Roll back the pages of time
for one glorious week, recapture the pomp and pageantry of a royal past in
royal style. Step aboard the Palace on Wheels, once the personal rail
coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Gujarat and
Rajputana, the Viceroy of British India and the Nizam of Hyderabad. See
Rajasthan in all its splendour and the Taj Mahal at Agra... a celebration of
everyhting that is beautiful....a journey into the past on a luxury train.
In 1991 this train was replaced by a new air-conditioned metre gauge train ,
in the saloons and restaurants of which has been recreated the ambience and
the interior of the older one in all its luxury. Today it is replaced by a
brand new train that captures glimpse of royalty in Rajasthan for you to
experience.
Day
1 - WednesdayDelhi Dinner on board the Palace on Wheels.
Departure for Jaipur.
Day 2 - ThursdayJaipurYou
will be greeted by caparisoned elephants and strains of the shehnai...
Welcome to the Pink City of Jaipur. Lunch at Ramgarh Palace. Discover Hawa
Mahal, Nahagarh, Amber... silent sentinels to a glorious era.
Day
3 - FridayChittorgarh Images of love and valour; scars of
battles lost and battle won... Thrice besieged Chittorgarh is all this and
more. Moving legends of honour and pride will remain with you as you proceed
to Udaipur.
Udaipur The city of lakes, palaces and
gardens, temples and forts... Udaipur. Lunch at the Lake Palace Hotel, the
former summer residence of the princes of Mewar. Enjoy the tranquility of
Lake Pichola.. Visit the City Palace in all its ancient glory, the residence
of the maharajas of Udaipur.
Day 4 - SaturdaySawai
Madhopur Welcome to the tranquility of Sawai Madhopur and the beautiful
10th century fort of Ranthambhor. Surrounded by the Ranthambhor National
Park, a Project Tiger reserve, the imposing ramparts of the fort soar
above... they too have tales to tell!
Day
5-Sunday Jaisalmer Arrive at the 12th century city of
Jaisalmer dominated by its sandstone fort of 99 bastions. Visit the
exquisitely carved havelis and palaces with their latticed windows,
balconies, cupolas and facades. Experience the famed camel safaris, reside
in desert camps... and dine under the stars as the rhythm of Rajasthani
music drifts into the night....
Day 6-MondayJodhpur
The Mehrangarh Fort is all-pervasive in this 15th century city. Visit this
magnificent fort and Jaswant Thada, a royal cenotaph close by. Lunch at the
Umaid Bhawan Palace, the royal residence, a part of which is now a hotel.
Day 7-TuesdayBharatpur A
wonderland for birds, visit the renowned Keoladeo Ghana National park at
Bharatpur, once the preserve of the maharaja of Bharatpur and now a world
heritage site.. It is home to 300 species of birds - some flying in from as
far as Siberia and China. Visit Fatehpur Sikri en route to Agra. The palaces
of the Mughal emperor, Akbar, as well as tombs and mosques in his capital
are truly magnificent.
Agra Lunch at the Taj View in Agra
and proceed to one of the most beautiful monuments ever conceived. The Taj
Mahal, built by emperor Shah Jehan to commemorate eternal love for his
queen, Mumtaz Mahal. Breathtaking in its proportions and craftsmanship, it
is captivating. The timeless city of Agra offers you many more monuments and
tombs, all exquisite in architectural skill and beauty.
Day
8-WednesdayDelhi Breakfast on board
Arrival Delhi
Cantt. Railway Station.
It's a journey worthy of kings.
No wonder the experience is labeled the Palace on Wheels. With its cream
saloons, with a border of flowers, chug through Rajasthan on a journey
through the former royal kingdoms of this state. Once ruled by kings whose
presence lingers on in forbidding fortresses, and the fairytale palace, now
converted into museums and restaurants where retainers serve truly royal
repasts.
Newly assembled at he coach factory in madras, it is
fully vestibule and centrally air-conditioned, truly a palace on wheels.
Completely self sufficient, its public spaces include two
restaurant coaches and a bar coach with an attached library. Deep veneered
wood encases large picture windows through which guests can see the
countryside-of-a-thousand-battle slide effortlessly past.
While
outside glide past a stark landscape broken by groups of colorfully-dressed
women or raged dune-top fortresses. Inside the train, lights glow intimately
and stained glass mirrors reflect a myriad images.
Soft music
plays in the background as master chefs serve up superb meals and the
bartender mixes your favourite cocktails. Blinds are layered across the
windows in a manner reminiscent of palaces, in colours that are traditional.
The 14 coaches are named after former Rajput states. Each evokes
visions of those royal kingdoms. The names are romantic, mesmerising...
Kotah, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Alwar, Sirohi,
Kishangarh, Bundi, Dungarpur, Bharatpur, Jhalawar and Dholpur. Each coach
has four coupes, done in colours most reminiscent of that state, and
highlighted by its royal emblem. Of the four compartments, two each feature
double beds, the other two twin beds. A third bed, for an additional person,
or and accompanying child, is in theorem of a fold-away bed on a higher
tier.
Each compartment has an attached bath with running hot/cold
water and showers, built-in wardrobes, overhead and night lights, piped
music, reading lights etc.
The furniture with its inlaid motifs
has been specially created for the Palace on Wheels. All coaches and
corridors are fully carpeted.
At the end of each coach is a
separate lounge where passengers can relax when they wish to move out of
their bedrooms. Here they can unwind with a book or magazine, engage in
conversation, or simply watch as the panoramic vista of the great Indian
desert unfolds.
The maharaja and maharani restaurants offer
seating arranged in groups of twos and fours near the windows. Chefs in the
attached pantry prepare gourmet Continental and Indian specialties, with an
emphasis on the cuisine of Rajasthan.
The bar-Lounge is
embellished in Period furniture, created especially for this coach, and the
bar has ample space and a choice of soft and alcoholic beverages on offer.
Seasons in India
Formalities
