cruisr

I agree. I loved the hotel. The grounds are gorgeous and loved the outdoor dining for dinner.

SojournsOf

I'm starting to think about India again for my birthday next April.

I think I would really like to include Varanasi (Nadesar Palace) for a night between Delhi and Agra, but I can't work out a way to easily include it without backtracking through Delhi, or catching an overnight train to Agra (which I'm not adverse to trying). We'd fly into Varanasi midday, then leave again around 6pm the next day.

Has anyone done this?

EfficientTraveller

Air India now fly between Varanasi and Agra direct 3 days a week (I think Monday, Wednesday and Saturday but you should check so you can fly direct from Delhi to Varanasi and then take a flight back to Agra if you get your days right.

pricesquire

You're correct - M-W-S. I myself have based much of my itinerary over this flight ^

Here's where I'm at (meeting a friend in one place and my dad is meeting me in another, so I can't 'do it all):

2 nights Delhi - Lodhi

1 night Varanasi - Nadesar

2 nights Agra - Oberoi Amarvillas

2 nights Ranthambhore - Sher Bagh

2 nights Jaipur - Raj Mahal

1 night here: http://www.nimajpalace.com/

2 nights Jodhpur - Umaid Bhawan Palace

1-2 nights Mumbai: Taj Palace.

SojournsOf

Great - thanks. Still trying to think if Varanasi is worth it for one night.

Here is our current itinerary:

Sat 16 Apr - 2 nights Oberoi Delhi
Mon 18 Apr - 2 nights Oberoi Agra (drive from Delhi)
Wed 20 Apr - 3 nights Amanbagh, Ajabgarh (Aman transfer via Fatehpur Sikri)
Sat 23 Apr - 2 nights Oberoi Jaipur
Mon 25 Apr - 3 nights Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur (Oberoi/Umaid transfer via Pushkar)
Thu 28 Apr - 4 nights Oberoi Udaipur (Oberoi/Umaid transfer via Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh)

Are we making right decision to do 4 nights in Udaipur and 2 in Jaipur? It's going to be very hot at this time of year and I've heard Udaipur can be a bit cooler. Plus I've read through the forum and seen people mention Jaipur can be done in two nights.

Instead of using the hotels for transfers, I was wondering if anyone had any experience or recommendation of a driver in India?

Thanks
Ash

pricesquire

At the Taj West End in Bangalore right now.

Fantastic service...Emirates lost one of our bags so, instead of waiting for it to be delivered tonight, the concierge ran out to meet the EK driver in the burbs.

Food & beverage is fantastic.

That said, the hard product is SO colonial as to feel a bit rusty. That's not a BAD thing...and I totally 'get' the colonial thing...but it could use a tiny refurb (not reno).

I'd recommend it if you want to stay away from downtown/financial centre/the Ritz.

Kind of reminds me of a half-baked Siam

EfficientTraveller

I think you can get a feel for Varanasi in 24 hours. If you take an earlyish flight from Delhi and get to the Nadesar Palace in time for lunch, you can then visit Sarnath in the afternoon and spend the late afternoon exploring the Ghats and taking a boat ride before seeing the Ganga Arti ceremony at sunset. The following morning, take a sunrise boatride along the ghats and have some more time exploring before taking the flight to Agra. It is certainly do-able and Varanasi is an amazing place.

Udaipur is lovely and the Oberoi Udaivillas is an exquisite hotel however it is more of a place to relax as there is not that much to see - a morning city tour and a boat ride on the lake so take that into account in your planning.

On Jaipur, I think 2 nights is probably enough.

vuittonsofstyle

The best drivers are through the hotels. I have had frightful experiences with hiring private drivers via other means - so stick to the hotel drivers, even if they do cost more - at least most of them have passed a driving test!

Your itinerary sounds fine. 2 nights in Jaipur is about right. Udaipur is the place to relax, definitely, so 4 nights is a good idea.

Personally, I would have stayed at The Leela Palace Delhi instead of The Oberoi, but The Oberoi is certainly acceptable.

pricesquire

What about Lodhi?

MacMyDay

I cannot compare it to the other properties, but we stayed here in April for a night before heading to the Aman's. I thought it was a really good city hotel. The food was good - and boy do they have a lot of choice - the rooms are very nice and spacious, with all of them having their own private plunge pools and the service was good. You can see I'm not saying exceptional for any of these points, as I can see why Zecha didn't want it classified as an Aman when he took control again, as it isn't up to that standard and architecturally it isn't to the same level either that you expect of an Aman, but seeing that it cost ~Ł200/n for a room there, I thought it was excellent value for money. I ended up playing a game of squash with my dad as they have courts that are freely available to use. Between the large spa, activities areas, pool and restaurants, there's actually a lot packed into a hotel with so few rooms. I'd go there again if I was ever in that area.

pricesquire

Gotcha. Really good explanation, thanks.

vuittonsofstyle

As long as Robyn Bickford and Manav Garewal are managing The Lodhi, I would not hesitate to stay there. Many of the staff are ex-Amanbagh and are wonderful.

My three favourte Delhi hotels are The Leela Palace, The Lodhi and The Trident Gurgaon - it really depends upon where in Delhi you want to be and the sort of hotel you prefer.

The Trident Gurgaon, for instance, is very near the airport, so is a great stop-over hotel. The Lodhi has the best Spa and feels very homely and welcoming. The Leela is the best Grande Dame, with great restaurants, etc etc

pricesquire

Robyn and Manav are still managing. And, from the sounds of it, service has done nothing but stay the same, if not increased in quality.

I'll be staying there (hopefully) Dec. 2-4.

Right now too worried about renewing my Indian visa via a quick flight to Colombo than my 'next steps' on this epic India journey.

NoY

Interesting thread. Any recent experience/comments on the Taj Palace Delhi - Taj Club floor? Thanks!

vuittonsofstyle

I thought it was looking quite tired recently. Also the food was not as good as it was. Lack of investment. There are much better options in Delhi.