Ideas for Luxury Holidays in India

India is a vast and diverse country. Travelers often get confused while planning their luxury tours to India. There is so much to see that it is hard to decide which destinations to select and which ones to skip. International flights are pretty expensive and every traveler wants to make the most of his/her time with the best possible luxury tour in India. Well, here are some guidelines to make the planning simpler, accurate and flawless:

• Time of travel: You need to decide when would you be willing to travel down to India? Best time to visit is November to February when it winters in India. It becomes imperative while considering any luxury tour to India that one can travel in absolute comfort. The hot climate or the monsoons are not conducive at all for a luxurious and comfortable experience.  

• Duration of Travel: The next step would be arriving at the tour duration; i.e. how many days you can take out for a luxurious sojourn in India. For instance, if you are looking at a short duration luxury tour to India, then the best option would be a Golden Triangle for a minimum of 6 nights & 7 days. You can spend 2 nights each at Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. Delhi being the capital city of India, Agra housing the famous Taj Mahal and Jaipur being the capital of the state of Rajasthan together form the Golden Triangle. However, if you have more time in hand around 2 weeks or so, you can either combine southern India or explore more cities in the royal state of Rajasthan. 

• Selecting the destinations: It depends a lot on your interests. If the royal forts and palaces interest you and you have 10-12 days, you can combine Golden Triangle with other cities of Rajasthan like Jodhpur and Udaipur. If sand dunes would interest you then do not miss the desert cities of Bikaner and Jaisalmer with their colorful traditions and cultural events! If you incline spiritualism or Yoga and meditation, then adding Varanasi or Haridwar and Rishikesh would be a good idea. Those interested in wildlife can combine the famous Ranthambhore National park with the Golden Triangle. If one wants purely a beach vacation then Goa is the place! For a person who is looking at a luxury tour to India showcasing cultural, architectural as well as scenic landscapes, then he/she can combine the Golden Triangle in the North with famous Kerala in the south. Kerala is a nature lover’s paradise with the ideal combination of beaches, backwaters, hill stations, and wildlife! All the destinations mentioned here can easily be included while planning one’s luxury tour in India.

• Deciding the hotel category: You need to select the category of hotels as per your budget. If you would want to experience the most luxurious tour, then undoubtedly you need to go for the luxurious properties of Oberois, Taj and the Leela hotels. However, the Oberois, Taj, and Leela hotels have properties in selected cities only and so at other destinations one may have to go for other renowned properties like the ITC, Hyatt, Radisson or Hilton, etc. In case you want good hotels without paying a premium, then 5-star hotels can also serve your purpose. If you are going for heritage properties, make sure to check online reviews and confirm that the properties are well kept. Always discuss your choice of hotels with a travel consultant for an honest appraisal. They would not only guide you but also offer great package prices as they deal frequently with these hotels. 3 & 4-star hotels in India are not of similar standards as in U.S. or U.K. or Canada. Hence, for luxury tours to India, it is best to avoid 3 & 4-star hotels.

• Selecting a luxury tour operator: Once you are sure of your travel dates/month, tour duration and few destinations, you may contact reliable inbound (not domestic) luxury tour operator online and share your preferences. They would tailor-make the most suitable luxury tour to India. Go for a company that can offer personalized services and customize your tour as per your specific requirements. Look for their reviews online and discuss with them to understand their capabilities and quality of services. An all-inclusive package (except meals) with accommodation, breakfast, airport transfers, guide, sightseeing, entrances, and extra events would be good to give you an idea of the total expenditure. 

Contact a few tour operators and zero down on one who seems most reliable and professional. Traveling through the right operator transforms your trip into an experience. Alluring India Tour is an award-winning destination management company in luxury inbound travel. 

              

Best Desert Camps to experience the most from the Sand Dunes of Jaisalmer!

On your visit to the Golden City Jaisalmer, pick your accommodation in the desert camps for an intriguing get-away in the mighty Thar Desert. The place offers budget-friendly desert camps for budget travelers as well as lavish camps for the luxurious vacationer. Make your experience of camping in the brilliant city flawless by getting a chance to enjoy the view of setting Sun against the endless sandhills. With music and campfire being your companions in the desert camps, make your evening memorable. Below mentioned are some of the best options for an exquisite desert camping.

Royal Desert Camp:- The award-winning royal desert camp offers extravagant and Unique Camp service which are carefully established, same as the camp of "Rajasthan Royalty" from Mewar. They are the first Jaisalmer Desert Camp which began desert camps next to Sam Dunes. Visitors who stay there have the delight to see the dunes from their camp window and experience accommodation with Maharaja Style room, attached with an advanced washroom and one verandah.

The Serai Camp:- Spread across over thirty acres of land of the Great Thar desert is the extravagance Jaisalmer desert camp named 'The Serai'. Each canvas tent is designed on a nectar shaded sandstone plinth and has a terrace lounge. There are 14 welcoming canvas tented suites; six of the extravagance suites have courtesies like private garden and warmed pool with Jacuzzi jets. The exclusive royal tented suite is furnished with a private spa, outdoor pool, dining and lounge tents, all in a separate private enclosure.

Rajputana Desert Camp:- Launched in the year 2014, Rajputana Desert Camp is another camp hotel in Sam Jaisalmer. They have a total of 35 tents, a stage where they allow proficient musicians and dancers to illuminate the state of mind of their guests. Since the campsite is very close to Sam dunes (200 meters), they offer camel safari directly from their tents. They offer paragliding and dirt bike rides also, which are payable.

Dangri Desert Safari Camp:- Dangri desert safari camp is another campground that offers accommodation in their 37 Swiss camps, musical program, and Rajasthani cuisine. The camp also helps its visitors in planning safari tours and has made its name in a year with its excellent customer service.

The Mama’s desert camp:- The Mama's camp is an astounding mid-budget camp in Khuri, which is 40 km away from Jaisalmer. Khuri is another sand dune destination which is getting famous consistently every year. So for the individuals who demand a stay in a desert camp for over a day and in a peaceful village, Mama's camp is a superb choice.

Damodra Desert Camp:- Situated around 30 kilometers from Jaisalmer, lies the Damodra desert camp. This small camp has only 10 grand Swiss cabin tents, all offering comfortable beds, attached modern bathrooms, heater and premium Ayurvedic amenities. This camp offers a few activities like Camel ride on the sand dunes during dusk, trailed by a live customary Rajasthani folk performance by local people, stargazing around evening time on the housetop patio and some authentic regional as well as Indian cuisines for supper.

Desert Spring Resort:- Established 35 kilometers away from Jaisalmer city, in the village of Kanoi is the Desert Spring Resort. It has 26 air-conditioned tents offering all of the courtesies and is even complemented by some reviving Ayurvedic spa sessions. The significant feature of this resort is that it has a cultural dance program performed by renowned artists at night while serving the best of Rajasthani and worldwide cuisines for supper.

Rawla Desert Camp:- Rawla desert camp is a bit away from other camps in the remote region of Sam, which is ideal for a traveler who wants to get close to nature in the desert territory. The camp offers Swiss tents and mud cottages for accommodation alongside an astounding kitchen serving limited however delicious food.

Aside from the night stay at a desert camp and musical program with supper, there are some outdoor activities, which you can appreciate at Khuri and Sam Sand Dune. These are:

• Camel Safari:- Camel Safari at Sam sandhill is one of the most experienced outdoor activities. Here you hire a camel for a 1-2 hour safari visit on the desert sandhills of Sam. The midpoint of this visit is the Sunset point at Sam, which is an ideal spot to get photos of the sandhills and unimaginable dusk or dawn.

• Jeep Safari:- In a jeep safari visit at Sam sand hills, you procure an entire jeep or book a seat in a shared vehicle which will take you 3-4 hills which are 30 to 60 meters tall. As private vehicles are not permitted to drive on the sandhills of Sam, a ride on a Jeep is the main choice and it’s very entertaining.

• Night Safari (in Jeep):- As both camel safari and jeep safari finish around nightfall, the sandhills of Sam still offers some awesome view after 7:00 PM. Night safari in Sam is another presentation and is favored by explorers who are looking for an increasingly adventurous visit at Sam, Jaisalmer.

• Free walk at Sam sand dune:- Lastly, you can plan a stroll at the 3-5 km sandhill region of Sam, and there is no entry charge also. A decent time to appreciate a free stroll at sandhills is from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM or early morning from 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM, as the climate is calmer.

Each Desert Camp has something or the other to attract travelers. It often gets very difficult to make a selection out of so many luxury camps, While some have an unbeatable location, others have an outstanding track record of service and yet some other may have a ‘just can’t refuse’ offer. It is always best to go for an experienced destination management company.