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volante: india

Luxury getaways in IndiaLuxury getaways in India

Stanley Moss ventures to northern India and identifies four of the best resorts in the region, for everything from ecology to the ultimate spa experiences

IN LIGHT of the terror in Mumbai, the compelling question of just how safe India is requires a rethink. Don’t abandon India as a destination, even though the answer is complicated. Terrorists will select high-profile targets, especially those they call ‘soft’, with weak security. But that should not deter a trip. Security has been beefed up and the bad guys have been arrested. Let these simple cautions apply:

  • don’t spend your time in big city destinations, especially tourist haunts;
  • make sure your connections are definite, safe, secure, in the care of experienced guides or handlers;
  • whenever possible, avoid high-traffic public transport;
  • steer clear of the urban glitz and glam spots;
  • when you first walk to your hotel room, count the doors to the fire exit, in the unlikely event you need to find your way there in the dark.
  •    Having established these parameters, India still has much of the remarkable and incredible to offer, especially luxury experiences far from the teeming crowds. You can still find the soul of India, at a safe remove from the chaotic hubs of transformation. But progress intrudes, an aggressive national highway building programme will soon render many of the outposts more easily reached. So, as always, go now while you can, when the values are good and the demand is low. Think of India as an opportunity.
       The four destinations reported here were visited in October–November 2008, just prior to the Mumbai attacks. Three are in rural Rajasthan, one in the northeast state of Uttrakhan in the low Himalayas. Each offers exceptional and rewarding experiences for the intrepid traveller willing to go far afield from the mainstream.

     



    Chhatra Sagar
    , an eco-friendly tent camp in Rajasthan, India, summons to mind the motto of Hoshi Ryokan, a Japanese inn located outside Osaka, Japan, first opened in 718 and today run by the 46th generation of founding family: ‘Take care of fire. Learn from water. Cooperate with nature.’ In many ways Chhatra Sagar is a living illustration of that quality of enlightenment. The camp lies a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the city of Jaipur. It’s a lifetime project of the Rathore family, direct descendents of the Maharajah of Jodhpur, owners of this land for 17 generations.
       Originally in 1890, great-grandfather Thakur Chhatra Singh decided to dam a seasonal stream flowing through his estate and changed the face of the valley, turning arid scrub into lush farmland. Over the years irresponsible farming, well-drilling and animal grazing damaged the water table. In 2001 the family decided to give the land back to nature, and established this eco-resort of 11 camp-style tents overlooking 365 protected acres on the east side of the dam, which fills with water from October to March.
       Following their conservation effort, over 200 varieties of wildlife have returned, egret, heron, kingfishers, antelope, wild boar, small jungle cats, all easily observed from the ramparts of the dam or on nature walks into the habitat. The sustainability quotient is optimal—the camp serves all locally sourced food, has intense community involvement, and is furnished by indigenous craft. The property employs 30 local families from the nearby village of Kheda Deogarh, sponsors teachers, provides medicine, classroom furniture and brings specialized educators who address subjects ranging from family planning to recycling to soil conservation.
       The Rathore family deeply love the land, and view water-harvesting as an ancestral responsibility. Stewards and guardians of a unique place, their personal involvement and constant presence reinforce the commitment. They bring to the equation a natural grace and elegance, making the experience an altogether authentic one. They have created utterly comfortable lodging, and the ‘one price-everything included’ policy makes for an even-more attractive offering. By far the most romantic beds are found in ‘the tents on the hill’, with their 360-degree view, to the east the Aravali Hills, to other directions the rolling contours of rural Rajasthan. Come for the silence, the bird-watching, the isolation, the bats who fly over the dinner tables at dusk, the fresh pomegranate juice on the terrace, the tangible humanity of this singular place.

     

    Chhatra Sagar
    Nimaj
    District Pali 306 303
    Rajasthan
    India
    Telephone 91 2939 230-118
    www.chhatrasagar.com
    harsh@chhatrasagar.com

     

    Chhatra Sagar | Devi Garh | Amanbagh | Ananda in the Himalayas

     

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    From top: Masala omelette at Chhatra Sagar. Wildlife viewing. Lunchtime.

     

     

    Chhatra Sagar, an eco-friendly tent camp in Rajasthan, India, summons to mind the motto of Hoshi Ryokan, a Japanese inn located outside Osaka, Japan, first opened in 718 and today run by the 46th generation of founding family: ‘Take care of fire. Learn from water. Cooperate with nature’

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