Tag Archives: Delhi

A Rajasthan Adventure

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I was warned that India would be a ‘massive culture shock’, but also reassured by two of my best friends that it was the ‘most amazing place’ they had ever visited. And so I boarded the plane with trepidation and excitement about what my two weeks in Rajasthan held in store.

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Delhi

Delhi was our first stop in India. With a population of around 25 million it is the second most popular city in the country, after Mumbai. Though not as immediately beautiful as other parts of Rajasthan there are plenty of pretty places to admire and learn about in the city. I recommend visiting the impressive Red Fort, built originally for the emperors, and Raj Ghat is a peaceful park with a memorial where Gandhi’s ashes were scattered.

Hauz Khas village is a trendy neighbourhood where you’ll stumble across hip shops like Nappa Dori, who make leather accessories and stationery. Dilli Haat is also a good market to visit, especially if you are looking for Indian materials and souvenirs to take home. There are some very prestigious fine dining restaurants now established in Delhi, but we decided on the more casual United Coffee House for lunch, a traditional restaurant with a great atmosphere and flavoursome food. We chose to ‘go vegetarian’ for the entirety of our trip: while good restaurants in India should be reliable, it seemed easier to just cut meat and fish entirely to help us steer clear of tummy bugs.

We stayed at Lutyens Bungalow, a lovely family-run b&b which offers simple but stylish bedrooms and delicious home-cooked meals. Tuk tuks are a fun and cheap way to get around, but do haggle with the driver to get a fair price.

Taj Mahal

Agra

The only reason to visit Agra is to see the magnificent Taj Mahal. Stay at the nearby Trident Hotel, which is smart and reasonably priced. It is best to see the Taj at sunrise so wake up early and get in line for this world wonder. The glowing white temple was a labour of love built by 20,000 workers over 20 years, completely made from ivory marble for Maghal Emperors Shar Jahan’s wife’s tomb.

The Agra Fort is another nice site, with an amazing series of red and white buildings. We had a tasty meal at Dasaprakash, a local restaurant which serves vegetarian thali with dosae and sweet lassi.

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Jaipur

Jaipur is known as the pink city as most of the buildings in the old town are painted a dark shade of pink. It is said that the city was painted this colour to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. I loved this artistic city, the stunning architecture and the magical history. We stayed a little outside the city at The Farm, a relaxed eco-hotel which has creatively decorated rooms and wonderful regional cuisine.

There are so many important sites to see, we managed to tick off the grand Amer Fort (with painted elephant trail), the floating water palace Jal Mahal, the sundials at Jantar Mantar and the Jaipur city palace. For something a little different visit the Anokhi Museum to learn about the art of block printing.

It’s worth spending an afternoon wandering the streets of central Jaipur. There is endless street food to try, if you dare. We indulged in sweet kachoris at Ram Dev’s, kulfi (Indian ice-cream) at Randit Kulfi and fragrant chai from Sahu Chaiwalla. We also stopped at Tikam Chand’s old-fashioned photobooth in the street, for a black and white portrait taken with his 1860s Zeis camera.

The second morning we headed to Phool Mandi, a vibrant local market which sells flowers, vegetables and spices. Afterwards I couldn’t resist travelling out of town to visit Kalpana, an amazing paper making factory, which sells the most unusual handmade stationery.

For a very luxurious experience, the Sujan Hotel – Raj Mahal Palace is the perfect spot to enjoy afternoon tea… ask to sit in the 51 Shades of Pink room!

RajasthanJodhpur

Jodhpur

This bright and sunny city enjoys warm weather all year round. Many of the houses in the old city are painted blue, which looks amazing from up high. Mehrangarah Fort offers some of the best views of the blue city and is also a wondrous and educational museum to explore, best to visit in the morning when there are less tourists around.

We stayed in the stylish RAAS Jodhpur, a historic hotel, located in the centre of town but carefully hidden amongst the narrow streets. Ask the hotel reception about having a little trip out in their baby blue tuk tuk. We ate many of our meals in the hotel, but when we did venture out we enjoyed the vegetarian cuisine at Jhankar.

There are lots of shopping streets in Jodhpur. I had great fun choosing bangles for my family at Bibaji Churi Wale. This tiny shop has the best selection of glass bracelets in an endless variety of patterns and colours. A box of ten will cost you around £1.50.

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Rohet

For a quiet few days’ escape from the chaotic Rajasthani cities, head to Rohet, a rural countryside town which offers visitors a more authentic side to India. Choose to stay in the one of the luxury hotel rooms, or opt for the tents in the wilderness, for the full immersive experience. During your stay you will be taken on a village safari to see local wildlife like Blackbug antelopes and Siberian cranes and meet different tribes who live nearby (we even took part in an opium ceremony with the Bramen elderly men).

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Udaipur

This enchanting city is a must on any Rajasthan itinerary. This scenic city is on the water, and a few of the most luxurious hotels are only reachable by boat. Devi Garh, on the outskirts of town, is a lovely tranquil place to stay, with panoramic views and magnificent suite rooms. If you’d rather stay in town, Leela Udaipur is a decadent and special option, with regal decor, thoughtful service and outstanding food.

For an alternative tourist experience, pay for a driver to take you in a tour in a vintage Chevrolet Fleet Master and enjoy the views while learning about Udaipur’s history. The main tourist site is the City Palace, an ornate building which has been beautifully restored to its former glory.

Udaipur has plenty to tempt keen shoppers, Hathipol road is a great place to buy gold and silver jewellery, and I loved the artists’ workshops which sell the miniature paintings for which the city has become known.

The Leela Palace, New Delhi

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Delhi can be a daunting destination for travellers, a chaotic and dusty introduction to India. The Leela Palace New Delhi will alleviate all possible stress, ensuring your time in the capital is luxurious and exotic from the moment you step off the plane. We were picked up by one of the hotel’s smart white BMW’s and whisked away to the palatial property.

The Leela Palace New Delhi opened in April 2011 following the success of the brand’s other venues across India. The hotel is located in the prestigious diplomatic area of town and the magnificent building fits in perfectly amongst its grand surroundings. Though designed to feel and look like a traditional Indian palace, there are unique and thoughtful touches throughout the hotel, all specially commissioned and inspired by local arts.

I was staying in room 615, a standard room that was small but carefully arranged to give the impression of more space. There are 254 guestrooms in total making the hotel popular with business groups, however the wonderful facilities also make it a good choice for leisure guests. Our room was sumptuous and decadent, with a plush king-size bed and a beautiful marble bathroom complete with bath and power shower.


Whilst staying at The Leela Palace we enjoyed a lavish dinner at Jamavar, the hotel’s signature Indian restaurant. The menu includes secret recipes of the Maharaja as well as classic regional Indian dishes. It was a feast for all the senses, beautiful plates of food that smelt and tasted divine. Particularly memorable was the Bharwan tandoori broccoli stuffed with corn, cheese and fresh pomegranate and the gloriously creamy Paneer spring onion masala curry.

I highly recommend trying the Indian fare at Leela Palace but for those who desire something more international there is plenty on offer. The Qube is open for global all-day dining, and is used every morning for the breakfast buffet. Legendary American restaurant Le Cirque has an outpost on the 10th floor of the hotel offering innovative French-Italian cuisine. Or for a fresh and healthy meal guests can enjoy modern Japanese food at Megu restaurant.

I was amazed by the art collection and flower presentations at The Leela Palace. There are 14,000 fresh flowers displayed around the property everyday, which are then recycled, dried and used as natural dye. The hotel are very proud of their Indian art that is displayed around the property, this showcases upcoming artists work as well as creations by famous artists and historic artefacts. I loved the giant sculpture amalgamating three goddesses in the garden, and the fine intricate paintings in the spa.

The Leela Palace has the only Espa spa in Delhi, which is also open to non-guests. Spread over two floors, the sophisticated spa houses eight treatment rooms, an award-winning healthy café, and a relaxation room and fitness suite. On the rooftop a spectacular temperature-controlled swimming pool overlooks the city and offers a blissful haven for sunbathing and swimming.

I was sad to only be spending one day at the lovely Leela Palace New Delhi, but even in this short period of time I got a taste of the hotel’s refined Indian offering.

More information and book a room at Leela Palace New Delhi here.

Lutyens Bungalow, Delhi

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Delhi is a very different city at 5am. The daytime dust has settled, the lights are dimmed and the noise dampens. When we arrived at Lutyens Bungalow we were bleary eyed and jet-lagged, but were quickly shown to a room we could rest and wash in before the day begun. Several hours later I pulled the wooden doors open to reveal an enchanting, family-run guesthouse.

The venue was completed in 1935 under the supervision of Edwin Lutyens, a notable British architect who was instrumental in designing and building much of New Delhi. It opened as a guesthouse in 1967 and has had several renovations and extensions since. There are 16 rooms, the bungalow rooms near the pool are perhaps the most desirable. I was staying in room 14, a simple but charming bedroom with plenty of natural light and characterful vintage furniture. The bathroom was petite but adequate with a powerful hot shower and large mirrors.

In the evening the optional £6 dinner at Lutyens is a revelation of home-cooked, fragrant Indian delights. We sat in the communal dining room chatting to other guests while dishes were presented to us – all kinds of hearty and flavoursome specialities. I couldn’t identify all the spices and vegetables, but I continued to pile the food on my plate, everything was delicious.

When I returned to the bedroom, full and satisfied, I was thrilled to find a hot water bottle keeping my bed warm. After a deep and restful sleep the smell of toast and coffee led me to the complimentary breakfast spread. The kitchen team here bakes fresh bread each day and use vegetables from their patch on site.

The friendly family are happy to help with travel and city arrangements or if you wish to relax there is a quiet swimming pool particularly useful in the stifling summer months. I fell for this captivating authentic retreat and it was an inspiring place to stay for my first night in India.

More information and book a room at Lutyens Bungalow here.