Go to the hills!!! Neemrana Ramgarh Bunglows!

Neemrana Ramgarh Bungalows, is a hidden treasure in the hills. If what you are looking for is a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday, this is the property to visit. This was our second visit to the Ramgarh bungalows and we are convinced that this should be our annual pilgrimage during the summers. The unique thing about all Neemrana properties which we absolutely love is the truth in advertising - 'a non-hotel hotel'. For those who have never experienced what this means, let me explain. It means to expect a home away from home that may not offer luxury, but lots of comfort, care and pampering. The Ramgarh bungalows offer a variety of accommodation choices - the old bungalow where you are close to the butterflies and flowers, the Ashok Vatika with its beautiful fruit orchards, the Writers bungalow where you can be a part of the history and the cliff house with its amazing view of the magnificent hills. For more details, visit http://the-ramgarh-bungalows.neemranahotels.com/

 

Each room is beautiful in its own way, but our favourite is the Cliff House. Perched on a cliff, you can watch the mountains for ever and forget all about the world and your worries. With only two rooms on the first floor and a large common space on the ground floor, it is very spacious. If you are lucky (which we have been the two times we have stayed here), you will be the only one staying at the house, giving you the feeling that you own it :)). The rooms have no telephone or TV, but the staff can be called by ringing a bell. The common area does have a phone to talk to the reception. You can request to have your meals and tea anywhere at the property - under the sky, below the trees, or in the designated dining space. If you pick the red room - named ‘Ramkumar’ at the Cliff House, feel blessed as you wake up to the first rays of the rising sun and sleep after looking at the stars in a clear sky. All you will hear is the chirping of birds, a dog barking or cow mooing occasionally miles and miles away and very very rarely a car passing by. All you will see is the hills, the trees, the birds playing, the butterflies, flowers and fruits on trees!! What more do you want? For physical activity, go for your main meals to the other end of the property –so if you are staying at Cliff House, have your meals at the Old bungalow!!

This time, we also met with Dr Arun Sethi and his team from the Arundodya Desert Eye Hospital (Sector 55, Gurgaon) who had set up a two day eye camp in the area supported by Neemrana. The camp saw hundreds of people coming and getting their eyes tested, glasses given and prescriptions given for whatever was required. We chatted with the patients and were amazed by the commendable job being done at the camp. 

We ran into an old lady who we spoke with at the camp as we were taking a stroll in the evening. She complained that everyone took her pictures but no one ever sent it to her. We promised to change that and have dispatched pictures of her and her lovely lambs to the property manager to be handed over to her. Her name is Basanti Devi and she does not know her age, and only has her playful lambs for company. If you run into her when you visit this wonderful property, please say our hello to her :) 

 

The staff at the property is extremely courteous and helpful - like all other Neemrana non hotel hotels. If you want or need something, ask for it and in all likelihood your wish will be fulfilled. Do not expect them to be lingering around you like luxury hotels, but expect a lot of care and respect.

 

Memories from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh

If you think Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh is an unassuming city with nothing much to see except the Gwalior Fort, think again!

Big time Neemrana hotels (http://neemranahotels.com) fan, we decided to explore yet another of their properties for a short break from Delhi – the 17^thC Deo Bagh palace in Gwalior. We arrived in Gwalior at 3am in the morning thanks to Indian Railways and the hotel staff was more worried about our safe travel than our families. The Front Desk managed by Gaurav and Narain was in constant touch with us through our train journey and we were greeted by smiling faces who wanted to ensure that we get to our rooms soonest. The weather was kind and we were treated to two wonderful days of bright sun despite it being the last week of December. This Neemrana property boasts of heritage sites within the property including a Baradari (a building or pavilion with 12 doors designed to allow free flow of air) and temples. Rooms are palatial (as compared to many other Neemrana Fort properties) and all rooms open into a huge garden – which is wonderful to laze around and play.  

 

 

The Gwalior Fort is not as grand as those in Rajasthan and Agra, but its unique design and architecture leaves you wanting for more. The Fort is situated on top of a hill and since the road is narrow, uphill and downhill traffic is managed by people sitting at the two ends of the road connected through a telephone. It is advisable to take a guide if you want to know some interesting facts about the Fort and its history. The entry ticket to the Fort also gives entry to two other sites in proximity to the Fort: the Sas-Bahu ka mandir (or Sahastrabahu Temple) and Teli ka Mandir. Both are wonderful and should not be missed. The Light and Sound Show at the Fort in the evenings is a must watch too.  

 

 

 

The Jai Vilas Palace has been converted into a museum and is known for its unique architecture which is a mix of Italian, Tuscan and Corinithian. The Museum exhibits a collection of antiques belonging to the Scindia reign which were originally from Italy, France, and Versailles. Two Belgian chandeliers weighing several tonnes are said to be the largest pair in the world.  The dining room displays a model railway with a silver train that carried after-dinner brandy and cigars around the table in crystal coaches. The interesting fact is that the palace and the Belgian chandeliers are lighted up in the last week of December and are open to the public (check exact dates before planning a visit) – best time to go is in the evening to truly enjoy the beauty of the Palace in the lights. Take a Baggi ride as well and you are all set for your royal extravaganza. The tickets are easily available at the venue from 5pm, though entry is allowed only at 6 – unless you can argue with the guards that you are not going to stand out in the cold for one hour and find your way to a small cafeteria inside the premises J.

There is also a Sun temple built on the lines of the Konark Sun Temple – interesting but can be skipped if you are running short on time.

The details about the three things listed above are easily available on any search you will do on Gwalior. What is not available is information about two stunning heritage sites – Mitavli and Padhavli (or Padhawli). These are situated close to each other and approximately 45 minutes by road from Gwalior (unless your driver like ours had never been there and therefore decides to take a route through villages and sand stone mining sites!). These are 9^th and 10^th C temple ruins that are breathtakingly beautiful and a MUST VISIT. Thanks to our hotel for recommending this to us. These has been lying hidden/ forgotten since ages, so very less information is available about this place. The structure of the Indian Parliament house (Sansad Bhawan) has an uncanny resemblance to the Mitavli temple and looks like hugely inspired from the architecture of this temple. If you go to Gwalior but not visit these places, you would have missed something stunning.

The city does not boast of great local food, so better to be safe and stick to the hotel but if you end upto steeping out, the options are very limited (do not go anywhere but the Kwality Restaurant).  If you have a sweet tooth, indulge in Bahadura ke laddo and some local Gajjak.  Mrignayni, the state emporium is a good place to shop for textile and artifacts.

While I had been to Gwalior as a kid, I had no memories of it and the driving factor behind planning this trip was the Neemrana Deo Bagh Palace which I wanted to stay in and have a relaxing holiday. We actually realized that there is so much more to see around Gwalior that we need to come back! Let’s see when that happens. So, go to Gwalior, stay at Deo Bagh, visit the Fort, Jai Vilas Palace, Mitavli and Padhavli….and have a lovely holiday!