and the executive assistant manager Amit, our batman (butler) and several other members of staff were there to welcome us. The GM came along to say hello before leaving the resort for the rest of our stay which we appreciated. No problem at all that he was not there during the stay as the rest of the team really worked very well together to ensure a smooth stay for us.

Accommodation
The tents are just huge and very beautiful. Not really possible to capture the inside of the tents on a picture, has to be experienced. There are loungers and a sitting area outside the tent. Inside there is again a sitting area and a dining area just inside and then onwards to the main area with a daybed in the middle and semi separate areas for wash basins and wardrobe, bedroom and the beautiful sunken bath tub/shower/toilet areas, all separated by canvas and all as comfortable as any luxury hotel rooms. No insects (or lizards ;-) ) inside the tent. Temperature was regulated very well by the housekeeping team, heating at night and cooling during the day. The bed was very comfortable, our son’s bed was made up on top of the day bed during turn down service every day and removed next morning every day so that we could use the daybed as well. No phone in the tent, but instead a little button to call the batman when needed. Great for the morning coffee – we just agreed with him that pressing the button in the morning meant that he should bring coffee directly.
THIS was my kind of camping!!

Very good complimentary Wifi available in tent and everywhere at the resort .

Service
Everything was taken care of and coordinated by our private batman which made service very smooth and personal. The batman served all meal, joined us at excursions (except safaris), assisted with all little things that we need during the stay and came around regularly to the tent or the pool or wherever we were to check if there was something we would like. He also surprised us a number of times, having understood (before we did) what we might want or need, or by suddenly showing up without us knowing it having brought us something to eat or drink or prepared a surprise for us.
In addition to being in close contact with the batman all the times, the hotel manager would come around to chat with us several times each day. Also the chef would be there to discuss menu and always be prepared to make something special for us.
Housekeeping was in our tent every time we left it to make sure everything was fine at all times. Nothing at all to complain about. Again laundry was brilliant and included.

Food
The food was again very very good, but slightly less fantastic as at Amanbagh. Breakfast is ala carte with a wide selection, including excellent croissants (better than Amanbagh), pancakes and French toast with cream and syrup to die for, all kinds of egg dishes and Indian food. Excellent. If we would go for an early safari, we would be served coffee, juices and a light bite in the tent before going and then a full breakfast once back again. There is a menu (different every day) for lunch and dinner where we could choose between international or Indian food – or mix whichever way we wanted. One night we were surprised with a special dinner in the forest with traditional cooking and naan bread making over an open fire. Very special. Normal days food could be had in the dining tent or outside.
Every day before dinner we would meet around the fireplace to have pre dinner drinks and some little appetizers while listening to the live music and maybe chat with hotel staff or other guests about tiger sightings or others. Very nice.

Pool and spa
The pool is a traditional step well and it is not heated. During our stay it was still quite cold at night, meaning the pool was too cold to be used except in the middle of the day. Instead we just enjoyed lounging there, having our lunches or drinks, reading and just relaxing while the peacocks wandered around in the forest behind us.
The massage I had in the spa tent was divine. For the first time in my life I actually thought that the massage had lasted 90 minutes instead of the 60 minutes that I had booked. Wish I had gone back for another…

Activities
We were in Ranthambore 14 years ago and did not see tigers back then, so for sure this was our biggest dream. And it came through!! We had booked two private safaris (one morning, one afternoon) and the Aman-i-Khas team had made sure to fix that one of the best rangers in the park was assigned to us. He delivered already during the first game drive. As we really wanted to see a tiger, he spent less time showing us and talking about other animals and nature in the park, just made sure we were driving around quickly searching for the tigers. It was freezing cold, and I almost felt like asking him to stop so that we could just enjoy the beautiful park, but then – suddenly – the tiger was there and I forgot all about being cold. A beautiful male tiger that was first asleep 25 meters from the jeep but then woke up and we followed him and saw him again three other places, once only 5 meters from the jeep. Breathtaking and something I will never forget. Lots of pictures taken, videos and almost a tiger selfie (just kidding). Just great. The rest of the safari that morning and the afternoon safari next day, were spent in a more quiet way, being able to just enjoy the rest of the wildlife, birds and nature in the park, knowing that our dream had already come true. And – as a bonus – we even spotted three or four other tigers far away on our 2nd safari. Who can ask for more?

In addition to the two safaris, we went to see the old city and a village near Aman-i-Khas and visited the impressive Ranthambore fort. Indian village and city life is amazing, colours, people, animals in the streets, local shops and temples side by side. Our batman had noticed that my husband tried smoking one of the local cigarettes and took us the the factory to see how they were being made. He also showed us local street life and was able to explain everything to us. Very memorable! We also visited a local school for handicapped children which Aman-i-Khas is supporting in order to teach our son a bit more about real life outside Europe and to give something back to the local community. Very very sad to see, but still glad we did that.
The Ranthambore local fort is, as said, very impressive. It is actually Indias 2nd largest fort, but still not visited by many western tourists. The fort walls, several beautiful and very holy temples, living quarters of the people back then and the fantastic view of the national park. We really enjoyed the visit, especially since our guide was a great and knowledgeable gentleman being able to capture us with the stories of the past and present life there but also since our batmat surprised us with drinks and snacks at a perfect viewpoint inside the fort after our sightseeing. Highly recommended.

All in all
Another great Aman stay with extraordinary accommodation and flawless service and a number of extiting opportunities to see wildlife or experience memorable activities.