Outstanding Stays: RAAS Devigarh, Rajasthan

We could all do with a strong dose of escapism right now, so each week we'll be highlighting a banging boutique to bookmark for when the world presses play again
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Travel is off the cards, for now.

But when restrictions lift, and it's safe to do so, the longing for a trip away from our own postcodes will be strong. More importantly, there will be hundreds upon hundreds of hotels around the world, particularly independently-owned boutiques, that will need your help.

They'll need you to check in, lie on their Egyptian cotton sheets and soak up their charm. That's why we've teamed up with Mr & Mrs Smith for a new weekly series that takes a tantalising peak inside some of the world's finest properties.

For this instalment, travel and wellness writer Harriet Charnock-Bates finds a slower pace at a hilltop Rajasthani palace.

The Look

Strung across a tree-carpeted hilltop in India’s age-old Aravalli Range, this high-perched Rajput oasis is the stuff of fairytales. All imposing archways and vine-entangled turrets, it’s head-lollingly beautiful with no shortage of soul.

The cavernous suites are a vision in milky-white marble; gauzy drapes billow against walls inlaid with semi-precious stones, gargantuan urns brim with marigold petals, and hand-etched bronze heirlooms sit in gleaming gilded alcoves.

Step outside and the view is a spirit-lifting sweep of emerald-green punctuated by the rooftops of the neighbouring village. Molten light drenches the vast terraces, smart staff glide past carrying trays of ice-cold lemonade, and the showstopper of a pool, lassoed by clouds of bougainvillea, is the most ravishing setting for a postprandial snooze.

(Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith )
Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith

The Feel

It’s the time-stopping tranquillity that’s most apparent upon arriving RAAS Devigarh, and it casts a powerful spell. The heady aroma of incense lingers in the cool, labyrinthine corridors, ring-necked parakeets dip and dive between the turrets, and flickering candlelight intensifies the magic of it all.

Every now and then, gentle murmurings rise up from the sun-washed village of Delwara just below - the excitable chatter of children, the clanging of pots and pans - serving as a reminder of how firmly rooted Devigarh is in its storied surrounds.

This is somewhere to take stock, regroup and disconnect from the world at large, though that’s not to say fun and frivolity are off the cards.

(Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith )
Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith

The Experience

Time drifts by in a joyous blur of rambles through the temple-studded hills and moments of quiet contemplation. Peering out across hazy, rugged terrain, the mighty Kumbhalgarh fort is sight to behold, and the thump and thrum of Udaipur is but an hour’s drive east.

Back at base, yogis can perfect their asanas in all manner of master-led sessions, and then, of course, there’s the whisper-quiet gem of a spa - with its hand-carved Himalayan salt chamber - where therapists waft barefoot in breezy linen tunics and mind-mellowing therapies are governed by the healing principles of Ayurveda.

Days come to a close up on the roof terrace, clinking glasses as the skies above light up the most sigh-inducing shade of magenta.

(Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith )
Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith

Insider info

When it comes to bringing mind, body and soul back into balance, the five-night De-stress Retreat works wonders. You’ll re-enter reality with a brighter outlook and a better sense of self; though mornings without ‘bed tea’ may well take some getting used to.

Getting There

Fly to Delhi from London Heathrow with British Airways before flying on to Udaipur with SpiceJet. From there it’s less than an hour by car to RAAS Devigarh.

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