tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83691968776727347662024-03-05T12:32:05.338+07:00Jaipur - the Pink City of RajasthanA rough guide to travel and attractions in Jaipur, India.HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-75118022795709520362014-10-26T16:59:00.002+07:002014-10-26T16:59:32.431+07:00Rajasthan's hotels featured in Conde Nast's RTA 2014The results of <b>Conde Nast Readers' Travel Awards 2014</b> are out, and 3 Rajasthani hotels have marked their places in the top 20 list of Asia. The Oberoi Udaivilas of Udaipur has jumped from the 7th place in 2013 to the 2nd place this year, while the Devi Garh in Udaipur and Jaipur's Rambagh Palace have both lost a couple of spots from last year:<br />
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<i><b>Top Hotels in Asia (2014):</b></i><br />
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Rank 2 - The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur (7th in 2013)<br />
Rank 8 - Devi Garh by Lebua, Udaipur (6th in 2013)<br />
Rank 11 - Rambagh Palace, Jaipur (9th in 2013)<br />
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<i><b>Top Hotels in Asia (2013):</b></i><br />
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Rank 6 - Devi Garh by Lebua, Udaipur<br />
Rank 7 - The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur<br />
Rank 9 - Rambagh Palace, Jaipur<br />
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Source and details: <a href="http://www.cntraveller.com/awards/readers-travel-awards/rta-2014" target="_blank">http://www.cntraveller.com/awards/readers-travel-awards/rta-2014</a>DVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141728768100390652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-82550567734071422312014-10-26T16:31:00.001+07:002014-10-26T16:31:56.251+07:00Bhangarh FortAccording to Foxnews, the Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan is one of the world's 9 most haunted tourist destinations. Bhangarh is a village in Alwar district, on the edge of the Sariska Tiger Reserve. It is located over 80 kms east of Jaipur, which would take about a 2-hour drive by road. Bhangarh is a popular tourist destination, known for its historic ruins.<br />
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Quite a few myths and legends surround the Bhangarh Fort, one of which goes that the royals and residents of the palace were cursed to death by a tantrik (wizard), with their spirits haunting the fort forever. Locals believe that the ghosts of the tantrik and the palace dwellers still haunt the fort, which is why entry is prohibited to tourists during dark hours, that is after sunset and before sunrise.<br />
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Besides the haunted fort, the town is also famous for some pre-historic Hindu temple ruins.<br />
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For the list of the world's 9 most haunted tourist destinations, check out: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/10/08/9-haunted-tourist-destinations/" target="_blank">http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/10/08/9-haunted-tourist-destinations/</a>DVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15141728768100390652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-8092189679801068862013-08-18T22:37:00.001+07:002013-08-18T22:41:49.720+07:00Travel and Leisure Awards 2013The <b>Oberoi Rajvilas</b> has maintained a rank in Travel and Leisure magazine's annual tourism poll awards, clinching a global rank of the 19th best hotel for 2013, up from 28th last year. The hotel also ranked 4th among top resorts in Asia, down from 3rd in 2012. <br />
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Another resort in the Asia top list is <b>Rambagh Palace</b>, a historic heritage hotel, which is named the 11th best resort in Asia this year.<br />
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<b><i>Top 100 Hotels Overall</i></b><br />
<i> - Rank 19th - The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, India</i><br />
<i> (2012 rank - 28th)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b><i>Top Resorts in Asia</i></b><br />
<i> - Rank 4th - The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, India</i><br />
<i> (2012 rank - 3rd)</i><br />
<i> - Rank 11th - Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, India</i><br />
<i> (2012 rank - 8th)</i><br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2013" target="_blank">http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2013</a>HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-76057735031827867732012-08-20T00:59:00.000+07:002012-09-02T13:32:00.783+07:00New Double-decker Air-conditioned train between Delhi and JaipurA new double-decker air-conditioned train between Jaipur and Delhi's Sarai Rohilla Railway Station was inaugurated on August 16, 2012. The train, operated by the North Western Railways (NWR), is slated to replace the Delhi-Jaipur non-stop special train. The much-awaited fast train is a specially-designed double-decker with 13 coaches, and a seating capacity of 120 passengers - 50 on the upper floor, 48 on the lower floor, and 22 at centre level. Equipped with fully automatic doors, each coach has emergency windows and fire extinguishers for safety, and also a mini-pantry including fridge and microwave.<br />
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The train will cover the distance between Delhi and Jaipur in about 4.5 hours. A daily service, the train will leave Delhi's Sarai Rohilla station at 5.35 pm and reach Jaipur at 10.05 pm. Along the way, it will stop at Delhi Cantonment station, Gurgaon station and Gandhinagar Jaipur station. The return journey starts from Jaipur at 6.00 am and reach Delhi Sarai at 10.30 am.<br />
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The fully AC chair car's fare from Jaipur to Gurgaon would be Rs 327. For Jaipur to Delhi cantonment, it would be Rs 337 and the journey from Jaipur to Delhi Sarai Rohilla would cost Rs 347.<br />
<br />HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-58396837381884615222012-03-17T19:48:00.000+07:002012-03-18T00:07:22.238+07:00Nahargarh Biological Park<br />
Nahargarh Biological Park safari is the latest addition to Jaipur's adventure tourism attractions. The Park is located on the Jaipur-Delhi highway in the vicinity of the Nahargarh Fort. Located along the ridge of the Aravalli Hills, the Park was closed for years, as it was a designated Rescue Centre.<br />
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The safari is a guided tour of the 720 hectare forest land which is mainly tropical dry deciduous and tropical thorn forests, on rocky land dotted with granite and quartzite. Riding through the paved roads of the forests offers spectacular views of the natural landscape, complete with rich flora and fauna, and also some heritage property dating back ages, including a stepwell. Besides, there is also a hilltop point for viewing sunrise/sunset and the cityscape. Some of the exotic animals known to inhabit the park are tiger, leopard, lion, panther, sloth bear, caracal, deer, gharial, crocodile, pangolin, jackal, wild dog, wolf, hyena, civet, ratel, otter, fox, rhesus monkey and langur. A variety of reptiles and rare birds also find home in the jungles.<br />
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The safari tour is an hour and half ride into the sanctuary. There is also a hiking/walking combined safari tour of moderate level intensity at the park which would take about 6 to 7 hours. Yet another option of enjoying the Park is by an elephant ride.HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-11806110368402069922011-07-17T22:13:00.001+07:002017-05-13T17:23:38.156+07:00Jal Mahal Palace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxyS2ddfYLCwxDwyh7RIiWlJ-l48VxgIm1xUb1-efE7o5cL4vdn-Ee4d06qWeC6Bgsft9-ZXC35jv7jUp0uPqVShtrSXgRu6Ejr1uPDC4anXZLWkl6Rx7C2REtZATiBsjuD49D-yi3IA/s1600/Jal-Mahal-Jaipur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxyS2ddfYLCwxDwyh7RIiWlJ-l48VxgIm1xUb1-efE7o5cL4vdn-Ee4d06qWeC6Bgsft9-ZXC35jv7jUp0uPqVShtrSXgRu6Ejr1uPDC4anXZLWkl6Rx7C2REtZATiBsjuD49D-yi3IA/s320/Jal-Mahal-Jaipur.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
The famed <strong>Jal Mahal Palace</strong>, which has for long remained an abandoned dilapidated 18th century palace in the midst of the murky <strong>Man Sagar Lake</strong>, has finally been restored and is soon to be open to tourists. Rather than having just glimpses of the monument, travellers can now partake of tours of the mystical Jal Mahal, starting with a boat ride through the serene lake<br />
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Restoration of the historic palace began in 2005 with a major clean-up of the 310-acre Man Sagar lake by de-silting and by preventing rain water and sewage from entering it. The lake's depth was also increased by 1.5 metres. <br />
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To restore the four-storey palace, the team of historians and conservation architects first set about researching the monument’s history which was very inadequately documented. It took a year for team to locate a ledger document at the Rajasthan State Archives in Bikaner which stated the cost and year of building the Jal Mahal: 30,000 monetary units in 1730 AD during the time of Jai Singh’s rule.<br />
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The renovation project included the workmanship of local artisans in restoring the domes, arched pavilions, latticework and murals - which are the hallmarks of Rajput architecture. An additional feature has also been added in the form of "char bagh" - a garden of jasmine and frangipani flowers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: </span><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1058"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net</span></a><br />
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HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-27402803328295012262011-07-13T23:54:00.001+07:002012-03-18T10:25:19.968+07:00Jaipur's Oberoi Rajvilas and Rambagh Palace amongst the World's Best in a travel poll<b><span style="color: purple;">World's Best Awards</span></b> - the annual readers' survey of the <b><span style="color: purple;">Travel+Leisure</span></b> magazine - are out with their 2011 poll results; so let's see how our Jaipur hotels have fared this year. From the listings below, it can be summarized that <b><span style="color: purple;">Oberoi Rajvilas</span> </b>has maintained its 3rd spot amongst the <b><span style="color: purple;">Top Resorts of Asia</span></b>. Whereas <b><span style="color: purple;">Rambagh Palace</span></b> has lost its position from Asia's Top Resorts list, but has found itself ranked 6th among the <b><span style="color: purple;">Top City Hotels in Asia</span></b>. Both these hotels also won places on the World's Best Hotels top 100 list - with Oberoi Rajvilas ranked 8th and Rambagh Palace much lower in the list at 80th.<br />
This year marks the 16th of the popular survey that lists out and showcases the best of the travel and tourism industry as voted by readers.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Top Resorts in Asia 2011</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 466px;"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 1536; mso-width-source: userset; width: 32pt;" width="42"></col> <col span="2" style="mso-width-alt: 1499; mso-width-source: userset; width: 31pt;" width="41"></col> <col style="mso-width-alt: 12507; mso-width-source: userset; width: 257pt;" width="342"></col> </colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl66" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt; width: 32pt;" width="42"><strong><em>2011</em></strong></td> <td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 31pt;" width="41"><strong><em>2010</em></strong></td> <td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 31pt;" width="41"><strong><em>2009</em></strong></td> <td class="xl67" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 257pt;" width="342"><em><strong>Hotel, City</strong></em></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 1</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 4</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 3</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 2 </td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 9</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 15</td> <td class="xl68" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 3</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 3</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 10</span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 4</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 2</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 5</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 5 </td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">La Résidence Phou Vao, Luang Prabang</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 6</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 8</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 11</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 7</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 5 </td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 4</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Four Seasons Resort, Chiang Mai</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 8</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 14</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Discovery Shores, Boracay (Phillippines)</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 9</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 10</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 10 </td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 1</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 1</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Oberoi Vanyavila, Rajasthan</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> -</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 7</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 14</span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rambagh Palace, Jaipur</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
source: <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/hotels/resorts-asia/300">http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/hotels/resorts-asia/300</a><br />
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<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Top City Hotels in Asia 2011</span></b><br />
<strong><em> </em></strong><strong><em> </em></strong><strong><em> </em></strong><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 466px;"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 1536; mso-width-source: userset; width: 32pt;" width="42"></col> <col span="2" style="mso-width-alt: 1499; mso-width-source: userset; width: 31pt;" width="41"></col> <col style="mso-width-alt: 12507; mso-width-source: userset; width: 257pt;" width="342"></col> </colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt; width: 32pt;" width="42"><strong><em>2011</em></strong></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 31pt;" width="41"><strong><em>2010</em></strong></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 31pt;" width="41"><strong><em>2009</em></strong></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 257pt;" width="342"><strong><em>Hotel, City</em></strong></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 1</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 7</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 1</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 2</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 6</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 7</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Ritz-Carlton, Beijing</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 3</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 14</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Sofitel Legend Metropole, Hanoi</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 4</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 1</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 6</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">The Peninsula, Bangkok</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 5</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 6</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> -</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> -</span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rambagh Palace, Jaipur</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 7</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">The Peninsula, Tokyo</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 8</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">St. Regis Hotel, Singapore</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 9</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 20</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">The Imperial, New Delhi</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 10</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 1</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Park Hyatt, Ho Chi Minh City</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 12</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 14</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">The Oberoi, Mumbai</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 5</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 16</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 21 </td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">The Oberoi, New Delhi</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 10</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Leela Palace Kempinski , Udaipur</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
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source: <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/hotels/city-hotels-asia/301">http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/hotels/city-hotels-asia/301</a><br />
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<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">World's Best Hotels 2011</span></b><br />
<strong><em> </em></strong><strong><em> </em></strong><strong><em> </em></strong><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 343px;"><colgroup><col span="3" style="mso-width-alt: 1462; mso-width-source: userset; width: 30pt;" width="40"></col> <col style="mso-width-alt: 8155; mso-width-source: userset; width: 167pt;" width="223"></col> </colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt; width: 30pt;" width="40"><strong><em>2011</em></strong></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 30pt;" width="40"><strong><em>2010</em></strong></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 30pt;" width="40"><strong><em>2009</em></strong></td><td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 167pt;" width="223"><strong><em>(India hotels ranking)</em></strong></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 5</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 15</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 8</td> <td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 8</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 13</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 70</span></td><td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 14</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 5</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 28</td> <td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 43</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 39</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 78</td> <td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 75</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 80</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 35</span></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> 87</span></td><td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rambagh Palace, Jaipur</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> 87</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> -</td> <td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"> -</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 1</td> <td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"> 2</td> <td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;">Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambhore</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
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source: <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/hotels">http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2011/hotels</a><br />
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<hr />HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-25360354633962190842011-01-24T22:37:00.002+07:002011-01-24T22:53:02.459+07:00Delhi to Jaipur by BusBesides taxis, another good way to get from the capital city New Delhi to Jaipur is by bus. This is especially safe for female travellers and those travelling alone. Delhi to Jaipur by bus is over 280 kms and takes about 5 hours, and sometimes more, due to traffic jams.<br />
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The main operators of the services are the interstate RSRTC (Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation) and DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation: <a href="http://dtc.nic.in/dt4.htm#5">http://dtc.nic.in/dt4.htm#5</a>). There are several bus types available - from the ordinary (non A/C) barely-there service to the luxury air-conditioned ones.<br />
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The most luxurious bus service currently plying the route is the RSRTC's Volvo Service - a 45-seater spacious air-conditioned (AC) super luxury Volvo bus which also offers on-the-move entertainment by Airtel digital TV (comprising TV screens for every seat). There are many buses running at regular intervals each day and the fare is around Rs 500 per seat. The official website is <a href="http://www.rsrtc.gov.in/services.asp">http://www.rsrtc.gov.in/services.asp</a>, but you can also find useful information regarding timings and ticket prices on <a href="http://www.indiatransit.com/india_bus_routes/jaipur-delhi.html">http://www.indiatransit.com/india_bus_routes/jaipur-delhi.html</a><br />
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<hr/>HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-71310611794433717652010-07-10T16:22:00.001+07:002012-03-18T10:30:55.043+07:00Oberoi Rajvilas and Rambagh Palace move up the ranks of T+L world's best awardsThe results of Travel and Leisure magazine's annual readership survey of the World's Best in the hospitality industry are out for 2010; and this time too Jaipur's <b>Oberoi Rajvilas</b> and <b>Rambagh Palace</b> have both moved up the listings.<br />
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<b>Oberoi Rajvilas</b> is now ranked 3rd amongst the <b style="color: black;">Top Resorts in Asia</b>, moving up many places from the 10th rank last year. While <b>Rambagh Palace</b> has moved from 14th rank last year to 7th this year. Other Oberoi properties feature heavily in the list, including the first two spots:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: purple;">Top Resorts in Asia 2010<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b></span><br />
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 496px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 51pt;" width="68"></col> <col style="width: 65pt;" width="86"></col> <col style="width: 257pt;" width="342"></col> </colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt; width: 51pt;" width="68">2010</td> <td class="xl65" style="width: 65pt;" width="86">2009 </td> <td style="width: 257pt;" width="342"><br /></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">1</td> <td class="xl65">1</td><td>Oberoi Vanyavilas, Rajasthan</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">2</td> <td class="xl65">5</td> <td>Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="color: #cc0000; height: 15pt;">3</td> <td class="xl65" style="color: #cc0000;">10</td> <td class="xl66" style="color: #cc0000;">Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">4</td> <td class="xl65">3</td> <td>Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">5</td> <td class="xl65">4</td> <td>Four Seasons Resort, Chiang Mai</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">6</td> <td class="xl65">-</td> <td>Hôtel de la Paix, Siem Reap</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="color: #cc0000; height: 15pt;">7</td> <td class="xl65" style="color: #cc0000;">14</td> <td class="xl66" style="color: #cc0000;">Rambagh Palace, Jaipur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">8</td> <td class="xl65">11</td> <td>Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">9</td> <td class="xl65">15</td> <td><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl65" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">10</td> <td class="xl65">- </td> <td>Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur</td> </tr>
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While in the more prestigious listings of the <span style="color: black;"><b>World's Best Hotels</b>, </span><b>Oberoi Rajvilas</b> achieved the 13th rank and <b>Rambagh Palace</b> was placed 35th. It should be remembered that Rajvilas had won the 2nd rank in 2008. Several other Oberoi Hotels in Rajasthan (outside Jaipur) also made it to the list as follows:<br />
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<div style="color: purple;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>World's Top 100 Hotels 2010</b></span></div>
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 496px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 51pt;" width="68"></col> <col style="width: 65pt;" width="86"></col> <col style="width: 257pt;" width="342"></col> </colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl64" height="20" style="height: 15pt; width: 51pt;" width="68">2010</td> <td class="xl64" style="width: 65pt;" width="86">2009</td> <td class="xl65" style="width: 257pt;" width="342"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Rajasthan hotels ranking )</span></b></span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">#1</td> <td class="xl63">#2</td> <td>Oberoi Vanyavilas (Ranthambhore)</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">#5</td> <td class="xl63">#28</td> <td>Oberoi Amarvilas (Agra)</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="color: #cc0000; height: 15pt;">#13</td> <td class="xl63" style="color: #cc0000;">#70</td> <td style="color: #cc0000;">Oberoi Rajvilas (Jaipur)</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">#15</td> <td class="xl63">#8</td> <td>Oberoi Udaivilas (Udaipur)</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="color: #cc0000; height: 15pt;">#35</td> <td class="xl63" style="color: #cc0000;">#87</td> <td style="color: #cc0000;">Rambagh Palace (Jaipur)</td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15pt;">#39</td> <td class="xl63">#78</td> <td>Taj Lake Palace (Udaipur)</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
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While in the list of <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: purple;">Best Cities in Asia</span></b></span>, <b>Jaipur </b>is ranked 6th, just behind Udaipur on the 5th place. It should be noted that last year there was the World's Best City list where Jaipur came in at 12th.<br />
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1 Bangkok <br />
2 Chiang Mai, Thailand<br />
3 Kyoto, Japan<br />
4 Siem Reap, Cambodia<br />
5 Udaipur, India<br />
<div style="color: #cc0000;">
6 Jaipur, India</div>
7 Hong Kong<br />
8 Hanoi, Vietnam<br />
9 Tokyo<br />
10 Beijing<br />
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For more details and complete lists, visit the site - <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2010">http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2010</a><br />
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For more info about <span style="color: #cc0000;">Oberoi Rajvilas</span>, visit the official site <a href="http://www.oberoirajvilas.com/">www.oberoirajvilas.com</a> or view my previous post<br />
<a href="http://jaipur-india.blogspot.com/2008/07/oberoi-rajvilas-is-ranked-2nd-among.html">http://jaipur-india.blogspot.com/2008/07/oberoi-rajvilas-is-ranked-2nd-among.html</a><br />
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For more info about <span style="color: #cc0000;">Rambagh Palace</span>, visit the official site <a href="http://www.tajhotels.com/Palace/RAMBAGH%20PALACE,JAIPUR/default.htm">http://www.tajhotels.com/Palace/RAMBAGH%20PALACE,JAIPUR/default.htm</a> or view my previous post <a href="http://jaipur-india.blogspot.com/2009/09/rambagh-palace.html">http://jaipur-india.blogspot.com/2009/09/rambagh-palace.html</a><br />
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<hr />HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-23696554905251275992009-12-22T10:52:00.000+07:002009-12-22T10:52:00.449+07:00Raj Palace Hotel is voted world's best Heritage HotelThe results of the <strong>16th World Travel Awards (WTA)</strong>, voted by travel agents worldwide, are out, and Jaipur's Raj Palace Hotel has once again been voted as World's Leading Heritage Hotel, and the hotel's Durbar Mahal Suite has been voted Asia's Leading Suite.<br />
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Some of the 2009 World Travel Award winners are:<br />
<em>World's Leading Heritage Hotel</em> - <strong><span style="color: #351c75;">The Raj Palace</span></strong><br />
<em>World's Leading Destination Marketing Campaign</em> - India (Incredible India) <br />
<em>Asia's Leading Destination</em> - India <br />
<em>Asia's Leading Resort</em> - Taj Lake Palace (Udaipur)<br />
<em>Asia's Leading Suite</em> - <strong><span style="color: #351c75;">Durbar Mahal Suite</span></strong>, The Raj Palace <br />
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To know more about the hotel, see my older blog post: <a href="http://jaipur-india.blogspot.com/2008/07/darbar-mahal-suite-of-raj-palace-hotel.html">http://jaipur-india.blogspot.com/2008/07/darbar-mahal-suite-of-raj-palace-hotel.html</a> or visit the hotel's website: <a href="http://www.rajpalace.com/">http://www.rajpalace.com/</a> <br />
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World Travel Awards is the most prestigious, comprehensive and sought after awards programme in the global travel and tourism industry. To be voted a World Travel Award by a process involving 183,000 travel tourism and hospitality professionals across the globe is the highest accolade a company can receive.HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-45815589310620597922009-09-09T23:37:00.003+07:002017-05-13T17:25:13.622+07:00Rambagh PalaceThe <strong>Rambagh Palace</strong> is perhaps one of the most precious jewels in the crown of Jaipur's palatial monuments-turned-heritage hotels. How can it not, when it used to be the very residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur.<br />
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The Rambagh Palace's history can be traced back to <strong>1835</strong> when its first building - a garden house - was built for a royal attendant. Being then situated in the middle of a dense forest, the building was converted into a royal hunting lodge in 1887. Decades later, in 1925, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II made it his main residence, with subsequent addition of suites - thus turning it into his palace. By the 1950s, the royal family could not afford the costly upkeep of the palace and its 47 acres of gardens; therefore, converted it into a luxury hotel, which was taken over by the <strong>Taj</strong> hotel group in <strong>1972</strong>.<br />
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Serving generations of Rajput royalty for over a century, the Rambagh Palace has retained its majestic aura and now offers the regal experience of royal living to its guests.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9w6RPgx-qJRgtjMoeCvBhZ9YXJi3JmL8uDVqthXnIja5Kdl-C5vts9RdVWNPo60wmOn3UhZURdQ4Pr11w10t6M5e4XTqvIXpyGVtqNTCq6lJODA1_wNqZX64cLXBBSIvJd_1zjhVC-I/s1600/Rambagh_Exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9w6RPgx-qJRgtjMoeCvBhZ9YXJi3JmL8uDVqthXnIja5Kdl-C5vts9RdVWNPo60wmOn3UhZURdQ4Pr11w10t6M5e4XTqvIXpyGVtqNTCq6lJODA1_wNqZX64cLXBBSIvJd_1zjhVC-I/s320/Rambagh_Exterior.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rambagh Palace has 79 rooms out of which there are 33 suites, which also include the chambers of the former Maharaja. The palace hotel also has meeting and banquet facilities. Its 79 rooms and suites are classified into:<br />
- 5 Luxury Rooms<br />
- 41 Palace Rooms<br />
- 24 Historical Suites<br />
- 5 Royal Suites<br />
- 2 Grand Royal Suites<br />
- 2 Grand Presidential Suites<br />
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To know more about the hotel or its rates, check out their website:<br />
<a href="http://www.tajhotels.com/Palace/RAMBAGH%20PALACE,JAIPUR/default.htm">www.tajhotels.com</a>HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-10897353288088973032009-09-09T20:45:00.002+07:002009-09-09T20:49:39.949+07:00Rambagh Palace voted best hotel 2009 by Conde Nast readersRambagh Palace in Jaipur has been voted as the best hotel in 'Asia and the Indian subcontinent' in the <strong>Readers' Travel Awards 2009</strong> of <strong>Conde Nast Traveller</strong> magazine. The hotel scored very high for its ambience/decor & location; and also ranked 2nd in the overall list (emcompassing all categories) of Top 100 places in the world. Rambagh Palace is a historical royal Rajput palace converted into a luxury Taj hotel, located about 8 kms from Jaipur's city walls. For more info about the palace, visit my next blog post.<br /><br />Other Indian hotels in the top Asian hotels list include:<br />5th rank - Devi Garh (Udaipur)<br />7th rank - The Oberoi Amanvilas (Agra)<br />12th rank - The Oberoi Rajvilas (Jaipur)<br />13th rank - The Oberoi Udaivilas (Udaipur)<br /><br />For a complete list, visit:<br /><a href="http://www.cntraveller.com/ReadersAwards/2009/Overseas_Leisure_Hotels/">www.cntraveller.com/ReadersAwards/2009/Overseas_Leisure_Hotels</a>HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-11355068518537553872009-08-12T00:03:00.006+07:002017-05-13T17:31:03.105+07:00Souvenirs from Jaipur - IIOn my recent trip to Jaipur in April-May 2009, I got some souvenirs for my friends from a pavement stall in Bapu Bazaar. The stall had a mind-boggling array of decorative handmade trinkets and useless nicknacks - pretty cheap if bought in large numbers. But just make sure to take your time to pick and choose as many of the pieces have bad finishing due to poor quality crafting.<br />
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A cute tiny elephant keychain:<br />
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Anyone for miniature wooden cannon guns??<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjfZYqT0hr0oBas-NdCA5xIYupg6T9jMOWdtZCCYaHCuwmPf114Ez2ULX7TZObiJP7JIPU_53SGJOmtvatpuU8GwVuyhgN4_j6oshuhzim7YWiiZ44_JKcl2UrC5B907_z5P9E_Srbyo/s1600/DSC00490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjfZYqT0hr0oBas-NdCA5xIYupg6T9jMOWdtZCCYaHCuwmPf114Ez2ULX7TZObiJP7JIPU_53SGJOmtvatpuU8GwVuyhgN4_j6oshuhzim7YWiiZ44_JKcl2UrC5B907_z5P9E_Srbyo/s320/DSC00490.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course, how can we forget the iconic Rajashtani Camels? - here are some less than perfect but still cute, small wooden versions:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK38OI2fpeHIq0-GqHRu5JIJJenT6n8Y4iwdq7wPti7yQodWwz0N4MrzEPfEIpeQEplTZf5WcpAh3mZqG2UUAV1pcoiYZkhTwcpIV7wsSJl8ybFC9KbtKza06b0aaa4hEiqyT8hBDwVW4/s1600/DSC00495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK38OI2fpeHIq0-GqHRu5JIJJenT6n8Y4iwdq7wPti7yQodWwz0N4MrzEPfEIpeQEplTZf5WcpAh3mZqG2UUAV1pcoiYZkhTwcpIV7wsSJl8ybFC9KbtKza06b0aaa4hEiqyT8hBDwVW4/s320/DSC00495.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-59197788671819181912009-07-13T23:58:00.003+07:002011-07-13T23:38:47.694+07:00Oberoi Rajvilas & Rambagh Palace - voted among top resorts in AsiaJaipur's <strong>Oberoi Rajvilas</strong> and <strong>Rambagh Palace</strong> have been voted to reach among the <strong>top 15 resorts in Asia</strong>, with Rajvilas at no. 10, and Rambagh at no. 14 - according to <strong>Travel and Leisure</strong> magazine's <strong>World's Best Awards 2009</strong> survey.<br />
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Last year, Oberoi Rajvilas was 2nd as World's Best Hotels 2008 and has thus been heavily outranked this year.<br />
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Amazingly, 5 of the top 15 Asian resorts (including the 1st rank) are in Rajasthan. They are:<br />
Rank 1. Oberoi Vanyavilas, Rajasthan, India<br />
Rank 3. Oberoi Udaivilas, Rajasthan, India<br />
Rank 10. Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, India<br />
Rank 11. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India<br />
Rank 14. Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, India<br />
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For the complete list, see <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2009/hotels/resorts-asia/91">http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2009/hotels/resorts-asia/91</a>HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-1411783792221984162009-07-13T23:38:00.003+07:002009-07-13T23:58:19.734+07:00Jaipur is 12th World's Best CityJaipur has been voted 12th amongst the <strong>World's Best Cities 2009</strong> in a survey conducted by the <strong>Travel & Leisure magazine</strong>. Udaipur is the surprise list topper this year - a newcomer unseen in the list before. The World's Best Awards survey is conducted by the magazine through its readers every year. The top ten cities are:<br /><br />1. Udaipur, India<br />2. Cape Town, South Africa<br />3. Bangkok, Thailand<br />4. Buenos Aires, Argentina<br />5. Chiang Mai, Thailand<br />6. Florence, Italy<br />7. Luang Prabang, Laos<br />8. New York, USA<br />9. Rome, Italy<br />10. San Francisco, USA<br />11. Sydney, Australia<br />12. Jaipur, India<br /><br />To view the complete list, and other category winners, check out the website <a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2009/results.cfm?cat=cities">www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2009/results.cfm?cat=cities</a>HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-48026871479948359292009-07-08T19:10:00.005+07:002017-05-13T17:35:08.314+07:00Delhi to Jaipur by RoadDue to low connectivity that Jaipur airport has with international flights, one of the ways to get to Jaipur is from New Delhi via the Delhi-Jaipur highway. The expressway is a section of the National Highway 8 (NH 8) that connects New Delhi with Mumbai, along the way passing through the cities of Gurgaon, Jaipur, Ajmer, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, and Silvassa.<br />
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You can either get on a bus or hire a taxi car - the latter option would be quicker. The distance is over 250 kms, and it will take about 4½ to over 6 hours depending on the traffic conditions on the road. A one-way ride can cost you anywhere from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 6,000 or more - depending on A/C or non A/C, bargaining, and also the quality /reliability of the service.<br />
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On my last trip there in April 2009, I had hired a private taxi, a Tata Indica (from Jaipur), which came to pick us up directly at the New Delhi airport. The 4½ hour ride was very smooth and incident-free. Just while leaving Delhi, the highway passes by Gurgaon - the IT hub of northern India. We did not make any stop in mid-journey in order to (a) save time and also (b) because it was already dark at night and we were two ladies travelling alone. The ride was a very enthralling and nostalgic experience - to return to India after 2 years and find myself landed right away on an Indian highway countryside - passing what seemed to be a thousand monstrous trucks, animal-driven carts, a dozen tollway gates and what not. The worst part of the entire journey was the pollution - toxic fumes and dust - inescapable even in an air-conditioned car. The return journey from Jaipur to Delhi airport took considerably longer - 6 hours - due to the traffic throughout the route on the highway. Luckily, we had left 8 hours before our flight time. We had also made a 'Midway' rest stop on the journey - and the place had surpassed my expectations. I was expecting to see a dirty, rundown little roadstop with unmaintained facilities. But when I got there, I was immediately impressed with all the modern amenities - clean toilets, a shop selling almost eveything you might need, and lots of food options to fill our hungry stomachs. I didn't feel unsafe for even a moment as there were so many other travellers from dozens of other tourist buses, cars & taxis, also taking a break from their journeys.HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-20993311604018388222009-06-10T13:46:00.003+07:002009-06-10T13:54:38.740+07:00Hot-air Balloon ride over Jaipur!!!A relatively new tourist attraction in Rajasthan is Sky Waltz's Hot Air Balloon rides. This unique and adventurous balloon safari was launched in Jaipur in January 2008, and has successfully flown over 1,500 passengers since then. The safari rides are now also available over Ranthambore, and the tourist season in late 2009 will see the addition of more destinations in Rajasthan, including Udaipur (starting November 2009) and the world-famous Pushkar Camel Fair.<br /><br />Prices for an hour-long balloon ride over Jaipur are (as of June 09, 2009):<br /><br /><span style="color:#333399;">1-2 persons: 300 US$ per person for Foreign Nationals.<br />Rs. 12,000 per person for Indian Nationals.<br /><br />3-6 persons: 250 US$ per person for Foreign Nationals.<br />Rs. 10,000 per person for Indian Nationals.<br /><br />7 or 7+ persons : 200 US$ per person for Foreign Nationals.<br />Rs. 8,000 per person for Indian Nationals.</span><br /><br />The above package includes-<br />-Approximately 60 minutes of a balloon flight.<br />-Pick-up from and drop to the hotel to be provided by the operator.<br />-Witnessing the exhilarating sight of the balloons being inflated and prepared for the flight.<br />-Tea/Coffee and Cookies served at the launch site.<br />-A Certificate of First Flight signed by the pilot.<br /><br />There are several launch sites to choose from:<br />Samode Bagh and Palace<br />Amber Fort<br />Shiv Vilas<br />Jal Mahal<br />Delhi Road<br />Madhogarh Fort<br />or Others depending upon wind conditions<br /><br />SkyWaltz is the first and only commercial hot-air balloon operator licensed by the Indian Government. The pioneers of hot-air ballooning in India follow high safety standards - the project has been set up under the guidance of one of the world’s best consultants, with world-class imported equipment, and the balloons are flown by highly experienced international pilots from the UK and USA.<br /><br />For more information, visit their website - <a href="http://www.skywaltz.com/">www.skywaltz.com</a>HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-50393506980042731382009-06-01T19:15:00.003+07:002009-06-01T19:21:02.839+07:00Rainy Season in Jaipur<strong>June</strong> is typically the starting month of the monsoon season in Jaipur which lasts through <strong>July</strong>, <strong>August </strong>and <strong>September</strong>. Generally, Jaipur is a dry city and therefore receives very low rainfall. The rainy period features frequent heavy rains and thunderstorms, though flooding is rare. Obviously, it is not the best of months to visit the city; but looking positively, it won't be as hot as the peak summer months.<br /><br />The average low (L) and high (H) temperatures for the rainy months are:<br />June - 39 C (H), 27 C (L)<br />July - 33 C (H), 26 C (L)<br />Aug - 32 C (H), 25 C (L)<br />Sept - 33 C (H), 24 C (L)<br /><br /><strong>July and August receive the heaviest rainfall.</strong><br /><br />This year, the peak hot season came earlier than usual - while May is supposed to be the hottest month, this year it was in April that temperatures crossed the 45 degree celcius mark, and May was not as hot as it used to be. The later part of May got a relief from heat wave conditions due to the slight drizzles of isolated rain brought on by dust storms, thunderstorms and squalls. Though the average temperature dropped by few degrees, there was a rise in humidity and moisture levels, thus making conditions just as worst.HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-60650382179259441912009-03-02T15:03:00.007+07:002009-03-02T15:20:00.269+07:00Where to eat in Jaipur?<p><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </p><p><span style="font-size:130%;">LMB restaurant</span></p>While in Jaipur, you simply can't miss dining at the ever-so-popular restaurant called LMB, located in the heart of the city in Johari Bazar. Short for 'Laxmi Misthan Bhandar', LMB is operating since the 1950s and is a wholly vegetarian eatery serving Indian (Rajasthani, Mughlai, South Indian) and Indo-Chinese cuisine. The Rajasthani Thali is highly recommended. The restaurant accepts credit cards; with an average meal of delicious spicy Indian food costing about Rs. 500 for two persons. The place is always bustling with locals and foreigners alike, with weekends more crowded than usual. The restaurant cum hotel also includes a mithai (sweetmeat) shop with a wide selection of delectable Indian milk sweets.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Handi restaurant</span><br /><br />For the more carnivorous of the eaters amongst us, there is no eatery offering a better value for money than the Handi Restaurant on Mirza Ismail Road. The unimpressive interiors is totally forgotten once you dig into their kababs, tandoori dishes, mutton and butter chicken. Besides these Mughlai specialities, the restaurant also serves vegetarian dishes (so the lone vegetarian travel mate in your group won't be left out). Be warned that they don't accept credit cards, but you won't need to fill you pockets with stacks of cash, because a meal for two would average only about Rs. 250.HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-88001656491204781982009-01-07T12:40:00.005+07:002009-01-07T12:47:43.311+07:00Royal Rajasthan on Wheels<p>The much-awaited new luxury train Royal Rajasthan on Wheels - RRoW - has just successfully completed its trial run during the weekend; with its first inaugural journey slated to start from Delhi on January 11, 2009. The train has the capacity to carry 82 passengers at a time; the fare for a suite of super deluxe saloon costing a hefty US$2,000 per person per night (there are just an envious 2 of these suites in the entire train), while a deluxe saloon (there are 13 of them) would cost you a tidy US$800.</p><p>With an itinerary of 7-8 days, the journeys would start from Delhi. Initially, the train was supposed to travel via Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Bikaner, Bharatpur and Agra. However, because the broad gauge railway track to Bikaner is fit for the movement of train, the RRoW would continue on the same route to Sawai Madhopur as Palace on Wheels, for this season. For more details about the route and charges, visit <a href="http://royalrajasthanpalaceonwheels.com/royalrajasthanonwheels.html">http://royalrajasthanpalaceonwheels.com/royalrajasthanonwheels.html</a></p>HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-27594226966909203372009-01-01T16:54:00.002+07:002011-09-11T16:58:26.135+07:00Privacy PolicyThird party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website. Google's use of the DART cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the Internet. However, you can opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the <a href="http://www.google.com/privacy/ads/">advertising opt-out page</a>. To opt out of some, but not all third party vendors' cookies in one location, please visit the <a href="http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp">Network Advertising Initiative opt-out website</a>.HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-2495088612941076372008-11-04T10:26:00.002+07:002008-11-04T10:36:54.565+07:00Jaipur ranks 7th amongst the best tourist destinations in AsiaThe renowned Conde Nast Traveler magazine recently conducted a survey poll for the 2008 Readers' Choice Awards. More than 32,000 readers voted to elect the world's best cities, hotels, airlines, and more. The results are out and Jaipur is the only city in India making it to top ten - being voted as the seventh best city in Asia to visit.<br /><br />Tourists to Jaipur who took part in the survey quoted that they were impressed by the handicrafts, food, architecture, and the meticulous town planning of the historic Pink City.<br /><br />The complete lists of results can be viewed at this <a href="http://www.concierge.com/tools/travelawards/readerschoice">link</a>, and will also appear in print in the November issue of the publication.<br /><br />As per the report, the top tourist destinations in Asia are ranked as follows:<br /><br />1. Bangkok (Thailand)<br />2. Chiang Mai (Thailand)<br />2. Hong Kong<br />4. Singapore<br />5. Kyoto (Japan)<br />6. Shanghai (China)<br />7. Jaipur (India)<br />8. Tokyo (Japan)<br />9. Hanoi (Vietnam)<br />10. Beijing (China)HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-65484063018217848922008-10-07T18:33:00.006+07:002008-10-24T15:38:40.251+07:00Jantar Mantar undergoing renovationJaipur's world-renowned Jantar Mantar observatory is undergoing renovation since January 2007 -- but is still open to visitors. The restoration efforts were required to fix the various openair architectural astronomical instruments and allied aids, which were deteriorating in condition. The structures were becoming brittle, breaking, some on the verge of collapse; the cemented plaster (mortar) on the devices were coming off and glass coverings were damaged.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mHQJI1n3Rbk/SQGJY_WYfvI/AAAAAAAAADk/h7s7IvHGLzM/s1600-h/Jantar_Mantar_at_Jaipur.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mHQJI1n3Rbk/SQGJY_WYfvI/AAAAAAAAADk/h7s7IvHGLzM/s320/Jantar_Mantar_at_Jaipur.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260636902160629490" /></a><br />The renovation, undertaken by the government, has displeased traditional Indian astrologers who say that some of the ancient gadgets are being dislocated and disturbed by the inexperienced workers who lack knowledge about astronomy and astrology.<br /><br />Astrologers through hundreds of years have been using these monumental instruments as fixed tools - using their shadows to make forecasts. Dislocating these would lead to distortions in astrological calculations and upset the accuracy which has prevailed for hundreds of years. <br /><br />Well, I only hope that if the structures are indeed being displaced, then somebody do something about it and right the wrongs!! Definitely not worth spoiling something that has stood and worked for hundreds of years...HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-27256598392440007052008-09-22T14:01:00.005+07:002008-09-22T14:35:25.026+07:00Dial 108 for any emergency while in JaipurThe Rajasthan government together with the Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) has just started a new emergency response services phone number '108'. The number is for all emergency calls, be it for police, fire or medical service. The telephone number is toll-free, without any prefix or suffix; and is accessible from landline phone (fixed line), mobile phone, as well as local telephone booths.HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8369196877672734766.post-34464076314874066762008-09-05T11:30:00.005+07:002008-09-22T14:36:56.674+07:00Royal Rajasthan on WheelsFollowing the success of 'Palace on Wheels', another new luxury train called 'Royal Rajasthan on Wheels' is about to be launched in December 2008. The itinerary of the train will be similar to the Palace on Wheels, with the journey starting from Jaipur instead of New Delhi. The train is purported to be more luxurious with more onboard facilities such as a spa, retrobars, a boardroom and Internet accessibility.HGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00223730655622438089noreply@blogger.com