Tag Archives: India

The Farm, Jaipur

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Jaipur is the busiest city I visited in India, but The Farm was a perfectly calm accommodation option, just half an hour outside the city. Run by couple Surya and Ritu, this boutique property has just five rooms and two suites (with private dip pools), each is eclectically decorated with artisan trinkets and colourful artwork.

The rooms are located around a central pool, with plenty of outdoor space to soak up the sunshine with a book and enjoy the fresh air. I enjoyed my stay in room 1, a beautiful bedroom with a large comfortable bed, and spacious bathroom with shower and separate bath. Every room has an individual geyser attached to it to offer natural hot water. This eco feature does mean hot water is limited, and unfortunately there wasn’t enough to run a bath.

The food was the highlight of our stay at The Farm. The room tariff includes three meals a day, vibrant home-cooked Indian cuisine with a touch of global inspiration. Extremely fresh and varied dishes were served to us each day, a mix of flavoursome recipes, tailored to our requests and dietary requirements. The on-site organic vegetable garden provides the kitchen with plenty of seasonal produce, which is the focus of most dishes.

Hot coffee was brought to the room each morning, an invigorating wake up. Breakfast was a delight, a series of offerings from tropical fresh fruits, just-squeezed orange juice, Indian pancakes and masala omelettes. My favourite morning meal was an innovative creation of pumpkin rice with pomegranate, onions, peanuts, herbs and spices.

Thanks to the small size of The Farm the staff are able to really concentrate on the few guests who are staying. I found all the staff to be very kind and attentive, always on hand to offer tasty snacks or refreshing drinks and happy to help with any itinerary assistance you might need.

Removed from the hustle and bustle of the Pink City this contemplative retreat is a blissful place to enjoy India’s charm without the stress of the city. When you do wish to experience Jaipur’s old town, the hotel can arrange a taxi or private car tour at very reasonable rates.

More information and book a room at The Farm 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.