A Bucket List Trip to India

We arrived in Delhi in the early am and were picked up by a chauffeur in an Audi Q7 and taken to The Lodhi.  From that moment on, we were treated like royalty!  The Lodhi is located in the residential area of the foreign embassies.  It is of contemporary Indian architecture with a façade like no other in Delhi:  modern cubic structure and clean lines.   The interior is minimalist and immense, with polished floors and a vast array of artwork along its walls.

Upon arrival we were escorted immediately to our room (Premier Lodhi room) where we were checked in by the most hospitable host, who explained everything about the room, the hotel, gave assistance with tours, restaurants and for my husband, even arranged a tailor to come that afternoon!

The hotel has nine floors but only has 32 rooms and eight suites.  The Lodhi, Deluxe & Premier rooms are spacious at 1350 sf, each stylishly appointed with a balcony and large plunge pool.  The suites are almost double the size and an excellent option for families.

We were impressed with every aspect of the hotel, from our fantastic room to the beautiful building and grounds, with lovely facilities such as the spa, lounge, and other spaces, incredible artwork, excellent restaurants, and attentive, personalized service from the entire staff.

The hotel has a policy not to tip individuals but rather place money in an envelope and leave it at the hostess’s desk at the end of the stay to be shared by all employees. We thought this was a great idea and eliminated the who and what do I tip each person and gave all employees something.

A not to miss tour while in India is the rickshaw tour of Old Delhi. It’s an eye-opening assault on your senses and an awakening to the way of life for most Indians.

Our next stop was Agra, where we saw the Taj Mahal.  This is an obvious destination on a first trip to India, and well worth it.  After a sunrise or sunset tour of the Taj Mahal and looking at the incredible Amber Fort, there is no other reason to linger there.  The only luxury hotel in Agra is the Oberoi Amarvillas, from which every room looks out on the Taj Mahal!  You enter the Amarvillas through a courtyard filled with a matrix of water-filled pools and small fountains.  As soon as you enter the lobby, you are looking through floor-to-ceiling windows at the Taj.  Our Deluxe Suite was delightful – a generous sitting room with a full bathroom and a bedroom with a large master bath with the finest appointments.   We entered the suite and were treated to large windows in the sitting room and bedroom, looking directly at the Taj. Dinner choices at the hotel include the lovely gourmet Indian restaurant, where we were entertained by live music.  For breakfast, the main restaurant (also overlooking the Taj) had an extensive a la carte menu and a buffet offering an endless variety of international choices, not forgetting omelets made to order.

 The highlight of our trip to India, hands down, was our visit to Amanbagh, a gorgeous resort far from the crowded cities in the lovely Ajabgar Valley along the Aravali Mountain range.  This resort, about 90 minutes outside Jaipur, focuses on immersion in local culture while also offering the highest level of resort luxury.  We loved going out on one of the resort’s safari vehicles down rural dirt roads to visit small villages and meet the locals. We met a family weaving a rug outside their tiny but comfortable house.  We trekked past a mountain lake to a pastoral valley where we met goatherders, farmers, and woodsmen.  Then, on to town, where a local villager invited us to tea, which we enjoyed while surrounded by dozens of delighted schoolchildren pausing to meet us on their way to school in their brilliant blue shirts/blouses. We attended an offering ceremony at the local Hindu temple. Also, we visited one of India’s 10 top archeological sites, Bangharah, which we had virtually to ourselves because it is off the beaten path.

Dining at the hotel is a delight. The food was exquisite, and we dined outdoors, entertained by excellent sitar and tabla ragas.  The delightful head chef chatted with us occasionally while we ate, and on our last day, he gave us a private cooking class in a structure modeled on local villager houses.  After the instructions, we got to savor the results of dining alfresco.

We arrived at the Virtuoso property, Oberoi Udaivillas, in the evening just after dark. We rode a charming boat across Lake Pichola, ringed with the tastefully lit City Palace, the floating Taj Lake Palace, and other hotels and villas.  Arriving after dark at Udaivillas was magical; greeted with onion domes silhouetted in the starlit night, entering through a large courtyard around a large reflecting pool with the evening lights hinting at the magnificence you will find the next day. The hotel has many beautiful wings around fountains, cascading water, pools, courtyards, and lush park-like grounds populated with peacocks.  Our Premier Room was spacious with a dressing area, a large marble bathroom, a sitting area with a sofa, an easy chair, a table, and a window bay with a cushioned seat overlooking the courtyard.  The room opened to a patio ringed by a low wall and a gate opening onto the grassy tree-lined courtyard with a sleek black marble swimming pool running down its center, lounge chairs, and umbrellas just a few dozen steps from our patio.  The appointments throughout the hotel were a continual joy to encounter, such as a sweeping curved staircase, a giant chandelier lit with hundreds of candles, statuary, art, and artifacts on display at every turn.  Evening outdoor dining combines luxe surroundings, an enchanting lake view, live music and dance, and outstanding cuisine.

We were just 2 nights in Mumbai with one full day to tour, so hotel location was paramount.   We chose the majestic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on the waterfront overlooking the Gateway of India and the Arabian Sea. It was built as a grand luxury hotel in 1903 by a local Bombay Indian businessman as a place where “non-whites” could come and enjoy a world-class luxury hotel from which they were banned from enjoying otherwise.  The hotel is rich in history and has a location you can’t beat.

The hotel consists of two buildings, The Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower, which were built at different times and in various architectural designs.   Our Deluxe Sea View room was charming in the old Palace wing.  It’s a large hotel with 560 rooms, including 44 suites, offering the perfect blend of rich history and modern convenience.

Mumbai was a trip! It is very different from Delhi, but it is still very British.  I would suggest a private city tour with a guide and driver.  Our tour guide was highly educated and passionate about her people.  There are so many interesting daily life occurrences that speak to your heart and soul.