UK +44 (0)1367 850566

USA 1-855-216-5040

Luxury tours of Rajasthan

Luxury tours of Rajasthan lead.jpg

Is there anything left to discover in Rajasthan, or has every last fort and palace been discovered? The answer is of course yes absolutely there is.

It may be difficult to believe however that there are still a few hidden gems that are most definitely missing off the ‘Luxury tours of Rajasthan' circuit and so I set out on a journey of discovery in search of them.

Perched on the edge of a cliff rising above the translucent green waters of the Chambal stands Bhainsrorgarh with its battlements, turrets and cupolas dramatically silhouetted against the orange glow of the rising sun.

The road continues over a bridge across the Chambal and climbs up the hill, to reveal an entire village hidden within the ramparts of the fort. The bells of the morning religious ceremony are just beginning to ring out as I reach the gates of the castle. I travelled just one hour from Kota and a few centuries back in time.

Little has changed since Col James Tod, the British political agent in Rajasthan who came here in the 1820s and declared that if he could choose one fiefdom in the state, he'd pick Bhainsrorgarh.

His Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan still remains your best guide to Bhainsrorgarh and its environs. There are pages of poetic description of the fort's spectacular location, its surrounding forests teeming with tigers, its lush fields and orchards, the "unrivalled" temples of Baroli, and the warm hospitality of his hosts. It's all still there — except sadly for the tigers.


What is new however are the five enchanting suites in the castle, recently refurbished for the weary traveler wishing to enjoy its many enchanting delights? What they offer is a rare, authentic experience—not of pompous, self-conscious, 'royal Rajasthan', but of the life of the rural gentry, whose savoir vivre shuns unnecessary frills and luxuries, but celebrates the good life in its own way.

Bhainsrorgarh was never a pleasure palace—it was built as a rugged fighting fort. It boasts no sheesh mahals, marble halls or delicate jaali screens, but solid granite pillars framing deep verandahs, airy, light-filled rooms, and a profusion of jharokhas that give you magical vistas of the surrounding countryside. With the broad, deep river in front, a vertical cliff below, and the rocky hills of Mewar behind, you can immediately see why this fort has remained impregnable throughout its history.


The owners of Bhainsrorgarh, Rawat Shiv Charan Singh and his son Rajveer, are reluctant to alter the original character of their fort, with its comfortably shabby ambience, to cater to what visitors might expect of a "heritage" property.

There are no turbaned retainers here, only eager-to-please village boys still figuring out how to place the knives and forks. No folk dancers brought in to pad out the evenings.

The old stables overhanging the cliff are left in picturesque dilapidation, so too are the haunting ruins of a long-collapsed wing of the castle.

Their USP, says Rajveer, is that Bhainsrorgarh offers the warmth and thoughtful comforts of a family home that has been continuously occupied since it was built in 1741, when it was granted as a jagir to his ancestors by the Maharana of Udaipur.

It's an attitude towards hospitality that not only keeps Rajveer in constant, though discreet, attendance for his guests; it also results in superb meals, prepared by the ladies of the house.

The emphasis is on local cuisine, made from produce grown on their own land. You can digest these sumptuous meals lazing on the castle's rooftop pavilion, sipping mahua liqueur, as you watch crocodiles sunning themselves on the riverbanks.

Or take a boat across to the guava orchards to pick fruit off the trees; a safari through the Mukundarah forest; stroll in the gardens which lead down to the riverside chhatris, or head to another forgotten treasure in the neighborhood—the Baroli temple complex, dating from the 9th-11th centuries.

Ah its all just too wonderful for words!

For more information on this and other bespoke and tailor-made ‘Luxury Tours of Rajasthan’ please contact us.

logo