A majestic Indian summer

Rajasthan is a rich and intoxicating mix of contradictions, as beautiful as it is chaotic - and utterly unforgettable
1/5
Richard Godwin20 July 2012

The first-time visitor to Rajasthan comes back remodelling clichés that suddenly seem apt and profound. Everywhere is sensory overload. You smell dried mango and diesel, jasmine and elephant dung; see Moghul geometry and lazy banyan trees; hear monkeys squawking, drills drilling, plenty of ‘Please, sir, please to listen...’

As one of India’s most traditional states, and the place to marvel at ‘the splendour and majesty of the Rajput kings’ (as hammy old Indian actors intone on audio guides), Rajasthan conforms obligingly to your romantic preconceptions. But it also challenges them. The local women wear exquisite saris and jewellery, but to do manual work by the side of the road.

You will not resolve these contradictions, even if you will be haunted by the extremes of opulence and poverty. But a lot of India’s character lies in its extremes. You can still appreciate the Dickensian characters, and adopt the same fond sense of humour the locals do when, say, you discover that an elephant has caused the traffic jam you’ve been stuck in for half an hour.

One of the most charming things about Rajasthan is the perspective you can get on it. They say the train is the way to go; not true. We hired a brilliant driver named Laxman for a week’s tour from Jodhpur to Udaipur (both a short plane hop from Delhi). The journeys often seemed endless, but it was endlessly compelling to gaze out of the window.

Driving also gives you access to the quirkiest, most characterful places to stay. We organised our tour through Mahout UK, which specialises in finding them. It is one thing to visit an old haveli converted into a museum but another to spend a night there and find a quiet corner in which to read a book. Many of the old aristocracy now find themselves in Country House Rescue-style dilemmas about what to do with their massive palaces, and will expound them at length over dinner; others will talk to you of elephant polo and Hindu gods. It is impossible not to come away with an experience that feels authentically personal — and to puzzle over it for many years to come.

(01295 758 150; mahoutuk.com)

Raas - Jodhpur

Raas is a sleek boutique hotel located in an 18th-century haveli within the walled old city of Jodhpur. The location is stunning — all rooms have a view of the majestic Mehrangarh Fort on the hill above — and after the jaunty chaos of the city outside, its serenity is welcome. It is part of a newish wave of luxe establishments, complete with spa and international restaurant (though don’t neglect to sample the local food outside the walls). Water gently trickles; black-uniformed youths scurry by with fresh towels; only the morning call to prayer from the nearby mosque rents the atmosphere of repose. It is the perfect base to explore Jodhpur — don’t miss the Flying Fox zipline around the Mehrangarh Fort. Apparently Boris Johnson had a go when he last visited, and had terrible trouble braking.

Double rooms from £175 per night (0091 291 263 6455; raasjodhpur.com)

Rohet Garh - Rohet

An hour or so from the bustle of Jodhpur, on the edge of the Thar Desert, lies Rohet, a quiet, pleasant village. At the end of the main road is the manor house, technically a fort, though fort gives a misleading military ring. In fact, within its walls are graceful lawns, gently swaying trees and quiet verandahs, overlooking the nearby lake. The travel writer Bruce Chatwin stayed as a guest of the Singh family, writing most of his book The Songlines here; hearing of this success, William Dalrymple asked for the same room when he wrote City of Djinns. It still has a welcoming, family feel. They serve tea on the lawn every afternoon and the owner, Siddharth Singh, saunters around at gin-and-tonic time, and tells you which of his relations is pictured in the sepia photographs. I also completed a short cookery course here, based on the family cookbook, which has improved my home curry-making no end.

Double rooms from £80 per night (0091 293 626 8231; rohetgarh.com)

Mihir Garh -The Thar Desert, near Rohet

The sister property to Rohet Garh lies in the middle of the Thar Desert. You travel by Jeep from Rohet, through National Geographic villages, until the road fades into the sand and a small mud fort appears ahead. Mihir Garh (The Fort of the Sun) was a labour of love for the present generation of Singhs, who designed it as a romantic hideaway. Its eight suites are tastefully specced up with a mixture of local crafts and modern conveniences. The fierce sun casts dark shadows on the ochre walls; swallows swoop to skim water from the infinity pool. You can use this as a starting point for horse-riding. However, we simply idled among the battlements, in and out of the Jacuzzi, resting from many days of sightseeing before gorging on a feast of desert vegetables and the local (red hot) lamb curry.

Suites from £195 per night including all food and drink (mihirgarh.com)

Deogarh Mahal - Deogarh

Deogarh is a bustling market town, 2,100ft above sea level, between Jodhpur and Udaipur, and a convenient stop-off for the spectacular Jain temples of Ranakpur. To reach it, you drive down single-lane highways, overtaking garish, overloaded Tata trucks (‘Sound your horn!’) before you rise into the hills, where monkeys loiter at the side of the road. On the approach into town, a golden yellow castle with a faintly Disney look looms on the horizon. It is Deogarh Mahal, more than 300 years old, and as rambling and random as they come. You can circumnavigate it on multiple storeys, up on to the roof and past the lotus-shaped pool. It is more shabby than chic in places, but it is the spirit that compels. My wife and I sat for many minutes in the Sheesh Mahal, a mirrored room adjoining the bridal suite, which resembles a New York disco as reimagined for a 19th-century maharajah. The owners are wonderful. Of all the places we wished we could have stayed longer, this was The One.

Double rooms from £117 per night (0091 992 883 4777; deogarhmahal.com)

Taj Lake Palace - Udaipur

Udaipur is renowned as one of the most romantic places in India. It is built around Lake Pichola, in the middle of which, like an apparition, lies the 265-year-old summer palace of the Maharana, white and shimmering. It appears to float, but when you approach on a small boat, and step on to the marble deck to be showered in rose petals, you realise it is, in fact, carved around a single rock. You are staying in the very place that other tourists photograph. It is probably best to save this until last. It reaches a height of opulence that would be obscene if it weren’t so graceful; our room contained a hand-painted frieze and beautiful glasswork. The service is obliging without ever being obsequious, and extends to a young man armed with a palm frond for wafting pigeons away. You won’t want to leave. We noticed, when we borrowed a DVD of Octopussy from reception, that our suite was the very one graced by Roger Moore in the film.

Double rooms from £500 per night (tajhotels.com)

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in