AMIRS

I am planning a trip with my mother in Rajasthan and Ananda Spa in a few weeks.
I would like to hear some of your imputs ...

Mumbai (on business) - Oberoi
Udaipur - Lake Palace (one night)
Jaipur - Rajvilas (two nights)
Agra - (one night)
Ananda Spa - 3 nights

My big debate is over the hotels in Udaipur and Jaipur. I have heard not so great reports on the Lake palce and Rambagh Palace. I wouldn't mind staying at only Oberoi hotels, but i thought it would be nice to stay atleast once in one of the authentic palaces. Will I be disappointed if I stay in the Lake Palace? Should I change my itenerary to stay at Udaivilas and Rambagh Palace instead? Should I just stay in all oberoi resorts?
What do you think?
I would also really like to hear about "secret" shoppping places.
For pashmina, fabrics, etc - I want to take my mom to places she will enjoy.

vp_singh

Both Udaivilas & Rambaug are wonderful properties. I would rate Udaivilas better than the lake palace.
Rambaug is certainly the most authentic of all the Rajasthan Palaces, with a lot of ambience, reeking of old world charm. The former rulers of Jaipur were themselves extraordinary personalities. The only thing that puts off a visitor is the service & food which in quality is a little erratic - sometimes very good & sometimes leaving much to be desired.
You can hunt for a paschmina in any of the shops in these hotels or in the market. The question is whether you are knowlegeable enough to buy really good stuff?

Craig

We stayed at Rajvilas and had dinner one night at Rambagh Palace. Rajvilas was perfect in every way while our dinner at Rambagh was awful. The grounds and public areas at Rambagh are gorgeous so it is worth stopping in even if you do not stay there. I have heard from others that the rooms at Rambagh are only average.

AMIRS

Thank you so far.
But I would really like to know if i will be more disappointed with the Rambagh Palace or with the Lake Palace.
1. If I want a mixture of Taj/Oberoi hotels should I go with:
Rajvilas/Lake Palace
or
Udaivilas/Rambagh Palace?
2. Should I just go with all Oberoi?
3. Are there any other high end alternatives in the city of Jaipur or Udaipur that I should consider?

Craig

I have not been to Udaipur but have heard that Udaivilas is just as amazing a property as Rajvilas. You won't go wrong with an all Oberoi approach while you might be risking disappointment by staying in one of the palaces. I have heard that up until recently, the lake in Udaipur had dried out. I would certainly find that disappointing if it was to dry out again. At Rambagh the disppointment might lie in the dark hallways and not so up-to-date decor as well as the lousy food. As far as I know, there are no other high end alternatives in either city.

agtoau

AMIRS,

If you have the budget, this is a no-brainer: go for Rajvilas and Udaivilas. These are among the world's great hotels. The other options are several notches below these. Check out the reviews for them at:

http://www.tripadvisor.com

(Type in "Udaipur, India" and "Jaipur, India" in the Search Hotels field)

hobbes

Another Udaipur option you could consider is Devi Garh. Only problem is it is a little out of town. I found Lake Palace very run down in Dec 2002 when I went and food there lousy. I was very glad we were staying at Udai Vilas. IN case you decide to go ahead with Lake Palace please confirm water level in the lake - the property is a wash out if the water is not hgh enough and floods in Bombay does not mean the entire country got adequate rain. In contrast, in April 2004 while Raj Vilas is definitely a better property I thought Rambagh had been well restored. Also, there is an advantge IMO in staying in Jaipur city rather than on the outskirts where Raj Vilas is. U are best advised to buy your pashminas in Delhi maybe from an authorized shop like Cottage - you will pay a premium but as vpsingh said will you recognize a fake at a cheaper shop if it is sold to you? Mail me for further shopping tips.

Craig

I don't see any location advantage at all in staying at Rajvilas rather than at the Rambagh. You are not that far out and only there for a couple of days - really makes no difference.

vp_singh

Another option for you at Udaipur is the Shivniwas palace hotel, inside the city palace. The imperial suite, @$600 is gorgeous & food/service excellent. If you have a fixation for staying in a palace then let Shivniwas be your choice. Mind you udaipur royalty is called 'Maharanas'.
By the way all lakes in Udaipur are full to the brim!

BostonHarbor

Hi AMIRS, I am also going to be on a trip to Rajasthan in six weeks. We decided to stay in all Oberoi hotels in Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur. Taj hotels in Mumbai, Jodhpur and Arangabad. We had been waitlisted at Udaivilas since May, but it just opened up. We decided on the Oberois because they have great spas as well as great rooms and with all the "suprises" that we were told to expect every day in India, we decided that not having "surprises" when we got home at night would be nice.

In Udaipur we decided against Devigarh as it just seemed a bit too romantic for two girlfriends traveling together--particularly on New Years eve It is continually called " the perfect "honeymoorn hotel" It looks just wonderful however. We were just missing a couple men--Damn.

I was sent pictures of Lake Pichola on July 30 and it does indeed have a lot of water--it has been a long time. Hopefully it will still be there in December..... Here are the pictures: http://patpom.photosite.com/

Cicerone

I'll weigh in with my opinion. As it is only two nights in Jaipur, I would stay at the Rambagh purely for the history and ambience. I don't know your mother's age, but if she is old enough to remember the Jackie Kennedy and her visit to India, she may appreciate staying at the same palace where Jackie did as well as where the very beautiful and glamorous Maharani of Jaipur lived (in the pictures of the visit it is Jackie, unbelievably, who looks dowdy when compared to the Maharani). Also I think the gardens and grounds are really lovely. I agree the rooms can be uneven, although I have not stayed there since the rooms have been redone, but do ask to see several rooms if you don't like your first room. As for dinners, simply eat them elsewhere, it is only two meals. I would eat one dinner at the Rajvillas as they have a very nice outdoor courtyard area and usually have music and Indian dancers. Breakfast is hard to do badly and lunch you will probably be out for anyway. Also, with only 2 days I think you may find the location of the Rambagh a bit more convenient. (You might want to get your mother a copy of A Princess Remembers, by Gayatri Devi which is her autobiography. If you can't find it where you live, you can but it in bookshops in India.)

In Udaipur I love the Lake Palace but have to say I have not heard good things about it in recent years. I have not been there since 2001, so can't comment, it was definitely long on charm and short on facilities then, but the location and history made up for it at that time. That would be a tough choice for me now.

For fabrics in New Delhi (assuming you mean mostly sari fabrics) as well as pashminias I would recco the following:

Ahujasons Sahwlwale Pvt Ltd
6/444, W.E.A., Ajmal Khan Road
Karol Bagh, New Delhi
Phone :91-11-25720304
Fax :91-11-25757149

The mother load for pashmina and other fine quality wool shawls. Very well known and respected in India and elsewhere. Located in a virtually non-touristed part of New Delhi called Karol Bagh full of shops. Be prepared to spend some time looking at their myriad selection and bargaining.


Another good shopping area your mother might enjoy

Santushti Shopping Complex
New Wellingdon Camp, Delhi
Phone: 11/467-3322

This is an outdoor shopping mall operated by wives of Navy officers. The shopping area is a series of small cottages surrounded by lawns. Extremely pleasant as it is enclosed and no beggars or hawkers are allowed. Very good handicrafts shops and some great fabric stores. Shops are a bit more expensive than other shopping areas. There is a very good restaurant here called Basil and Thyme which is a nice for lunch.

The "Cottage" shop mentioned above is the Central Cottage emporium, which is a fixed price handicraft centre run by the government. They also have fabrics, prices are extremely low, but selection IMO is a little bit limited. Things like tablecloths and napkins are a great buy there; the place is definitely worth a visit.

Central Cottage Industries Emporium
Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan
Janpath, New Delhi
Tel. : 23725035
Fax : 91-11-3328354

There are several good shops in the Taj Mahal shopping complex as well.

Finally, I don't know if you have a hotel choice in Delhi, but the location of the Oberoi is a bit isolated as you cannot walk to anything; this might be a bit boring for your mother if she is on her own all day. Your mother might prefer the Imperial, which is an excellent hotel, and she can walk to the Connaught Place area (and the Cottages), or walk in the other direction to Raj Path, India Gate and the Parliament buildings. I find it a very convenient location and I like the lower key of the hotel, the gardens and the friendliness of the staff. You can view the hotel on their website at http://www.theimperialindia.com. It is a huge favorite on this board.

I would love to hear about the Ananda as that is on my list of places to get to now that I am back living in Asia.

hobbes

For fabrics in case you do go ahead and stay at the Oberoi I would suggest Nallis Silk Sarees in South Extension market, quite near the Oberoi. Amazing range of fabrics on the 3rd floor, 1st and 2nd are saris. Cotton, silk - raw, shot, spun, blends, brocades etc. Convenient place to shop and great service.

Cicerone

On more suggestion for fabric in Jaipur. I hope this shop is still there, I last visited it in 2001 and it is on my list to get back to now that I am back living in Asia. I just Googled it and found that the address still seemed to be good, but could not find a website. The guy supposedly makes fabrics for Liberty of London, and the quality of his stuff seems very good, I bought bedspreads that I absolutely love, quite inexpensive; and he made me hand block sheer curtains with a boarder to match the bedspreads which he mailed to me later as promised. His shop is a bit of a mess, so don't be put off, the fabrics were in a room at the back. He also seems to have seconds at very cheap prices, but if you want undamaged goods, look quite carefully. Also ask to see his guestbook, as Lauren Bessette, the sister of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, visited his shop about a year before she was killed in the plane crash with her sister and wrote a now-touching comment about loving the shop and that she "hoped to return soon". We told the guy to sell it (maybe he has by now on E-Bay. . . )

Ridhi Sidhi Textiles
9, East Govind Nagar
Amber Palace Road
Jaipur
tel: 91-141-633134
fax: 91-141-632968

Rajhelp50

If I remember right, the Queen and Mrs. Kennedy were the personal guests of the Maharajah and stayed with him at his residence which is now the Raj Mahal Hotel.

Though the hotel itself is not as upmarket as the other hotels recommended above, the two suites in the hotel are the most atmospheric rooms in Jaipur.

hobbes

RajHelp I stayed at Raj Mahal and LOVED it. The boutique feel, peacocks prancing on the lawn in the morning, liveried, gloved wait staff in a dining room evocative of an era bygone...absolutely worth giving up the luxuries of Raj Vilas or the Rambagh for IMO on that trip coz was a lovely change from all the other acco we booked!

jacketwatch

VP Singh says all Udaipur lakes are "full to the brim" Is that so? Last winter the lake of the famous Lake Palace hotel was nowhere near full as I recall. We were in Ajmer, also in Rajasthan and they have had no rain in 5 yrs. The lake there, Ana Sagar, has diminished dramatically over this time. Anyone else know of this situation in Udaipur?

Rajhelp50

Hobbes - I hope you stayed in one of those fabulous suites - they are a steal at about USD 150/- per night (unless there has been a hefty hike this year).

VP is correct about the Lake situation in Udaipur. They are full after five dry seasons. Go and enjoy them.

jacketwatch

Thank you. Thats good to hear. I just hope the rains move to Ajmer. It really needs it.

AMIRS

I wanted to thank all of you for the recommendations I got. I really want to stay at the rajvilas and I would really like to stay at a hertitage hotel. I guess I have no other options but to stay at Lake Palace when I'm in Udaipur and to stay at Rajvilas when i'm in jaipur. Unless someone tells me to give the lake palace up, and stay at Udaivilas. Actually, I can get a better rate at the Udaivilas.
I also want to thank you for the address of the fabric stores, I think I will start a new discussion on recommended shops in those cities. i would really like to see some jewellery as well.
Btw - Promise to let you know how everything was, especially Ananda.

agtoau

By all accounts, Udaivilas is heaven on earth. I would stay, dump the Lake Palace and go to Udaivilas. And don't forget to give us a report on your travel experience.