Fit for a Maharaja

Annika Mengisen

	Lounge in Luxury
	Photo: Taj Lake Palace

My car bumped over a dirt road through clay and grass villages, swerving around cows, toward the western sky's burgundy glow.

Then the path began to circle upward, revealing a gleaming palace right out of the pages of an old adventure novel.

Soon I was watching the end of the sunset sitting atop a spire of antiquated stone while in the distance a horn echoed through the valley and the evening sounds of animals drifted from the hills nearby.

"This sure beats the Ritz," I thought, while enjoying a dinner of traditional Indian specialties such as garlic naan bread and dal, a spicy lentil dish, in an outdoor pavilion lit by flickering candles.

That night I retired to a room with bright draperies offset by stone latticework windows, which once hid the ladies of the king's harem as they looked down on the courtyard, perhaps watching a secret lover.

India's palace hotels are not for the faint of spirit; their walls emanate romance and culture dating back centuries. Here, nothing is black and white -- including the line between past and present.

In the Days of Kings

"Travel, give value to the time you are spending on planet earth," says Neemrana Hotel's slogan. For this chain of palace hotels, value means more than a price tag.

Neemrana Fort-Palace, where I stayed, is among India's oldest palace resorts and is located in the northern province of Rajasthan. The palace, built in 1464, is named after Nimola Meo, a local chieftain who begged that his name be given to his kingdom after his defeat.

In 1986, the ruins of the fort-palace were restored, reconstructed and furnished with a mix of traditional furniture and antiques. The stepped hillside palace covers 25 acres and rises 10 levels, giving every suite, vista pool and even bathroom a stunning view.

Typical luxury hotel activities are offset by the quirky and exotic.

At the hotel you can take guided tours or free yoga classes, relax in the pool or Jacuzzi, or go on a treasure hunt. Ayurvedic rejuvenation and holistic treatments are also available.

Outside the palace, you can arrange a guided tour of the 18th century stepwell, a former retreat from the heat for the ruler and his court, take a camel-cart ride or a trek to the watchtowers on the surrounding hills.

Double rooms cost from about $70-$200 a night.

Remember that May and June are the best months to go, as July through September are the monsoon months.

The Royal Treatment

Part of the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces chain, the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan, "offers guests a glimpse of a privileged royal lifestyle," boasts its Web site.

Two and a half centuries ago, Maharana Jagat Singh II built the white marble palace on the waters of Lake Pichola with a view of the majestic Aravalli Mountains.

It's considered to be one of the most romantic hotels in the world, with rooms reminiscent of courtly love.

That's not empty PR -- read the Kama Sutra and you'll see it speaks of the same romantic courting scenes, essential to blossoming love, as you might come across here.

The attentive butlers will create a magical dining experience wherever you desire, whether at the Lily Pond or on a marigold-bedecked royal barge in the middle of the lake (fireworks upon request).

The palace also offers folk dances, a swimming pool, yoga and meditation classes, a full-service spa and an astrologer.

Suites bedecked in ornate glass work, like the Khush Mahal, and the Rang Mahal -- a vibrantly colored suite with its own private massage room and Jacuzzi -- range from $500 to $1,500 per night.

A vintage car (although not that uncommon in India) can also take you on a tour of the city or to the airport. If you really want a thrill, take a motorized rickshaw; it certainly got my adrenaline pumping.

The marketplace of Udaipur is a delight for shoppers, with silver jewelry and hand-dyed fabrics of all colors and materials imaginable. I found myself spending almost as much time taking in the extravagant jewelry of the Rajathani women.

Spice Route Splendor

A friend from India recommends The Imperial for my next visit, and I am already imagining myself walking between the two dozen king palm trees that lead to the hotel's veranda.

The Imperial dubs itself the first among the "Four Maidens of the East," which some say include The Strand hotel in Rangoon, Raffles Hotel in Singapore and the Great Eastern & Oriental in Calcutta.

	Neemrana Fort-Palace on the Hill
	Photo: Neemrana Hotel

This restored 1930s Victorian-style building in New Delhi doesn't go back to the days of chieftains, but it still emulates the opulence of days gone by. As in the 1930s, it still hosts countless celebrities, heads of state and VIPs.

"The Imperial is world-famous for its spectacular architecture and majestic charm," say the hotel's representatives.

The hotel was built and run by S.B.S. Ranjit Singh and inaugurated by Lord Willingdon, viceroy of India, in 1936. Lady Willingdon was said to have looked after the interior design, and she gave the hotel its name and lion insignia.

Perhaps most importantly, the hotel provided a space for unusual cross-cultural contact, where British and Indian aristocracy and gentry including Lord Mountbatten and Mahatama Gandhi met in the tea lounges, gardens and verandas.

"If only walls could speak, here indeed [is] a repository of fascinating anecdotal material for authors of romantic and detective fiction," says hotel representative Leepakshi Chopra.

	Old-World Elegance in New Delhi
	Photo: The Imperial

The Imperial is also known as a museum hotel and has been home to many famous artists. It displays a collection of British art on India, and works by prominent artists such as William Simpson and Emily Eden.

It also houses several award-winning restaurants and bars, including The Spice Route, which serves Southeast Asian cuisine and was designed to reflect the fascinating historical journey of spices throughout Asia.

Among many other awards, the hotel was listed on the Conde Nast Traveler's 2007 Gold List for design and location.

Rooms range from $200 to $1,500 per night.

If you want luxury in India, any reputable hotel chain will do, but for the stuff of myth, only a palace hotel will take you there.

---

Enjoy the Good Life? Email us with what you'd like to see in future articles.

---