Tag Archives: design & decoration

Bhairon Vilas: sleep like a Prime Minister

Bhairon Vilas used to belong to Bikaner’s former Prime Minister. Nowadays, it continues its life as a hotel and is managed by the descendants of the Prime Minister. This charming oasis has a beautiful courtyard and uniquely decorated rooms, making it one of the most memorable hotels we have stayed at in India. See below why!In my opinion, Bhairon Vilas is something between a boutique hotel and a bed and breakfast: secluded and quiet. The staff was never present too much during our stay, but always available and helpful whenever we needed something. True Rajasthani hospitality.

We absolutely loved the courtyard. Antique decoration details combined with the rusty pink color made the hotel very welcoming and warm. The sun light was perfect for taking photos…Walking around the hotel’s different areas felt like admiring museum objects. Of course one can argue that many hotels in Rajasthan are like that, but this is exactly my point: In Rajasthan you have very affordable, charming hotels all over! And often they are former palaces or residencies of important personalities. We looked at several rooms before choosing where to sleep for one night and finally decided on Room # 101 on the ground floor. This was our entrance: And this was our room, except that what you see in the photo represents only about one fifth of the room size! We certainly felt very royal and important in our room. Even if the room was very charged and maybe a bit kitch, it was a refreshing change from typical European hotels that these days all look the same!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION: We paid only 1000 INR (12 €/16 USD) for our room (it was off-season so we had some discount) but I can see from the hotel’s website that they have increased the prices. Whatever you decide, I recommended considering Bhairon Vilas as an option. It is conveniently located right next to the fort and you will certainly wake up feeling like the ruler of Bikaner… (http://hotelbhaironvilas.com)

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Note: This is the 16th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra
Part 4. Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal
Part 5. Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl!
Part 6. Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace
Part 7. Breathtaking Amber Fort
Part 8. Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 1.)
Part 9. Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 2.)
Part 10. Hotel Pearl Palace in Jaipur
Part 11. Samode Palace: live like a Maharaja
Part 12. Shekhawati: the Haveli Hub
Part 13. Enchanting Hotel Mandawa Haveli
Part 14. Karni Mata Temple (WARNING: includes images of rats)
Part 15. Subtle charm of Bikaner

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Subtle charm of Bikaner

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One of our biggest regrets about the Rajasthan trip is that we did not spend two nights in Bikaner. Many tourists entirely skip this 15th century town, located on the old trade caravan route, and I think it is a pity. Bikaner is a pleasant oasis in the middle of the Thar desert. After checking into our hotel, we hopped on to a rickshaw to visit the 15th century Jain temples in the southern part of the town. We met a friendly priest who was flying a kite and despite the lack of a common language we spent a memorable moment together. The walk back to the hotel took longer than we had estimated but it was enjoyable. Streets seemed to create one long bazaar of spices, kitchenware, clothes, car spare parts and textiles. We were definitely viewed as odd tourists who rarely stop by Bikaner, and locals kept looking at us from a distance with a reserved, kind smile.

As we had arrived in Bikaner quite late in the afternoon, there was no time to visit the fort, and this is what I regret. Built in the 16th century, the fort is another architectural masterpiece from the Emperor Akbar era. It is very well preserved because it has never been conquered. One day I will see it from inside.In the end we had to catch a rickshaw because the streets never seemed to end. We were covered in dust, hungry, and ready for a luxury dinner at Laxmi Niwas Palace. After all, who would’t use the opportunity to eat where King George V and Queen Mary once enjoyed chicken tandoori and gin & topic?

During our agreeable garden dinner a rare rain storm arrived, transforming the evening very special. I could only think of those people living in the Thar desert and how happy they were. And we were happy too. The dinner, typical Rajasthani dishes, was extremely good, one of the best we had during our journey!

Afterwards we had a private tour of this majestic, glorious hotel. Everything was spectacular, including the billiards room where 15 tiger skins hanged on the wall reminded us of the old days…

So, if you are planning a trip in Rajasthan, do not limit yourself to the Golden Triangle. There is so much to see everywhere and I strongly recommend Shekhawati: the Haveli Hub and Jaisalmer, where our trip continued from Bikaner. Promise to think about it!

Laxmi Niwas Palace: http://www.laxminiwaspalace.com/

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Note: This is the 15th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Enchanting Hotel Mandawa Haveli

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Mandawa is the most touristic town of Shekhawati and therefore the most common base for exploring this semi-arid region famous for rich architecture and history. There are several accommodation options in Mandawa, and most of them are former havelis converted into hotels. We chose Hotel Mandawa Haveli and immediately fell in love with it. Design was stylish and there were small architectural details everywhere to discover. After visiting different rooms, we decided to take the slightly more expensive Haresh Room. It was large, the bed was comfortable and it felt like sleeping in a museum. Our door was elaborately carved and I bet it was more than 150 years old.We spent one night in Mandawa, but could have stayed for two nights. Dinner was served at the hotel and it was honest, local Rajasthani food. Very lovely. There was also a rooftop terrace where one can watch the sunset with a Kingfisher, and where dinner is sometimes served.I have kept a wonderful memory of Hotel Mandawa Haveli and believe it is one of the nicest hotels we stayed at during our Rajasthan tour. The price was very correct: 2000INR (23€/33USD).

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Note: This is the 13th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Shekhawati: the Haveli Hub

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I listed Shekhawati in my India: Top 10 places to visit because I believe it bares extraordinary historical and architectural value. The region is not along the most usual tourist route of Rajasthan but it definitely is worth the detour. If you are in Jaipur and planning to continue to Bikaner and Jaisalmer (like we did) then Shekhawati is perfectly on your route! Located on an old trade route, Shekhawati consists of many small towns. Your driver may not be familiar with the region, so have a good map in order to be able to enjoy your visits. Most of the guidebooks at least mention the region but my favorite is DK Eyewitness India, which has a very useful map of the region, including a 111 km-long tour with details. The region is an architectural pearl because each town is full of spectacular houses called havelis. These havelis were built by their previous owners (important merchants and industrialists) from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.

The fascinating part of the story is that a lot of the businessmen from Shekhawati had moved to Bombay and Calcutta, becoming influenced by the wave of industrialization and the British lifestyle. So, whenever these businessmen built a haveli in their home region, it became a reflection of these new trends, habits and technological inventions they had learnt about while away from home. This is why you can spot cars, airplanes, European clothes etc. on the walls and ceilings of havelis. Intriguing! Indeed, the havelis in Shekhawati are real storyboards and their frescoes often tell a story of the late 19th century industrialization. A lot of frescoes contain more traditional “Indian style” images, but in most cases, especially if you look closer, you will witness a blend of cultures and countries.

Maybe the globalization started in Shekhawati….? As you have seen, I put a high value on Shekhawati and think –once again– that it should be on one’s Must List when planning a tour in Rajasthan. After all, it is only three hours away from Jaipur (just over 150 km). Think about it!

FYI: We were coming from Jaipur and our first stop in Shekhawati was Sikar. From there we moved onto Lohargal, Nawalgarh and Dundlod before reaching Mandawa where we were planning to sleep (Enchanting Hotel Mandawa Haveli). When we left Mandawa, we only stopped at Fatehpur. However, there are many small, interesting towns to stop by, so if you are staying longer in the region, do your Internet research. For example, I would have liked to visit Lachhmangarh, Parsurampura and Ramgarh…

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Note: This is the 12th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Samode Palace: live like a Maharaja

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Rajasthan is full of havelis (former private mansions) converted into hotels. Some are more modest than others, while some are extravagant in every sense. In most cases they all have one thing in common: each haveli is a masterpiece of design and architecture, through which it tells a story to its visitor. A visit in Rajasthan would not be complete without sleeping in a haveli!From Jaipur our journey continued to Shekhawati region, but along the route we had planned to stop at Samode Palace, located just over 40km north of Jaipur. Samode Palace is arguably one of the most famous hotels in Rajasthan. It is stunning and full of curious, wonderful and elaborate decorations. Even if you don’t stay with them, you can do as we did: pay an entrance fee (at the time of our visit it was 500INR per person) against a private tour of the premises. In most cases, and this was true at Samode Palace, too, you can spend that amount toward food and beverages, so I would suggest using the moment as your breakfast or lunch break! Our stop at Samode Palace lasted for just over an hour and we left the premises breathless. This is exactly the type of place where one comes for a honeymoon or a wedding anniversary. Or just to spend a few nights in order to understand how it felt to be a maharaja in the past…. The more I think about, the more I conclude that it was only after visiting different parts of India that I truly learnt to understand the richness of hotel accommodation in Rajasthan. In fact, it is very easy to find affordable and beautiful hotels to sleep at in almost every city, town and village of Rajasthan, and to me this is one of the main reasons why I love Rajasthan….

SAMODE PALACE: http://www.samode.com/ (they have four properties in Rajasthan, so check the website for more information)

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Note: This is the 11th post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Hotel Pearl Palace in Jaipur

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During our stay in Jaipur we slept at a nice, clean and cute little hotel called Hotel Pearl Palace. We had chosen it for four reasons: excellent Tripadvisor reviews, reactive management (fast email responding), location in a quite neighborhood and the rooftop terrace restaurant. In the end of our stay we felt we had made the right choice. Just before I started writing this post I returned to Tripadvisor website to check the ranking of Hotel Pearl Palace. To my delight, I saw that it is considered to be the sixth best hotel among Jaipur’s 300 hotels! Right after the Oberoi and the Taj. Impressive!

We felt that the staff was really friendly and helpful. The building itself was in a good condition and corridors were decorated with lovely objects and furniture. The rooftop terrace (restaurant Peacock) was a lovely oasis where we had dinner every night. Moreover, we felt that it was nice to have a quiet hotel where to return in the evening –Jaipur is a bit hectic and can feel overwhelming.Our room was a standard double room (#301) and we paid 800INR (9.40€ or 13USD). It was a rather simple but comfortable room with a nice bathroom, and we considered it excellent value for money. There are many different types of rooms, all displayed on the hotel’s website.This said, there really isn’t anything negative to say about the hotel. Well, it doesn’t have a pool, but if it had one, the prices wouldn’t be the same… Should I return to Jaipur and needed a hotel in this price category, I would definitely return to Hotel Pearl Palace.

HOTEL PEARL PALACE: http://www.hotelpearlpalace.com/

Note: This is the tenth post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:

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Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 2.)

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Our second day in Jaipur begun with a breakfast at our hotel’s rooftop restaurant –a small oasis in the middle of a hectic city. So important when traveling in India!

We had nothing special planned for the day, apart from visiting the world-famous Hawa Mahal and continue exploring the city. Hawa Mahal, commonly known as the Palace of Winds, is the monument that appears in almost all commercial photos one sees about Jaipur. It is dedicated to Hindu god Krishna. Constructed in the late 18th century, the palace has a curious history and design: its latticed windows were built in a way that allowed the veiled women of the royal harem of observe the outside life without being seen!Renovations were going on during our visit, but visitors were allowed to climb to the top floor and enjoy viewing Jaipur and imagining how these women felt looking down to the street. A monument not to be missed!Afterwards we decided not to visit Jantar Mantar (the observatory), and instead headed outside of the city to visit Jal Mahal, the 18th century Water Palace. On our way back we stopped at a textile shop to buy some local clothes (half silk half linen, apparently). Looking at colors available was mind-blowing!!! As Jaipur is world-famous for precious stones and jewelry making (many of the ornaments worn by maharajis come from Jaipur!), we stopped by a few shops to better understand the centuries-old jewelry-making tradition. What we saw was breathtaking but since we are not professionals, we did not buy anything too expensive. If you like design and jewelry, do visit one of the jewelry houses even if you have no intention ob buying. Most shops are used to tourists and happy to show you around.For the rest of the day we visited old havelis (old private houses) converted into hotels (like the one in the photo). Rajasthan is full of havelis, and Jaipur has a fair share of them. They are an integral part of the region’s history and usually full of antique furniture and stylishly decorated, respecting the local traditions. If you are into architecture, I would strongly consider visiting these historic and lovely pearls. We spent two full days in Jaipur and could have stayed longer. It is the most accessible city in Rajasthan if you are coming from Delhi, but regardless of tourism masses, Jaipur has remained rather pleasant. Our only regret was that we didn’t buy more souvenirs in jaipur –its bazaars are really fantastic. As other towns in Rajasthan do not necessarily have same products, think of filling your suitcase with souvenirs from Jaipur!

Note: This is the ninth post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:
Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra
Part 4. Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal
Part 5. Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl!
Part 6. Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace
Part 7. Breathtaking Amber Fort
Part 8. Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 1.)

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Chaotic but charming Jaipur (part 1.)

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Jaipur is one the most beautiful and famous cities of Rajasthan. It is home to a huge number of bazaars, palaces, historical sites and shopping opportunities but what I found even more fascinating is that Jaipur is where you really feel the romantic and incredible India. Jaipur is where elephants, monkeys, camels, locals and tourists cohabit. Even in the center of the Pink City as Jaipur is often called.We spent three nights (two full days) in Jaipur but could have stayed longer. Jaipur is truly inspirational and exciting. If you have a hotel in a quiet neighborhood, like we did, Jaipur is where you can come to write your memoirs. After a delightful breakfast at our hotel’s rooftop terrace we took a rickshaw to the city center. We were quite lucky, because the first thing we witnessed was a parade of elephants, camels and people wearing colorful dresses. It was like a fairy tale. This is India, I said to myself. After the parade we moved onto the old town and wandered endlessly along the streets (Badi Chaupar area). Everything you could imagine was for sale there: pottery, bangles, precious stones, food, spices, marble statues, silk clothes, etc. –you name it. We negotiated and bough some well-made, elaborate marble statues that Jaipur is famous for. The City Palace, built in the early 18th century, was our next step. Architecturally the palace is a combination of Mughal, Rajput and European styles, and full of charming little details. The palace felt very polished (it is well restored) especially after visiting the Amber Fort but we appreciated the fact that the Palace has been converted into a museum where one can admire excellent collections of different objects revealing the history of Jaipur.In fact, we loved the feeling of Jaipur so much that we just kept walking and walking. Behind every other corner there was an elephant transporting goods, men wearing turbans and selling spices, cows searching for food and elegant buildings. When we were finally done and hopped into a taxi to return to our hotel, we got stuck in a traffic jam. Even at this very moment Jaipur did not cease to surprise us –there it was, an elephant standing next to us, waiting for the rouute to clear! How cute, how incredible.

Welcome to Jaipur!

Note: This is the eight post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:
Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra
Part 4. Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal
Part 5. Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl!
Part 6. Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace
Part 7. Breathtaking Amber Fort

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Breathtaking Amber Fort

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Amber Fort near Jaipur is another must thing to do while visiting Rajasthan. I know that I keep repeating myself, and I use many excessive adjectives, but this palace is a dream come true. It is spectacular. An architectural pearl and like no other palace. Amber Fort was built in the end of the 16th century on the ruins of an 11th century fort. Some parts were added a decade later. Style-wise it is a combination of Hindu and Mughal architecture, full of alluring ornaments, relief works, frescoes, carved doors and latticed windows. It seems that silver and marble were the favorite materials of Maharaja Man Singh, who ordered the construction of the citadel. We found Amber Fort rather calm. There were less people than in other touristic sites and they were mainly locals who were very friendly and curious. The security guards were very eager to practice English with us, and even gave us a private tour in one of the underground caves. What an adventure! It was definitely one of those moments when the rich history of India felt very vivid, allowing us to time travel to the era of Emperor Akbar.

Some practical information: We left Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace at 2 pm and it gave us plenty of time to arrive at Amber Fort by 4 pm. However, do check the opening times prior to your arrival!

It took us about 2.5 hours to visit the citadel, and as you could notice from my photos, most of out time was devoted to taking pictures of and with local tourists. Indians LOVE to have a picture taken with you!

If you are driving directly from Delhi to Jaipur, it is totally feasible to leave the capital in the morning and visit the fort in the afternoon.

Alternatively, as many tourists do, make a morning or afternoon trip from Jaipur. After all, the distance is only 11 km and even a rickshaw can do this.

This is the seventh post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:
Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra
Part 4. Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal
Part 5. Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl!
Part 6. Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace

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Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace

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After visiting Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl! we hit the road to Neemrana village in Alwar district, in the northern part of Rajasthan. The road was in a bad condition and it took us six hours to reach our destination, which was only 200 km away.

However, our patience was rewarded upon arrival at Neemrana Fort-Palace. While entering this 15th century palace we could almost hear maharajas whispering namaste to us. This is how magic it looked and felt like.After the check-in, we were taken into our room Parvati Mahal, which was very lovely and stylish. Excited, we rushed to the balcony and saw the pool area. Wow. In whichever direction we looked, there was an extraordinary wing or level, old and new, turning the hotel into a romantic and mysterious storybook. As the sun was still shining, we swam in the pool and admired magnificent architecture that surrounded us. I am pretty sure maharajas were somewhere watching us. Monkeys were.At the sunset we headed to dinner, which was a tasty North Indian buffet served in a very pleasant terrace. There were lots of candles and more antique decoration elements everywhere. Indian red wine we ordered with the meal was just perfect, fruity and tangy.

Neemrana Fort-Palace was more elegant than we could have expected. During our three-day stay we visited many rooms (each one of them was different, but stylish and comfortable) and wandered around different parts of the fort-palace. Since it was built over different centuries, and recently restored, it felt like time-traveling in a labyrinth. We could not get enough of details and atmosphere, and were sad to leave when the day came. But I am confident that we will make a return one day!

Note: Since our visit to Neemrana Fort-Palace, we have stayed at several Neemrana properties in different parts of India. Today, the group owns 29 heritage buildings, “non-hotels”, and each one of them is a reflection of India’s rich history. The owners (an Indian gentleman and a Frenchman) pay attention to every detail, and rooms are decorated with beautiful antique objects, quality textiles and comfortable furniture. As the buildings where the Neemrana properties are located were not meant for hotel usage, every room is different (which explains rather large room price variations). So, if you are planning a trip to India, make sure you don’t leave India without a true Neemrana experience –highly recommended!! www.neemranahotels.com

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This is the sixth post about our trip in Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan and Bombay in March-April 2008. Previous posts are:
Part 1. Arrival in Delhi: first impressions
Part 2. Eight cities of Delhi
Part 3. Road from Delhi to Agra
Part 4. Visiting Agra and Taj Mahal
Part 5. Fatehpur Sikri: what a pearl!

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