dhee123

Hello all,

Your posts to this forum have been incredibly useful. Using the info I've seen and using the Frommers book that I have I've compiled the following 10-day itinerary for February 2007 that covers Agra (1 night), Ranthambhore (2 nights), Jaipur (2 nights), Udaipur (2 nights) and Gujrat (2 nights). This will be my husbands first visit to India and I have not been back in 12 years (and never been to Rajasthan) - so its very exciting!

I would like your opinion on whether you think this is a good plan - anything to watch out for.

I also would like to know whether you have heard of Nahar Garh - NahargarhRanthambore.com and what your experience is.

Also, is the Oberoi Udaivillas in Udaipur worth the price? Anyone have an idea of what the room rate is (in USD) when going through a tour operator and when going directly? The listed $600/night is pretty outrageous!

I've emailed the plan below to get price quotes the following tour operators based on recommendations in this forum and elsewhere to get quotes on hotels, car&driver, train booking, and internal flight.

- Parul Travel and Tours (parul_tour@ rediffmail.com)
- MakemyTrip (makemytrip.com)
- Castle and King ([email protected])
- Rajasthan Custom Tours ([email protected])

I appreciate any insight you may have. I promise to write a trip report when I get back!

Monday
Arrive DEL early morning, Drive to Agra Sightsee in Agra. Hotel: Taj View. Nights = 1
Tuesday
Drive Agra to Ranthambhore. Need Ranthambhore Hotel. How is Nahar Garh? www.NahargarhRanthambore.com?
Nights = 2
Wednesday
Sightsee Ranthambhore - Safari.
Thursday
Drive Ranthambhore to Jaipur
Sightsee Jaipur. Hotel=Trident Hilton
Nights = 2. Actually will only stay 1 night and leave the second evening for Udaipur.
Friday
Sightsee Jaipur & take Night train to Udpur. Train 2965,UDZ SUP EXP
Dep. Jaipur 22:25,rr. Udaipur 07:45
Saturday
Arrive Udaipur 0745. Hotel: Udaivillas? Nights = 2.
Sunday
Sightsee Udaipur. Maybe day trip to Ranakpur.
Monday
Drive to Bhavnagar via Ahemdabad (lunch break) Night in Bhavnagar. Hotel= Nilambagh Palace Hotel. Nights = 2
Tuesday
Drive Bhavnagar to Palitana. Ascend Palitana mountains for Jain Temples.
Wednesday
Drive to Bhavnagar airport - Fly to Bombay on JetAirways to see relatives.

Thanks in advance for any help!!

Craig

Nahar Garh looks nice on its web site but you won't get much a safari experience by staying there. We had a wonderful stay at Sher Bagh (www.sherbagh.com) which is a "luxury" tented camp. There are also tents at the truly luxurious Vanyavilas.

You should be able to do better than $600/nt for Udaivilas through one of the tour operators that you listed. Make sure breakfast, service and tax are included in any price quotes you receive.

You might consider 2 nights in Agra, depending on when you plan to arrive. You should be able to stop at Fatephur Sikri on the way to Ranthambore.

dhee123

Craig,

Thanks for your response on Ranthambhore and the recommendation of Sher Bagh. I looked it up - and it does seem "jungly" but I think that at almost $300/night its a bit much to be roughing it in a tent. The tents within Vanyavillas (Oberoi) seem like they are truly luxurious...but to pay a seemingly luxury price for rooms that don't look too impressive in the pics seems like a waste.

What about Sawai Madhopur, and Hotel Dev Vilas in Ranthambhore. Any input on those?

Also, what would a reasonable price per night be at Udaivillas in Udaipur for February end?

Thanks!

dhee123

One correction - I meant Amani-i-Khas tents look truly luxurious (http://www.hotelsranthambhore.com/am...ore_images.htm) not Vanyavillas.

lcuy

We loved Sher Bagh. The tents are old fashioned, but the bathroom is lovely, and the service was some of the nicest we found in India.

Good food too- English breakfasts, Italian lunch, Indian dinners by candlelight. Lots of cute touches, like the hot water bottles, the tea served in your tents for wakeup call, afternoon tea in the garden, and lunch they packed for our train return to Delhi. They practice some "green" ideas and grow most of their veggies on site.

The Oberoi UdaiVilas was fabulous, as was the Amarvilas. We paid about $300-$400 night a year ago, with specials through their own website. They often have 6 nights for the price of 4 or similar, and you can mix and match the hotels. If it meant I could return there, I'd even pay $600!

dhee123

Thanks lcuy - you're making me take a closer look at Oberoi! I've heard such great things about it, but am having a real hard time grasping the sticker price...I know it'll be worth it. I'll try and look around for specials...

dhee123

FYI - just got this email about Raj Custom Tours no longer being in operation:

January 9, 2007
"Rajasthan Custom Tours has ceased operations due to the death of my husband Ummed Singh. I'm taking the liberty of sending your request for information and pricing to our associate Mr. Anil Sinha of Rajasthan Four Wheel Drive Pvt. Ltd. who will contact you shortly."
Sincerely, Jean Webb-Shekhawat

hobbes

We stayed at Dev Vilas as it was April when we went and the thought of staying in non a/c tents at Sher Bagh was daunting. However, in any other season I would defi choose Sher Bagh. It is the nearest the game park and the most authentic experience. I loved Udai Vilas but we did not pay anything like the rate you mentioned - our TA got us a much better rate. If I had to splurge on one hotel it would be Amar Vilas in Agra - it is truly the best experience to see the Taj. Jaipur is a great place to get deals on hotels and save money to splurge eg on Amar Vilas - our TA got us an amazing hotel for less then $100/night.Name is PresTours, [email protected]. My only other comment is you need to finalize things soon as Feb is peak season for India.

dhee123

Thanks hobbes - I will contact PresTours and see if they can get me a better rate. I also noted your recommendation on Amarvillas but they are currently sold out.

Can you or someone just explain why there is so much hype around the Oberoi hotels. I know I'm going to be going there soon and I can look for myself, but I just want to know what is it that makes it SO incredible??? The question is burning into my brain everytime I pull out my credit card thinking about reserving one of their rooms

Thanks for the help and insight,
dhee

lcuy

1) beautiful buildings in excellent locations
2) wonderful pools
3) excellent restaurants and room service
4) friendly, professional service in all departments5)
5) incredible rooms with great beds, all amenities, free DVD movies, etc
6) even the cheap rooms are wonderful, the top category rooms are over the top!
7) individual tipping is discouraged.
8) excellent spas and fitness centers
9) the view of the Taj from the Amarvilas.

hobbes

IMO some Oberoi hotels deserbe the hype and more, others don't. Let me exaplin. IN Agra there is no acco which even remotely compares with Amar Vilas - as Lcuy said the Taj view - but that is only part of it. The other Agra hotels while all perfectly adequate are a couple notches down in terms of all parameters. In both Jaipur and Udaipur choices abound. There are authentic old palace experiences, in Udaipot have as everything is brand new)ur the Taj property Lake Palace has the same Udai Vilas experience of being in the center of the lake, in Jaipur various converted havelis and palaces offer a feel of history (which Raj Vilas, much as I love it, does not have as everything is new). In Rantahmbore my first choice is not Vanya Vilas as I said rather is Sher Bagh - Vanya Vilas may be more luxurious but Rantahmbore is a safaro experience. So, there is no blanket answer - tho Lucy has captured a great deal of it!

hobbes

Sorry, don't know how that post became so wonky.

dhee123

Udaipur vs. Jaipur

The flight I wanted out of Udaipur to Bombay is sold out. As a result I have to decrease my itinerary by one night.

If you had to pick - would you choose 1 night in Jaipur and 2 in Udaipur or vice versa?

Thanks!