I am considering taking a trip to India this fall and going on one of the two luxury train tours (Deccan Odyssey or Palace on Wheels). Does anyone have any experience, advice, recommendations, etc. on either of these tours? I am a single male travelling alone, an introvert, and don't really get into the partying scene. I am interested mostly in the culture and heritage aspects of a country when I visit. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

etch5895, welcome!

I just returned from a Rajasthan tour in which we used the Palace on Wheels (but am writing a longer report, so not posted yet...) This website has lots of information, photos, etc.

The train is pretty long, and pulled by an electric loco. Each coach is named after a Rajput state; our assigned coach was Kota, saloon (cabin) #2. There are 14 air conditioned coaches like this, two dining cars (Maharajah and Maharani) and a Lounge Car (fairly complete bar, but the seating can get crowded with the seating along each side of the coach.) Decor throughout the train includes beautiful and ornate wood inlay work, paintings, etc. The very ornate and palatial restaurant cars offer Continental, Chinese, Indian and Rajasthani cuisines. Rather than request from the menu, the entire menu is served - you get what you ask for and say "no, thank you" to what you do not want. There is a decent wine list, and the food is fairly good and freshly prepared (in the two train kitchens.) Lunch will be usually in a local hotel or even a haveli (mansion,) so you are really talking about dinner in the restaurant coaches - two seatings are offered at tables for four, 19:00 / 7:00 PM and 20:30 / 8:30 PM if I recall correctly. Service is elaborate and feels quite grand in the beautiful coaches.

At one end of the 14 sleeping coaches is a lounge with a fruit basket, candies, magazines and newspapers, and a seating area that comfortably holds six. Mornings, this becomes your breakfast nook as well, with limited breads including toast, fruits, eggs cooked to order with breakfast meats, tea or coffee. At other times, you can ride here. At the other end of the coach is your Khidmatgar (attendant) as well as his seat / bed, tiny kitchen and pantry.

There are four cabins ("saloons") per "bogie" (coach or train car, in Hinglish,) each with two twin beds (on the floor) with an aisle in between them, a nightstand, a hanging locker and storage under the bed, a bath with shower. Unlike many sleeper trains, the beds are beds, and do not turn into couches or seating. Lighting is adequate, and a bell connects to your khidmatgar, who is basically a butler for eight people. The hot water is provided by a 15l / 4 gallon flash heater, so while long showers are out, it quite suffices for a normal shower. The toilet, as with many older railroad toilets, merely empties out into the track area, but in India it seems the railbed and adjacent area serves as a communal toilet anyway... A box of four amenities (lotions, etc.) soap, towels are provided. Electric outlets are three-prong Indian outlets, with a 110 / 220 Euro plug in the bathroom; I believe adapters are available on request.

Water is not potable, of course, but you will normally have two bottles of safe sealed bottled water in the saloon, with more available for the asking (as well as tea, coffee, soft drinks or anything fetchable by your khidmatgar.) There is a safe in the cabin as well, and a few are provided with a third, upper, bunk. The furnishings are nice, lots of dark woods with inlays, paintings in the ceiling panels, wall-to-wall carpeting and local textiles used throughout, though in some cabins they are a touch worn (some threads coming out of the carpet edges, etc.) Laundry service opportunities come once, in Jodhpur iirc (via your firendly local dhobi wallahs?) We had no problems with the accommodations, though some did say they felt mildly claustrophobic - if you cruise on the big liners with balconies, etc. you may feel cramped, though most of the day you'll be out touring; if you spend time on smaller boats (e.g. liveaboard dive boats,) you will not feel so confined.

The khidmatgars are mostly pretty good - traveling with a National Geographic Expeditions group, we were able to compare. Our Kota khidmatgar was not very assiduous - he seemed interested in reducing his workload by not offering breakfast meats, egg variety (he preferred to make a plain omelet,) or Danish pastry until we called him on it. While he supplied and keep the cabins clean, and occasionally appeared to be helpful, at other times he merely appeared, hung around silently and seemed to be awaiting a tip. This seemed to be the exception among the khidmatgars here, and I have to admit Mr. Kumar did become quite responsive with one passenger who became ill. He also seemed to produce some "souvenirs" he attempted to sell - namely a couple of Palace on Wheels inscribed mugs - I am not entirely sure they were not purloined from the Lounge Car.

During the day, the best local busses are hired, with guides, and passengers are taken to see the local sights - this ranges form the usual Mughal forts and palaces to riding a 22-person open "Canter" in Rhanthambor to look for tigers and other wildlife. Practically, this means that as many as 112 passengers are doing bus tours and shopping, though in practice there may be tour groups on board with their own arrangements. Getting around is quite easy - khidmatgars escort passengers on the rail platforms and in the station, even awaiting with umbrellas if the weather requires it.

All meals and tour services are included in your cost. Tips are of course up to you - since NGE paid our tips, we did not feel it necessary to reward our khidmatgar further, but those in other coaches who felt their service was very good did do that. You get a nice taste of Rajasthan and the Mughal Empire, decent food, touring, some shopping, and it's great if you like trains. You will be sharing meals with other passengers in the restaurant coaches, and much of the touring is by busses as a group, but you won't have to worry much about party noises - the days are full enough of touring that by the time dinner is over, most folks gravitate to their coaches, and those who wish to will head for the Lounge car.

Add a few days in Delhi / New Delhi, do some local touring to start off (this can be done with a driver and car from your hotel,) and you will have a nice serving of one area of India. I recommend "City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi"
by William Dalrymple for some local colour and insights to culture, history and local sights to see in Delhi, for one... and of course, there are numbers of guidebooks out there.

I hope this helps a little - if you have questions, feel free to ask...

Off topic slightly: One interesting imponderable - it appears the SAME shoeshine kids approach you at every train platform the Palace stops at offering to shine shoes (or anything, including tennis, walking, suede, etc.) I wonder how they are being transported form one location to another? Baggage car? Local 2nd class? India the inscrutable strikes again...

Thank you for your advice. I appreciate you taking the time to prepare such a thorough reply.