Amanbagh, Aman resort, India, Rajasthan, Luxury, Hotel, Lodge

This old hunting camp sits in a beautiful valley, dotted with Chatri, forts and ruined cities. Amanbagh is exquisite luxury in the epitome of a Rajasthani setting

From the moment of turning off the highway, as the road winds up into the valley, one is conscious of the feeling of entering another world. Amanbagh sits on the site of the king’s old hunting camp and is in a lovely glade alive with monkeys and birds. Immediately one feels at rest and the welcoming staff accentuate this sensation as luggage is magicked away and a cool drink appears in one’s hand.

The suites are beautiful spaces of marble and sandstone with French windows which bring together the terrace, private pool and outdoor dining area with the subtly lit vaulted interiors. Bathrooms are a dream – cathedral-like, doors open on all sides to dressing rooms, hand basins, shower and loo and in the centre, under the dome, is an enormous bath carved from a single piece of marble. Bose sound systems inject soft music and at night, when the green marble private pool is lit and one is dining outdoors in the pergola, the sounds of the forest create a perfect feeling of peace.

The countryside surrounding Amanbagh is fascinating – littered with Chatri, forts, ruined cities and temples, some of which are flooded when the dam is full – and romantically picturesque in quintessentially Rajasthan style. The local people are extremely friendly and one is encouraged to visit a home to take chai and see how the people of the local villages live.

Days are spent walking the countryside followed by picnic breakfasts of lunches by a dam, in visiting forts, birding with the excellent guides or exploring the fascinating ruined (and haunted) city of Bhangargh. Special dinners or lunches can arranged at a Chatri, dressed with carpets and hanging silks, strewn with cushions, lit by lanterns and waited on by the excellent staff - a sense of the life as a Maharaja in this beautiful country.