bhrubin

Just returned from our nearly 3 weeks in India. Will eventually get to the expert reviews/TRs...but here is quick summary:

(1) Varanasi turned out to be our favorite and biggest highlight...to our shock. We loved it. You can't take a bad photo down by the Ghats. Felt like we saw all of real India in a single day...as if Varanasi were a microcosm of the whole of India. Wish we could have stayed an extra day. Loved the Nadesar Palace, too. And Sarnath outside Varanasi was worth the drive, too.

(2) India's 5 star luxury hotels all are amazing...but not perfect.

The Lodhi was perfect for us in Delhi. But air con went out our second night. Got half night refund. Handled well. Would return in a second. Very glad we didn't choose the Imperial, though we can see how many might prefer that.

Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace was perhaps the best hotel highlight--a destination in and of itself. Liked the hotel far more than Jodhpur! Air con worked beautifully (they actually set up our suite specifically to be the only one with air con!).

Oberoi Udaivilas was great but with some consistent service flubs, but gave us major suite upgrade to recover. Tried very hard. Air con worked beautifully.

Taj Nadesar Palace was great. Royal Suite a bit underwhelming...but most boutique experience in all of India for us. Air con worked beautifully.

Oberoi Amarvilas was amazing service with some flubs...but the service was what we remember most. Air con was just OK and went out our 2nd night. Refunded the second night as compensation. Handled well. But annoying.

Amanbagh was very nice...but not nearly as tremendous to us as some here suggest. Service was very good, Karin is amazing, new Pratapgarh excursion is incredible, but food and beverage were VERY weak for me (not enough diversity/options). Air con worked beautifully.

(3) While service isn't quite as amazing, and steps can be issue for some, the Raas Devigarh outside Udaipur is utterly amazing...and we'd stay there the next time in a heartbeat. Better food/beverage than Udaivilas IMO...and
definitely better wine selection!

(4) Volunteering at Animal Aid Unlimited outside Udaipur was incredible. We will try to mimic that whenever possible on future trips. We highly recommend this to anyone going to Udaipur!

(5) Though I did get a little sick (probably from weather not food), food/beverage turns out to be much safer than rumored, especially at the 5 star hotels.

(6) Traffic and driving in general while in India are simply insane...and an adventure not to be missed. But we won't miss it!

(7) The poverty--though prevalent--wasn't nearly as awful to see as people made us expect. People, though very poor, looked generally well fed and pretty happy, actually. But boy could it be dirty!

(8) The Taj Mahal wasn't even close to our most memorable visit--which surprised us. Varanasi, Pratapgarh Fort (23 km from Amanbagh), the Ranakpur Jain Temple (between Jodhpur and Udaipur), the Sas Bahu and Eklingji temples and nearby villages (20 km outside Udaipur), and Animal Aid Unlimited just outside Udaipur were our favorite experiences. Jodhpur largely was a miss for us...except that the Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel is so amazing.