Rajasthan Honeymoon
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Luxury tents inside walled gardens
make for unique honeymoon accommodations on the grounds of
Vanyavilas, a royal hunting palace adjacent to a tiger
reserve. (Photo: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts) |
Ancient desert fortresses .
. . royal palaces . . . women in brilliantly colored saris . . .
elephants and camels and cows mingling with cars in the streets . . .
the fabled Pink City of Jaipar . . . wildlife preserves for rare tigers
and birds . . . shops full of ancient emerald jewelry . . . . That's a
snapshot of Rajasthan, India's northwestern desert province.
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If you stay in one of the
luxury hotel-palaces mentioned below, expect to pay several hundred U.S.
dollars per night. The Oberoi Vanyavilas, for example, ran a sale in the
summer of 2004 offering eight nights for US$2000. "The trip (including
internal flights, car and driver, hotel rooms, guided sightseeing tours
but not including external flights and food) cost approximately £2,100
[about US $3,850 at mid-2004 exchange rates] for the two of us," writes
one couple who honeymooned for two weeks in Rajasthan in 2000 (see link
below). But another couple reports staying at the Ajit
Bhawan Palace Hotel "at $40 per night for a beautiful, rustic, poolside
chalet" (see the link to Eamon's & Vanessa's Travel-log below).
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| The Taj Mahal: the
ultimate monument to love? |
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Delhi delights. Fly into
historic Dehli and get lost among the old city's winding streets,
colorful bazaars, temples, and spice markets. Visit the site of Mahatma
Gandhi's cremation and tour museums dedicated to the nonviolent
liberator of India, or take refuge in the gardens of the ancient Moghul
emperors' Red Fort.
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A monument to love. Swing out of Delhi and head to Agra to see the Taj
Mahal—yes, it's so emblematic of India it's almost a cliché, but that
doesn't reduce its magnificence, or its symbolism as a monument to love
that endures beyond death.
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The pink city. Head into Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan
Province. This is the Pink City, so-called for the color of its
buildings; it is also where most of the world's emeralds are cut.
Throughout the province, palaces once shuttered to outsiders have now
been converted into hotels.
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Romantic palace
hotels. Stay in the red-sandstone royal palace of Laxmi Niwas, with its graceful archways, columned halls, and nightly
folk entertainment and fireworks. Or stay in Vanyavilas, a royal hunting
palace with "hand-painted gilded frescoes, murals of elephants and
peacocks, marble and chandeliers." Guests stay in luxury tents inside
private walled gardens; the estate grounds feature twenty acres of
landscaped gardens, lakes and fountains. The grounds border the Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve, where lucky visitors might
catch a glimpse of the rare Indian tiger.
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Ancient desert
fortress. Head into the desert, where
the city of Jaisalmer rises like a
golden mirage, a magnificent
12th-century sandstone fortress perched atop a 250-foot hill. "Jaisalmer
is famous for cobbled streets, strewn with palaces, forts, temples and
havelis," according to the India
Tourism website. "Every house . . . is exquisitely carved, having
filigreed work all over." A rainwater lake, beautiful Jain temples, and
camel treks into Desert National Park are among Jaisalmer's other
attractions.
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A Royal Honeymoon
in Rajasthan
A detailed description of Rajasthan
from the perspective of its romantic possibilities for honeymoon
couples. Includes photos.
Eamon's & Vanessa's
Travel-log: Rajasthan
This couple spent nine months traveling
around the world on their honeymoon; this page describes their time in
India.
Birding Trip
Report to Rajasthan, India
This personal page describes one
couple's two-seek honeymoon in Rajasthan, during which they also went
birdwatching. Includes an itinerary and some photos.
Rajasthan Tours.org
This commercial site provides extensive
information about Rajasthan, including lots of pictures, plus tour
possibilities.
India Ministry of Tourism: Rajasthan
The official government tourism site
offers a thorough overview of Rajasthan.
Incredible India!
Another India Ministry of Tourism site
with a slicker design and broader focus, useful for exploring other
options in India.
Oberoi Vanyavilas
The official site of the Vanyavilas
palace offers an extensive description plus many photos.
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Your honeymoon story
Have you done this trip (whether on
your honeymoon or other travel)? We'd love to hear about your experience
so we can share it with others . . . just
drop us a line.
Last Updated:
June 14, 2004 |
