Royal leisure

Fancy the idea of waking up in a heritage structure where time has stood still? Room service could have guards in traditional headgear and colourful outfits. Bed coffee rouses you and then there is the choicest breakfast spread ranging from continental to something that is quintessentially Indian. It’s hard enough to lift a finger on a vacation when luxury is at your beck and call, you wish the break could last a lifetime. 

Bless those who believe money is there to be spent. And if you are a part of that fortunate group, a palace is the place to be in. Take your pick between destinations as diverse as Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur where Rajasthan and its diverse culture will pamper you beyond imagination. If water is your first love, the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur will bring you home in a vintage car. It’s not for nothing that the city is called the Venice of the east. The group’s property in Jaipur is no less enticing and was once home to Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and Rajmata Gayatri Devi, whose good looks are stuff that legends are made of. For a taste of the South, you could fly into Hyderabad to check into the Taj Falaknuma Palace. This city of pearls is where the Nizam, once said to be the wealthiest man alive, had his palace and just being there means soaking in a time that has gone by. A suite at each of the venues will cost you Rs.1.1 million a night with taxes thrown in.

The good part about being in India is that you are never short of options. Every occasion is meant to be celebrated with pomp and noise is a necessary accompaniment. The big, fat Indian wedding can never be too far away and in the recent past, The Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur has been the chosen venue for Isha Ambani’s wedding with Anand Piramal which was just a fortnight after Priyanka Chopra’s turn to tie the knot with Nick Jonas. Both were high-profile events with a battalion of distinguished people showing up in large numbers. The group’s Rajvilas property in Jaipur and Amarvilas in Agra, which has an unending view of the Taj Mahal, remain key tourist attractions. The suites here are called Kohinoor and are much sought after. You are certain to rub shoulders with people looking for anonymity and will do anything to get a bit of that. In peak season, that would mean a price tag of Rs.1.1 million without taxes. But heck, how can luxury ever be called expensive? It’s the price you pay for that slice of bliss.