Fit for a Maharaja

	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.