Palace on Wheels
Jan 30th, 2006, 03:47 PM
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Palace on Wheels
Has anyone taken the Palace on Wheels tour of Rajasthan? We are going to take it in 2 weeks, and I would like to hear other people's impressions of it, and any kudos/warnings.
Feb 3rd, 2006, 10:33 AM
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I've never taken it but I know people (Indian) who have and they loved it. IF you can afford to, go for it. It's very nice trains and India is a beautiful country...the touring company will take very good care of you.
Feb 5th, 2006, 10:32 AM
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A colleague from my office just returned from India and they traveled on the palace on wheels. The Palace on wheels has recentlty been taken over by the Taj Group of hotels, so the trains are all being refurbished. The main plus point is that the POW covers an area which is impossible to do on your own, I think in 10 days they visited agra, jaipur, udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaiselmer. This is only possible if you tke POW One would never be able to cover all these areas going from hotel to hotel. So the big advantage is that you can see a lot of places in a short time. He also said that the people they traveled with on the train were very friendly. Somehow most of the people on their train were Indian doctors living in the U.S. The food was good (not spicy and they did not get sick) and the bed was comfortable.
Feb 5th, 2006, 08:50 PM
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HAHA..yea I heard lots of rich Indian doctors from the US go on palace on wheels. I guess they are the few that can afford it...hehehe..I am still a training doc..I dont know if its worth it though..Its soo much money like 4000 dollars I think..way above my budget.
Feb 6th, 2006, 10:09 PM
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I thought it was very expensive when I first looked at it, but then I added up hotel, food, travel for 2 adults and 1 child and POW was not so bad. Adults are $315/person/day and children under 12 are 1/2 off. This includes all your transportation, lodging, food, sightseeing, and guides. Hopefully it will not be too exhausting!
Feb 6th, 2006, 10:53 PM
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$800 a day for 2 adults and a child.
If you have to ask about the price, it's not for you.
I'm not saying it's not a great way to see parts of Rajasthan, but if anyone suggested a similar itinerary, most of us would say that too many places were being visited in too short a time.
BTW, all the overnight journeys covered can be covered by trains operated by Indian Railways.
The POW is pure luxury; I boarded the train to have a look round (dreadful security) and was very impressed.
It would almost be a pity to have to get off and see India.
If you have to ask about the price, it's not for you.
I'm not saying it's not a great way to see parts of Rajasthan, but if anyone suggested a similar itinerary, most of us would say that too many places were being visited in too short a time.
BTW, all the overnight journeys covered can be covered by trains operated by Indian Railways.
The POW is pure luxury; I boarded the train to have a look round (dreadful security) and was very impressed.
It would almost be a pity to have to get off and see India.
Feb 7th, 2006, 12:58 AM
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I have traveled extensively in India on business and pleasure since the early 1990's. I have not taken the train, but know a few people who have. I have heard that the food is quite average on the train, which seems to be confirmed by the above comment that the food was "not spicy" (which is really a misunderstanding of much of Indian food which is not spicy except for some South Indian cooking, north Indian curies can be quite mild). I would note that they charge for all drinks, including soft drinks. Rooms are quite small, but I hear OK.
Although you have already made a booking and so I am wondering why you are asking for opinions now, I am compelled to say that IMO the Palace on Wheels is not the greatest way to see Rajasthan either in terms of luxury or schedule. There are many, many great hotels these days in most parts of Rajasthan which would be much nicer than the train. There are also so many good restaurants now, and so limiting yourself to a mediocre dinner each night on the train will be a shame, IMO. Also, having just looked at the schedule on the website, I find it exhausting. For example, you are doing in one day in Jaipur what I would normally do in 3 days. You could spend an entire day in the museums of the City Palace alone they are so vast and interesting. In Ranthanmbore you are arriving at 4 am which even a bit early even for the morning rides, and you only get 1 wildlife ride; most people go for at least 1 night at try to get in 2-3 rides to see more wildlife and increase the chance of seeing tigers. There also appear to be a lot of shopping stops.
Ten or even five years ago India was a differ rent place and to see India by this "luxury" train was probably the best way. That is not the case now, when there are Aman resorts and excellent gourmet restaurants.
Don't forget that you are expected to tip the tour guides, the wait and bar staff, the maid staff, the bus drivers and the coach captains who are like the concierges. You could wait until the end of your trip and make one large tip to each person for the train staff, the guides and bus drivers will probably be different for each city so you would tip at the end of each days tour. I would say not more than the equivalent of $3-5 per person per day, even less is probably OK (I tend to over tip). Bring lots of small Rupee notes, try not to have torn ones, although this is hard to avoid.
Although you have already made a booking and so I am wondering why you are asking for opinions now, I am compelled to say that IMO the Palace on Wheels is not the greatest way to see Rajasthan either in terms of luxury or schedule. There are many, many great hotels these days in most parts of Rajasthan which would be much nicer than the train. There are also so many good restaurants now, and so limiting yourself to a mediocre dinner each night on the train will be a shame, IMO. Also, having just looked at the schedule on the website, I find it exhausting. For example, you are doing in one day in Jaipur what I would normally do in 3 days. You could spend an entire day in the museums of the City Palace alone they are so vast and interesting. In Ranthanmbore you are arriving at 4 am which even a bit early even for the morning rides, and you only get 1 wildlife ride; most people go for at least 1 night at try to get in 2-3 rides to see more wildlife and increase the chance of seeing tigers. There also appear to be a lot of shopping stops.
Ten or even five years ago India was a differ rent place and to see India by this "luxury" train was probably the best way. That is not the case now, when there are Aman resorts and excellent gourmet restaurants.
Don't forget that you are expected to tip the tour guides, the wait and bar staff, the maid staff, the bus drivers and the coach captains who are like the concierges. You could wait until the end of your trip and make one large tip to each person for the train staff, the guides and bus drivers will probably be different for each city so you would tip at the end of each days tour. I would say not more than the equivalent of $3-5 per person per day, even less is probably OK (I tend to over tip). Bring lots of small Rupee notes, try not to have torn ones, although this is hard to avoid.
Feb 7th, 2006, 08:15 AM
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Spicy is a relative term. What is spicy to one, is mild to another. Restaurants often make things less spicy for tourists. Also, the more hot spices you eat, the less hot you will find them over time.
