I have already tried to describe India more than once, their culture, customs, history, colors and flavors. There is no other country in the world where the cows have priority on the road, women go to work in the fields and quarries in beautiful saris and jewelery, videos last 3 hours and longer, and the saints, or holy men, sitting in the dirt and dust, establish regular prayers 2 meters from the highway. In fact, the highway always turns out to be slowed down by traffic, and this is due to thousands of sheets of metal, it would seem that the cottage industry has gone eastbound and from the decorated trucks, cows, camels archaic teams, and radżasthańskiej – including elephants.

During my last trip in the spring of 2013, I learned that the caste system is a bit passe. Children from different social groups meet in public schools, and as adults – at work. Mixed marriages are also accepted. Exceptions are the lowest caste, whose members still are doomed only to themselves when choosing a life partner. Anyway, your parents make your choice for you. This custom is still observation. Everyone Hindu I asked argued that arranged marriage brings great benefits. By the end of my stay somehow none of them was given to me by the end of the day. So I’m left with a word for it. If the marriage somehow is not arranged by the family (maybe they can’t afford a dowry), it will undoubtedly be arranged by the local hairdresser. THe barber institution is not only for haircuts and shaves, but also with the matchmaking of young men. Always the barber is somewhere in a remote village, at least one cousin on the issue, naturally always by his extraordinary beauty. It happened already more than once that the barber shop customer for a long time consisted of money for the trip and before appeared in the house of the future spouse, those already married to someone else. Well, but not to leave with nothing, because in the end made an investment of age, she decided on her sister or cousin, not so pretty, but it is available … I love the story of my Hindu friends, their families, friends, celebrated Christmas. Who else has so much imagination to do the wedding for 500-1000 people that lasts a few days? The poor and the rich love family celebrations, colorful costumes, jewelry (gold rich and the poor of gilded metal), and the wedding is the perfect opportunity to meet with hundreds of cousins ​​…

Since each of us has seen a lot of programs and films showing the worst side of India: Mumbai slums, poverty, dirt and disease, I set myself a goal to visit mainly the most fabulous places for the discerning traveler. My next trip to India took place in April 2013. I started it from staying in one of the best hotels of Delhi – The Taj Mahal. It is an oasis of luxury and tranquility in the middle of a dusty, not very charming, but crazy and intriguing city. After a day’s sightseeing with joy rested on the edge of the pool, fragrant flower gardens. Old Delhi is a land of another world. Dilapidated houses and shops offering nails, old tires, beautiful sari costumes, spices and everything else necessary for life. Dirty streets add color to the rickshaw, colorful stalls, numerous soup kitchens, sleeping beggars. Above all hovers an omnipresent stench, which we are doomed to endure during a brief and extremely interesting journey. New Delhi is primarily a majestic street full of embassies, the presidential palace and numerous government buildings and Arc de Triomphe. Last part of Delhi – Gurgaon – a modern housing, office buildings and attention … 30 malls on the main street of MG Road, which runs from New Delhi to the airport. Looking at the 5 * hotels and luxury shopping malls, for a moment I thought it was the center of Dubai. But it was enough, that turned my gaze for a moment, and already on the other side of the street, I saw a scene generic, carrying me back to India. In the middle of the renovated roads was a large mixer, supported by several women in beautiful, colorful saris, embroidered with gold thread, wearing on their head s a bucket of mortar. What would our health and safety inspector say, I thought to myself, going on …

After two days I left town without much regret. The next destination for traveling to Rajasthan should be Agra. Since I have been there already during my first trip to India, I had no need to go back there. Just like the Taj Mahal, which is one of the seven wonders of the world. The next point of my trip was Jaipur, the so-called. Pink City, the capital of Rajasthan. This time I had a program tailored to my interests, I know the most beautiful hotels located in the monuments. The drive from Delhi to Jaipur was through agricultural areas, small towns and poor but colorful villages was an interesting trip in itself. After several hours of struggling and rallying through the old drivers of tin trucks, ubiquitous sluggish cows and hundreds of shepherds with herds of goats, we reached our destination, the hotel Rambagh Palace is situated in the center of city with a population of three million, Jaipur is a living legend. Still inhabited by the royal family. In 1957 it was commissioned by the owners in the management of great Taj Hotels. Do not beat around the bush – Rambagh Palace is officially recognized as one of the best hotels in the world in terms of architecture, interior design, food and service. At the entrance I see the mustachioed doorman in white uniform, welcoming guests with a mandatory red umbrella.

What India really is? Watching Bollywood movies and programs about slums or reading the book “Shantaram” by Gregory Roberts did not give us a complete picture of this fascinating country. One visit will tell us more than literature and cinema together. How, then, does it feel like a perfect journey, absorbing all the senses in this chaotic country? Our attitude is important. You should also get rid of the fear of the diseases and arm yourselves with good humor and a hip flask. If your finances allow, frequent only the best hotels and not enter dubious roadside bars and restaurants.

After a brief welcome from the hotel manager I explained the purpose of my visit. I arrived there and the so-called site inspections and I were pleasantly surprised. I met a party, which I believe should be on the agenda at every hotel and somehow unfortunately it is not I received two nights’ accommodation in one of the most beautiful and characteristic apartments Rambagh Palace, namely the Maharani Suite. On the second day, after a breakfast worthy of the maharaja, I went out to explore Jaipur. The name Pink City refers to the old city, where most of the original eighteenth-century architecture is maintained in a single copper-pink color. Its main attractions include the Hawa Mahal, located in the heart of the center, the City Palace, Jantar Mantar observatory, and located 20 km. from the city Amber Fort. The first attraction, or Palace of Winds, with intriguing architecture of openwork windows in their time jealously concealed the Maharaja woman Jaya Singh II (1693-1743), who was not allowed to show her face.

During my visit in April 2013, this precious monument was under renovation and the facade was hidden by an intricate grid of bamboo scaffolding, on which eager monkeys climbed. The latest information shows that the renovations have been completed and the monument again dazzles with its beauty. It is mandatory to take a picture with a local snake charmers, who has been there since the dawn of time. All in all, I saw it three times between 2003 and the year 2013, shouldn’t it be a part of the heritage site?

City Palace is one of the best preserved residences in Jaipur. Nowadays there is an interesting museum, the de facto home of the last maharajah, where you can rent private rooms for formal dinners and special events. The place is quite popular for exclusive business meetings or intimate dinners. If you want to organize something original of Luxury Travel, the entrance to the palace welcomes you to a cavalcade of decorated horses and camels, elephants painted and musicians dressed in their Sunday best. Such a greeting can not be forgotten! My next day in Jaipur was spent in fort Amber – the seventeenth-century fortress and castle. It made me a very strong impression on me, especially at night, during the show “light and sound”. You should not omit any attraction here – the traditional entry of an elephant on top of the fortress or “pleasure” of meeting with traders, speaking a few words in any language of the world. This is one of the places where there is an absolute rule – no eye contact with merchants, because otherwise they will drive away from you! Their ingenuity amazes me and even introduces a stupor. I remained adamant against traffickers and refuse anything like flies, and it was proposed to me to even purchase “Gazeta Wyborcza”! In the end, however, I yielded to the persuasions of a 13-year-old emaciated boy and ordered from him, a badly executed extra large photo of me on the back of an elephant. This is my worst and also the funniest picture from the trip – nearly falling from giant with a painted trumpet.

After crossings with hundreds of Jaipur merchants and silk vendors, with a tear in my eye, I checked out of one of the most beautiful suites in Rambagh Palace. However, I could no longer wait for the next destination of the expedition – Udajpuru. The rally between trucks and cows was repeated, only landscapes changed, this time even more deserted. After several hours of a grueling, but fascinating journey we arrived at Udajpuru. The city was considered for several centuries as the most beautiful in the world. Wealthy merchants, the royal family, everyone magnate must have had his palace here! The driver left me on the shores of Lake Pichola, at a luxury marina, where a sleek boat picked me up. We sailed into the fairytale palace gates.

A beautiful hotel lies in the middle of Lake Pichola – Taj Lake Palace – was built between 1743-1746 under the leadership of Maharaja Jagat Singh. After a long and turbulent history in 1971 Lake Palace was covered in the management of the famous Taj hotel chain. Today it is considered one of the most expensive and the most romantic hotels in India. Rich and famous people visit it. Heads of State, magnates, millionaires, celebrities of Hollywood and Bollywood, who was not there … my three-day stay in Udajpurze ran like a golden dream … Dinner on the lake, with a 150-year-old boat and superb shopping in art galleries. It was my last three days in India and I could not believe how quickly they went by. You should fly with the Polish airlines, even for a few days to this magical place …
Few people know that the Taj network has yet another jewel in its crown, added to the portfolio three years ago. Namely Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad. This was the palace belonging in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century to the Maharajah of Hyderabad, the richest man in the world. The hotel solicitous after ten years renovation (2000-2010) dawns on you splendor, the beauty of Venetian chandeliers, English porcelain, handmade furniture and valuable works of art.

Noteworthy is also the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace in Dżodhpurze called Blue City, a bit off the beaten track of the popular golden triangle. Umaid Bhawan Palace has 347 rooms. It was built between 1929-1943 and was built for the royal family Dżodhpuru rulers. Both then and today is one of the largest private residences in the world. The paintings in the hotel were made by Polish artist Stefan Norblin.

The combination of Hyderabad, Dżodhpuru and Jaisalmer for example, is a fascinating idea for your next trip to India for those who have already seen the main points of the program – Delhi and was the Golden Triangle. Unfortunately, it is impossible to present in a single article all the best hotels or a different cultural regions of India. The lack of space to describe their ethnic and culinary diversity.

During this journey I was not within walls five-star hotels for longer than was necessary. We are pleasantly savored the differences of India and local climates. Then we came back to the hotel, so glad I had a lovely room and the dinner I order a chilled white wine Sula, made in India. Robert Parker * was not not impressed, but for me it was quite OK 🙂

* Robert Parker – a world-renowned wine connoisseur and critic

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