This is bringing back memories of our recent trip--- we love all the packaged snacks available in India. A lot of them can be bought at our local Indian grocery stores.
One new brand "Kurkure" we came across is not yet available here in the LA area. We just loved it---it's really chips---but taste like you've never tasted before---light and much more tasty than even Nachos.

Yes, we do the same thing---have a lot of energy bars for between large breakfasts and fancy dinners. For some variety, we take with us small packets of nuts, M&M's etc--- better than store bought trail mix IMO.

cross-- you went to India in the off season and made it work for you. Fabulous.
Did you really give out $1 bills as tips ? Not small rupee notes? Right out of the movie Slumdog Millionaire, I'd say.
Looking forward to the report.

We only used the dollar bills for the first two days, until we were able to get small rupee notes, which are not that easy to find. I think I got that tip here here on Fodors.

Didn't try Kurkure, but the whole country was flooded with ads and commercials (We loved watching t.v.) Did you know it's owned by PepsiCo?

FINALLY, THE TRIP REPORT:

LAX-LHR-BOM (AA Award on BA)
Thanks to a stressful year, BA’s comfy business class and the wonders of modern medicine, we slept for most of BOTH flights. This turned out to be a good thing because Mr. C’s entertainment system on Flight #1 wasn’t working – He was given 75 GBP credit for merchandise from their duty free catalog (and in case you’re reading this, honey, I think you should demand some miles as well).

BA continued to throw money our way. At Heathrow the T5 lounge was being renovated, so they gave us a 30 GBP credit for the Starbucks at our gate. Not so easy to spend that much on a couple of non-fat lattes! Ended up with a supply of London souvenir thermal mugs, a hit with our guides and drivers.

LHR-BOM – More than half empty. Much better food (Indian) than from LAX-LHR. Flight seemed very short – if I lived in the UK, I’d visit India twice a year.

MUMBAI AIRPORT
BOM was our gateway because it was the only award ticket available. Deepa had said the airport was horrific, and we expected to get accosted by the supporting cast of Slumdog. Instead, though not shiny and modern, it was odorless and nearly empty when we arrived at 12:30am. We were through immigration in about five minutes with our tiny carry-ons and ten-year visas.

WATERSTONES, MUMBAI (Day 1)
A driver and a representative from Waterstones (on the Guardian’s Mumbai top 10 hotel list) met us in a BMW van and whisked us five minutes away to a quirky, boutique hotel. Ideal for a pit stop near the airport if you want to avoid the western chains, or if you want a giant fitness center (which we didn't have time to use). Our room had a rainforest theme and, apropos of nothing, a graffiti poem on the bathroom wall about a bad blind date.

Got about six hours of sleep then went to breakfast, remarkably refreshed. Had planned to avoid buffets, but the southern Indian spread was too tempting. Sat on the patio where we could smell the sea air and were a little sorry not to be spending time in Mumbai.

MUMBAI-UDAIPUR
The domestic airport was not so bad either, although the shanty town we passed on the way was disturbing to see because I was reading Beyond the Beautiful Forevers. Suggestion: Read this powerful book before or after, not during your trip.

Wasn’t thrilled about flying Air India because of dismal PR, but our BOM-UDR flight left on time, and the plane was much newer than the Jet jets we used later on. Although the flight was only an hour, they served a meal (decent warm veggie curry sandwiches), and we saw most of a Bollywood film in which the same actor played the protagonist and his prospective father-in-law. (Dual roles are a big deal in Bollywood, we learned.)

Our driver was waiting for us at the empty, modern Udaipur airport, along with the guide we would be using the next day. Became instant BFFs with both, especially because they were impressed with our lack of luggage. Our guide had studied history in Canada and is a distant relative of the royal family, the ones who still dwell in the Grand Palace. Very classy and personable – texted us for the rest of the trip with hints and factoids.

It poured on the way to to Devi Garh (one of two thunderstorms of the trip). But we were distracted by our new Indian SIM card, and also by the skills of our driver who calmly avoided the vehicles and animals that careened toward us during the 40- minute journey. The roads do have to be seen to be believed - like a wacky video game with all sorts of never-ending random obstacles.

DEVI GARH – rural Rhajasthan near Udaipur (Days 2-6)
Wasn’t sure if this restored palace/fort could live up to its Tripadvisor reputation, but it is simply AWESOME - stunning suites and views, gorgeous pool, superb food and service, cool design (traditional exterior, all-white contemporary interior), world class spa, great activities. Five minutes from the “living” Eklingi temple and serene Nagda ruins.

We didn’t think the 45 minutes to Udaipur was a schlep, and were happy to come home to the lush countryside every night. But what really nailed it for us was the authentic, photogenic village of Delwara right next door, where we fell in love with the people.

All this at an affordable off-season rate – A complete package of beauty, relaxation and culture that could work as a sole destination in India. (Only thing missing was a gift shop!)

It was still monsooning when we arrived, so we were greeted with a Bindi ceremony rather than the famous rose petal welcome. We were given a choice of two white marble Palace Suites with geometric gemstone accents and drop-dead views of the Araveli mountains and the colorful village. (Both Cicerone and Louise had advised against booking the lower category Garden suites because these lacked views, but these would work if you don't like stairs or elevators.)

AYURVEDIC TREATMENT
The spa was offering a special – two fatigue-relieving body-mind treatments for the price of one (Rs7250=$72). We both signed up for the Abhyanga full body oil massage, which pacifies the doshas, provides stamina and promotes longevity, plus the Shirodhara, a slow oil drip on the forehead (the third eye), which promotes peace of mind. Two hours later we were balanced and polarized. Farewell to jet lag... and to all of our other problems.

BAR/RESTAURANT
The rain stopped and we had a Kingfisher at the bar, overlooking the green hills as the sun set in the dramatic sky.

Then we headed to the restaurant where we split a yummy vegetarian thali, a perfect first day in India.

--

Next: Ayurveda-energized travelers go crazy sightseeing: three tours, a boat ride, a puppet show and dinner in the Venice of Asia - all in one day.

I'm ready to hop on a plane to Devi Garh immediately! Isn't it a shame we don't live in Europe as every place is such an easy flight compared to travel from the US.

PS You'll get used to the empty nest pretty quickly...

Oh, and I agree, miles were in order for a useless video in biz class. I've had that happen a couple of times on 6hr int'l flts and was given 15,000miles each time.

Loving this. I want to hear more, but you may have sold us on Devi Garth.

BTW I had the oil dripped on my forehead treatment in Sri Lanka and hated it. Spent a long time trying to shampoo all the oil out of my hair! For me, it felt like having oil dripped on it closed my third eye rather than opening it - lol.

Loving your report.
We get Karkure and every other Indian snack here in Toronto.

LOL Kathie re the dripping oil. I had an oil scalp massage and while it felt great, part two f the massage was self-inflicted as i tried to remove it from my hair.

CC, i surrender--am sold on Devi Garh, and like moremiles, tempted to reserve the next flights over! Great minds think alike--had it not been for your glowing review, i might have had to bypass it in favor of hotel with gift shop (-:

(Off topic, but the icing on the cake at wonderful Serena Sweetwaters in Ol Pejeta, was its fantastic gift shop!!!)

anxious to read more

Thanks, all. Kathie and Cali, I did have a bad hair day after the drip, but it was surprisingly relaxing.

miles, Mr. C will to respond to you directly re: BA. I suspect it will be a rant about their award program.

emdee, A visit to Toronto is in order!

rhk, Honored that you're reading this so soon after the GTG

A few corrections:
City Palace, not Grand Palace.
Correct price of the treatments: Rs 3750 = $72

DAY 3
Dawn over the Arevelis, then breakfast, included with our room,
overlooking the landscape. Fellow guests were from Calcutta. They recommended what they were having and our servers brought us all that and more - a multi-course feast. From then on, the chef always had something new he wanted us to try. (Giant portion size an issue at DG in general, but they do mean well.)

By the end of our stay we were great fans of every Indian breakfast item - idlis, dosas, paranthas and masala omelettes, all served with fruit, mini-lassis and fantastic coffee.

DEVI GARH PALACE TOUR
Next up was a tour of the hotel - a must-do for history buffs (real 18th c maharajas lived there)…or for anyone who has ever done a renovation (just decades ago the place was a dump). Before and after photos were almost unbelievable. Now the gardens and public spaces rival what you see in the City Palace. Bonus: A great 45-minute workout, if you opt not to use the elevator.

UPGRADE KARMA
Midway though the tour, our guide told us we were being upgraded to an Araveli suite, the top room category besides the sole presidential suite. We had mixed feelings because we were in love with our then-current suite, but the guide stated that the new one would bring us more "satisfaction." She wasn’t kidding – we had a choice of a giant two-level duplex or a sprawling complex with a drawing room, bedroom, bath, dressing room, living room and enclosed round meditation terrace, with cushions strategically placed to take in the killer views.

We chose Door #2, and I have been pining away for it ever since we left.

VILLAGE VISIT
Akhtar, 22, met us at the palace gates to show us his village. Moments later we were strolling through the narrow alleyways of Delwara, an agricultural hamlet of 5000 - a peaceful mix of Jains, Hindus, Muslims and tribals. We asked Akhtar which of these he was, and he said “human." He was one of the favorite people we met in India - Smart and charismatic, will one day be the mayor of Delwara, and then surely the governor of Rhajasthan. (Thrilled to be still be in touch with him - He phoned the day after we returned to U.S. to make sure we had
made it home okay.)

The town is clean, vividly colorful and full of photo ops. There are few vehicles, no tourists, no tourist shops – but lots of friendly cows and some of the most wonderful people we’ve ever met. We visited the potter, the embroiderers, the school, the lentil fields, the “7-11,” the "Starbucks," the stepwall and the remarkable marble-pillared Jain temple, which Akhtar called a mini Ranakpur.

School kids were adorable and enthusiastic spellers - We asked the principal if they needed anything and he showed us that their floor mats had been destroyed in the monsoon. We set up a time to return the next day to make a donation for the new floor, and also got Akhtar’s address so we could send the photos we took of the villagers. (People everywhere wanted us to be photographed, sometimes styling their shots and asking me to delete and retake.)

On the way back to the hotel, we passed a lovely building with ornate trellises. Aktar said that a Danish artist had bought the second story flat for about the same price that it would cost to spend a week at Devi Garh, and she’d soon be living there for half the year. The beginning of the gentrification of Delwara?

--
At 1pm our driver picked us up for the ride into Udaipur. The road was in good shape and fascinating, with the iconic sight of Rajasthan of women in colorful saris balancing things on their heads. Outskirts of Udaipur were not quite as picturesque.

UDAIPUR - CITY PALACE/ WEIRD VENICE COMPARISONS
Met up with our guide and went to a café for macchiatos (I thought we’d be drinking a lot more tea), then on to the palace, full of history, treasures, Indian tourists and slightly reminiscent of Devi Garh, in a good way.

Whoever decided to call Udaipur the Venice of the East must have flunked out of PR school. Only similarities to Venice are the boat rides, the sparkly view at night and the above-mentioned macchiato. They don’t even have pigeons.

BOAT RIDE
Louise had told us that a one-hour cruise on Lake Pichola might sound like a cheesy activity, but it was well worth going at dusk. An excellent suggestion – relaxing, golden hour for photos, and a chance to take a closer look at the Taj Grand Palace and convince ourselves that we were glad to be staying in the countryside. However, the palatial estate on the island where we stopped is now being converted to a hotel…could be fabulous.

FIRST SHOPPING EXPERIENCE – GANESH HANDICRAFTS EMPORIUM
Frustratingly brief stop at one of the world's most outstanding – and overwhelming - textile stores - recommended by several friends, worth visiting just to have chai with the owner in his ancient 4-story haveli. Bought some pillow covers and a table runner made of vintage fabric – Even after a return visit the following day, I regret not buying more (not just fabrics, they have everything - clothes, rugs, bags). It was here that I discovered that Mr. C is as unenthusiastic about shopping as my sons are. All these years I blamed them for our abbreviated souvenir stops.

At this point our guide said farewell for the day and our driver stayed with us, strategically waiting for us in restricted parking areas.

PUPPETS - Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum
Again, recommended by friends, including a choreographer. Cool
space, good music, talented dancers and puppeteers, but fellow guests were swarms of mosquitoes, and we left after three or four numbers.

DINNER AT AMBRAI
I bet even Venetians are envious of Ambrai’s romantic, glittering City Palace/Taj Palace view. I think we had some sort of Mewari special dal here. Food was tasty, not quite as spicy as we like, but ambiance makes up for it. Seated at the primo lakeside table, procured by our guide.

We both slept soundly on the way back to DG. A very long day with way more activities than usual, but not at all too hectic, not even for the normally grumpy Mr. C, who craves his siesta
when traveling (and otherwise). I think we both had been seduced by India big time. Or else he was thrilled that I had purchased only pillow covers.

NEXT: We deviate from Louise’s itinerary and blow off Ranakpur

you missed the pigeons, there are lots of them..

Somehow I have to fit in a trip to Devi Garh-you have made it sound irresistible and my previous trip to Udaipur was way too brief anyway. Can't wait for the detour!

I'm taking notes for our trip. Ganesh shopping sounds great. Found them online (in a travel magazine article). Keep up the information. You are making our trip even better. Devi Garh will be busier in February but we have booked the "Romance Package" so we should get some special experiences.

Thrilled/envious that you’re all going to Devi Garh. Hope their rates don’t go through the roof, like the Anantara.

DAY 4

We had planned to go to Ranakpur, but couldn’t bear to be away from DG all day (1.5+ hrs. each way), and also wanted more time in Udaipur. So early in the morning after we went to the village and presented the school staff with our donation for the new floor mats, we headed into town with our driver.

VEGETABLES
Met up with our guide, who insisted on hanging out with us even though it wasn’t the plan, and soon we arrived at one of the most colorful, vibrant outdoor markets on the planet. Foodies and photographers – don’t even think of missing this place.

SCIENCE
As we marveled at the vats of spices and canvas bags overflowing with red chiles, some 11 year old girls came running out of a public school (all girls) to invite us to come in and see their science fair.

(Craig had written about a similar experience in his Udaipur trip report, and I had remembered thinking that he was incredibly lucky. But could it be that all tourists get invitations to school science fairs as a prelude to outsourcing??)

Spent a long time with the students, as they proudly showed off their projects and their English. As sweet as they were (both the projects and the girls), it was your basic fair fare (solar cookers, diagrams of organs, and global warming topographic maps), no groundbreaking microchips as expected.

ART
It was hard to leave, but we were on a mission – next stop
was a fabulous contemporary gallery/sculpture garden, followed by a gorgeous shop with exquisite embroidered shawls and other fabrics. Next was the studio of a dealer of miniature art, where we bought a small Rajput painting,not collector quality, but a fine souvenir.

At each gallery we had tea with the owners or artisans, with no pressure to buy. I could have done this for days, but Mr. C began to grow concerned that I would purchase a giant sculpture, so we ended our shopping with a quick revisit to Ganesh Handicraft Emporium to pick up a few more packable items.

RUINS
Shortly after noon, it was time to bid farewell to our guide, since the next day we would be on our own. We stayed in touch with him by text throughout the trip, and I'm certain we'll meet up with him again during a longer Rajasthan visit.

On the way back to DG we stopped at Nagda, a cluster of abandoned 6th century temples in a peaceful, lush setting
adjacent to a lotus-covered lake. Three days into our trip and we still were in awe of every sight we saw.

CAMELS
After a rest and some lentil snacks from the market, it was time for our free 5pm camel ride through the village of Delwara and the neighboring fields. We thought this would be extremely hokey…okay, maybe it was, but it also quite fun – empty nesters gone wild.

STREET FOOD
The DG bar chef will prepare any kind of street food you order, so you can get an upscale version of what you didn't dare to eat at the market. As we watched the sunset, we had Kingfishers and some yummy fried chiles stuffed with potato. Then after a rose petal bath (they’re big on rose petals at DG – check out the Bourdain episode), we both fell asleep and missed dinner. Had to be that strenuous camel ride!

At 10:30pm we were fast asleep when received a call from the restaurant to find out if we were planning to eat…Found out the next day that we had missed a big surprise they had prepared a for us.

NEXT: A day of spirituality - A living temple, yoga, meditation, dress-up time…and a most memorable meal

loving the report

Lol, "empty nesters gone wild" is great!

Please, do you know the names/addresses of the shops you went to. I am not a great shopper but I do want to buy miniature painting(s), plus all the usual.
Was the vegeatable market the obvious one that our guide would take us?
In addition, I want to have a dress copied. Suggestion, Delhi or Udaipur would be best since we will be there 3/4 days.
So glad you are writing these reports.

cross-check - i just came across this after posting the start of my TR on our recent hols in Sri lanka, and you've got me thinking about India now - to be fair, we were talking about it towards the end of our Sri lanka trip but you've sold me on it now.

our style of travel [and time of life - lol] is a bit like yours - we wanted a range of experiences, a mixture of boutique and not so boutique hotels, culture, scenery and food, activity and relaxation. We didn't restrict ourselves to carry-on [on Air Sri lanka, the carry-on weight limit is 6kgs! whereas the hold limit is 30 kgs - way more than we could manage!] and therefore took far too many clothes. however as we were visiting the hill country, we didn't know how cold it might get so a cardi or two was in order, plus one set of warmer clothes, none of which we wore from one end of the trip to the other. our macs got one outing for about an hour, and i wore the same pair of shoes [actually sandals] for the entire trip. another time, i'll know what to take and what to leave at home - and that the laundries are fantastic.

We didn't take any anti-biotics [it never occurred to us] but we did take what seemed like half a suitcase full of medicaments, hardly any of which saw the light of day - we used the anti-histamine cream a bit, the sun-tan cream, 2 plasters and the athletes' foot cream. and a couple of paracetamol. OTOH, we might have needed a lot more like the toilet wipes, so I'd take most of that again.

we had the same van and driver throughout, so we got to know him pretty well. another time I'd try to fly a bit more - people we met had flown from colombo to Kandy for example, for about U$ 50 each, on a sea-plane which landed on the lake. Very 1930s.

anyway, very much looking forward to more of your report, cross-check. keep it coming.

thanks, rhk and mm, appreciate that you're still with me. I intended to be brief...

Elainee, The contemporary gallery is Bougainvillae, well worth a visit. Embroidery place is Andraab, seemed pricey at the time, but I truly regret buying something there. I don't have the name of the miniature art gallery. Will find out, but in retrospect I would have preferred to visit the studio of just a few artists...the selection where we went was all over the place, too varied.

annhig, Your report has moved SL up many notches on our list!

cc - your TR has moved India up on ours - thanks!

DAY 5

This was our free day - our last - at DG, no guide or driver. First true sunny day. Started out with our last amazing DG breakfast. The servers told us that they had phoned the night before because we were no-shows and they had planned to surprise us with the signature DG event – dinner in a private area of the palace. We humbly apologized and promised we were in for that evening. Then the chef sent a message that he wanted to get up early the next day before our 5:15am departure to prepare a special dosa to be delivered to our suite. We reluctantly agreed, but ended up canceling after we had our evening feast.

LOCAL TEMPLE
We planned to walk to Eklingi, an 8th century complex of 108 marble and sandstone temples about 5-8 kilometers from DG, depending who you ask. Our guide and driver had said that it would be a great walk along the main road and it would be easy to find a rickshaw to take us back. But when we told the DG staff about our idea, they seemed horrified and said it was too far. We explained that we go on much longer walks/hikes at home, but they were clearly not fans of the plan so finally we chickened out and decided to go with the DG driver.

The place was awesome, the real deal. Take off your shoes, no photos allowed. Arrived right before a service was beginning…with music, singing, offerings and lots of bell ringing. We were the only tourists present.

Down the road are a few stands with pilgrimage-type souvenirs and snacks – great lentil chip assortment plus the famous potato-stuffed fried chiles. Also fabulous prices on leather slippers (Rs 450=$8), spotted elsewhere for much more.

RELAXATION
Back at DG safe and sound (BTW, it looked as it would have been perfectly fine to walk to Eklingi, all downhill on the way there, lots of locals were doing it with large branches on their heads), Mr C took a nap. I read at the pool, then swam for 45 minutes. Pool was the perfect temperature for me, might be too warm for real swimmers.

YOGA
We had booked our free yoga and meditation session for 5pm. The turbaned teacher met us on the lawn near the garden suites, where he had set up mats and brought water. He previously worked at an ashram in Rishikesh and was right out of central casting for gurus. We warned him that one of us (not Mr. C) was the least flexible person in yoga-obsessed SoCal, and requested at least ten minutes of pure meditation. The guy was on a higher plane – took one look at us and said he knew exactly what we needed (beginnerish floor poses plus an excellent guided meditation). We felt the burn and the benefits for days.

VILLAGE VISIT III
We were drawn back to the village to bid farewell to Akhtar. One of his 12-year old protégés summoned him immediately (by carrier pigeon?)and we all went to the construction site of a new temple to get a view of the sunset over the fields, then to the home of the silversmith. The 16-year old daughter was learning to cook and showed us the curry she was preparing. Her mom then appeared with a silver sequined sari. I thought she wanted to sell it to me (wish I could have bought it), but in fact she just wanted to dress me up, including bindi and nose ring. (A big hit as my profile pic on FB!) Then her husband demonstrated his ancient fire blowing method - made a copper ring for me and refused to accept payment until we absolutely insisted. So sad to leave this village.

DRINKS WITH NEW FRIENDS
We arrived late for our sunset date with an Aussie/British couple living in Hong Kong we had met during our camel ride. Ordered tea because our yoga guy had told us to avoid alcohol for an hour. (This didn’t matter – we were still high from the meditation.) Shared travelers’ tales with the expats, who were on the last leg of a stellar itinerary - They had stayed at the Lake Palace where they were upgraded to the presidential suite. And they raved about Mihir Garh, a desert equestrian oasis outside of Jodhpur (Google it: looks sublime AND offers off-season rates)

PRIVATE DINING EXPERIENCE
Soon it was time for our private-venue dinner in the Sheesh Mahal, the most enchanting space in the palace. We were seated on cushions surrounded by faded frescoes, ancient mosaics, lots of glowing candles and a musician using a felt-covered stick to play a dozen metal bells (anyone know the name of this instrument?).

Found out later that the manager, who had joined us for drinks on the second day, had arranged this at no extra cost. Not sure how we qualified...but WOW!! We each had our own divine veggie thali (with different specialties than the previous thali in the most romantic setting ever. If someone from DV is reading this, I apologize for napping on the cushions between courses – had to be the swimming and the yoga, because we never did get to go on that walk.

NEXT: VARANASI

It sounds marvelous, crosscheck! And I'm now going to google Mihir Garh.

awaiting varanasi

just looked at DG on TA - a "little" out of our price-range sadly, but I suppose i can dream!

Annihig, not far from DG is Heritage Hotel in Nagda, Eklingi (which crosscheck mentions ).
1/3 the price of Devi Garh, which indeed sounds fantastic. Thank you for the wonderful trip report, CC.

I don't think you have to be staying aAT Devi Garh to visit the village.

Re prices at DG not going thru the roof.... Alas, the current $400/night is already though the roof for me unfortunately.

Thanks, calinurse - I did see that there were other options on TA that wouldn't break the budget [which for me is approx £100 per night per room].

Wow - I guess off-season IS the way to go. The rates have indeed gone through the roof, but you're looking at high season. When is your trip, annhig?

Wish I had a screen shot of all the deals and offers that were available for September. On the Preferred Resorts site, the garden suites were $163 (4 nights for the price of 3 package).

http://preferredhotelgroup.com/prefe...pur/devi-garh/

Palace suites which was slightly more (I think about around $220 as part of the same package). That's what we ultimately booked through Louise's people. Definitely worth it for the views, Other guests we met had been upgraded from palace to araveli, not sure if they routinely upgrade from garden to palace.

Yes, of course anyone can visit the village of Delwara. Just ask for Aktar (Mr. C says I've been spelling his name incorrectly) and he will take you around. Part of the appeal, though, was to be right there and pop in and out.

Wow - I guess off-season IS the way to go. The rates have indeed gone through the roof, but you're looking at high season. When is your trip, annhig?>>

in my dreams as yet, cc! The dates i was looking at are in the next few days - obviously no late minute deals! How far in advance did you book, CC? for our September/october trip to SL we booked in March and the impression I got is that i got some good deals, but I'm not sure as i didn't follow the costs thereafter.

thanks for the link - looks as if it might come in useful!

Kathie - We heard about several other magical rural Rajasthan heritage palaces with village interaction: Rohet Garh (sister hotel of Mihir Garh) and Rawla Narlai, near Ranakpur, favorite of the literary crowd.

But Devi Garh has the added bonus of being close to Udaipur.

Also, not in Rajasthan, but still very much on our list is Ahilya Fort on the sacred Narmada river in Maheshwar near Indore. Beloved by both dogster and Louise, who knows the owner. One of our guides, who takes people all over India, said it was his favorite destination.

And, not a heritage place, but MANY people we met were headed to Ananda in the Himalayas, a destination spa next to Rishikesh (which also had phenomenal off-season rates). One couple from Spain was going for their third visit, said it was life-changing.

Thanks, crosscheck. The off-season rates are irresistible! India has so many wonderful heritage properties. We stayed in lovely former royal guesthouses when we were in Sikkim. Nowhere near as luxe as DG, but lovely and atmospheric. We are starting to think about where to go next year and India is high on our list (as is Sri Lanka). We got 10 year visas, now I just have to get mine transferred into my new passport.

Awaiting your report on Varanasi.

annhig, We had lots of scheduling issues and work situations that kept changing - booked our intl flights in late May for September, but didn't finalize hotels until late June/early July.

Other than DG and Amarvilas (our big splurge, but worth it), our hotels all showed rates of under $150 a night.

The only hotel that I was concerned about booking early was Suryauday Haveli, the guest house in Varanasi because I wanted a particular room there.

We usually don't have a third party book for us, but I think Louise's people got some us good deals plus VIP treatment and bonuses like late checkouts and spa discounts. They presented us with just one price for the whole trip which seemed quite reasonable at the time, and extraordinary now considering the level of service we had.

It sounds like a magical trip and I am keeping Louise's info for future use(I hope!) and look forward to the next installment.

cc - i've started a new "bookmark" folder for india and louise's details are at the top!

DAY 6

EASY JET
It was an emotional farewell at DG. I was truly sorry to move on. We hadn't climbed the mountain to the mother temple...or flown kites....or consulted with the village astrologer....or tasted the customized breakfast dosas....Seriously considering a return visit, adding Jodpur and some of the other rural heritage places.

5:45 departure for 8am flight on Jet Airways from Udaipur to Delhi, then Delhi to Varanasi, arriving at noon. Flights were brief and punctual. Airports were modern. Security was efficient but complex (separate genders, inspection tags for carry-ons, re-screening before second flight). Otherwise, not a lot different than flying on two short flights in the US, i.e. from Phoenix to San Francisco, connecting in LA. When we arrived in Delhi, to our surprise a handler was waiting to provide support during our 60-minute layover. The kind soul escorted us to our new gate area and made sure we got new tags for our carry-ons before we went through security.

A smooth, worry-free trip before all hell broke loose.

GANGES: CLOSED FOR BUSINESS
On the plane we sat next to a curator from the Getty Museum who lives just blocks away from us. He and some British museum people were on their way to consult at Sarnath. He broke the news that because of high water levels, the Indian government had just that morning banned boat traffic indefinitely on the Ganges. And the river walkway connecting the ghats was under water, big time.

Mr. C was unfazed because he had done no research and didn’t realize that the whole deal in Varanasi is going on a sunrise boat ride and then on a sunset boat ride. I, on the other hand, was not a happy camper. We had abandoned our original idea of Ahilya Fort, whose river was not flooded, so we could see Varanasi…how could we miss the iconic cruise and stroll along the ghats?

CRUMBLING IN VARANASI
We were met by a driver and an extremely personable local rep who confirmed the terrible news in the most upbeat way possible: Indeed all boats were banned because of a huge storm, he said, but he assured us that our amazing guide would make up for it.

The rep was so entertaining that we forgot our worries and took in the vibe of Varanasi, which didn’t appear as smelly or crowded or morbid or even as chaotic as expected.

Yes, it is loud hornwise...very loud. Yes, there are serious waste management issues. Yes, there are herds of wandering beasts that are far from potty trained. But something about the energy draws you in immediately and soon you realize you’re in for the ultimate travel high. Far from depressing, it’s a sacred, colorful, ancient Busytown with surprises around every corner. It's still civilization, just a different realm, like a vivid dream. Probably the wackiest, most fascinating city I’ve ever visited.

SURYAUDAY HAVELI – WHERE THE WATER BUFFALO ROAM
To get to our guesthouse you have to park on the main drag, then stroll through the serpentine alleys for five minutes until you reach a herd of water buffalo and their naked rustler. Then turn right – the haveli is directly on....make that in....the river. It didn’t take a naval expert to verify that the Ganges was very, very high. The ghats seemed to be about half as tall as they look in photos, and the water was the shade of a café con leche.

The rooms at Suryauday are arranged around a charming courtyard. The reception staff greeted us with beverages (different and delicious at all hotels), a Bindi ceremony, and gifts of silk scarves. After rejecting one river view room which had been occupied by smokers, we fell in love with 103 – a corner room with a terrace and windows windows on both sides, providing views of Ganges, the water buffalo....and the empty boats.

This room could probably have fit into our bathroom at Devi Garh, but it was so cozy and welcoming that it should win feng schwei awards. Who said 48 hours was enough? I would return in a heartbeat (with a better zoom lens) and spend a month. (Make sure you ask for a first floor river view…second floor windows are tiny, like submarine windows).

LUNCH WITH A VIEW
Assi Ghat was like going back in time to my backpacker days. Market stalls with hippie hobo bags, falafel places, yoga schools, hennaed Dutch people reading Lonely Planet guides. Ended up ordering thalis (regular portion size) on a terrace at the Hotel Ganges View (which had some charm and some decent rooms, but without the authentic ambience of our ghat). Here there were even more docked boats, making the river seemed even more deserted. After lunch we returned to our room and napped soundly, overwhelmed by the turn of events.

KING OF GUIDES
When we woke up (were we really awake?), our guide was waiting for us and started off with these words of wisdom: “Rajasthan is for the eyes, Varanasi is for the soul.” The coolest character ever. Scholarly, charismatic…and oh so well connected. Deserves to be written about by dogster. For starters he has a PhD in archeology. He’s also a priest, an astrologer, a palm reader and a big shot on the tourist board. Plus he was the tour guide for a US president, the silk consultant to an Oscar winner, and performed a Hindu marriage ceremony for a major international celebrity couple (treated us to photos in his phone). Quite the powerful dude, but he couldn't say for sure that we'd get to go for a ride on Mother Ganga.

AARTI
We were whisked off by foot and Innova to the evening prayer ceremony at Dashashwamedh ghat. The viewing platform was ridiculously crowded, probably because half the audience is usually in boats on the river. There were no extra chairs, just throngs of people on tip toes trying to get a glimpse of the enchanting fire worship ritual. We, however, didn't have to deal with the crowds. Instead our guide led us into the musicians’ cage where we were seated inches away from the tabla player, as close as you could get to the intensity of the fire, bells, incense and wondrous melodic chanting and dancing by the talented priests.

We later asked our guide how he had arranged our VIP seating and he responded with the universal answer: “I’m on the Committee.”

Returned via bicycle rickshaw and a several other methods of transportation. Downtown Varanasi was hopping - should have spent more time there. Had a light dinner (great soup) at our hotel. Were joined by some French travelers whose guide had said there was zero chance that the water would go down within the next two days.

Would take nothing short of a miracle. But luckily we were in a sacred place, so there was hope.

NEXT: DOWN THE GANGES OR NOT

Who is this amazing guide? We want him in February!!!! Please share!

I just have a feeling a Varanasi miracle is about to happen...love, love, love your report.

I'm loving this report!

Wonderful! Wish you had been entrusted to scatter dogster on the Ganges. I know he would prefer that to being held captive in a box in Australia.

me too [loving it that is].

I'm agog to see if you get your miracle.....