Grandeur in Rajasthan
Rajasthan in India is every bit as luxurious as it used to be in the days of maharajas
A seasoned camper or a sucker for punishment, I've spent countless nights under canvas, dreaming of an extra pair of socks for my frostbitten toes. So on my first night at the Serai luxury desert camp near Jaisalmer — after a massage, a steaming-hot shower and an evening of music and dinner under the stars — when I slip into bed in my preheated tent to find a hot-water bottle, I feel indulged.
Lap of luxury
The Serai is my third stop on a week's tour of luxury-tented experiences in the Rajasthan desert. Each standard suite in the camp is pitched on a base of golden Jaisalmer stone covering more than 1,000 square feet and features a sitting room, a bed the size of a judo mat and a bathroom with a plumbed toilet, twin sinks and a shower. The porch demands that you watch the sunset armed with a GT ordered by ringing one of the bedside bells. Four suites also have sunken pools while the Royal Suite comes with its own butler.
Luxury camps have become the hippest way of experiencing Rajasthan. Over the past decade, more than a dozen have sprung up in the state's desert and jungle areas but the Serai's opening took the level of grandeur to giddy new heights. Largely ecosensitive and built by local workers using local materials, the camps are a relatively guilt-free way to enjoy the tranquillity and wildlife of the desert. But their unique appeal lies in their sense of nostalgia.
"Tents have been an essential part of outdoor life in India since the 15th century," says Jaisal Singh, the Serai's owner and the man who launched Rajasthan's first luxury camp, Sher Bagh, in 1999 in the Ranthambore National Park outside Jaipur. "If a viceroy was visiting a state and the rooms were full, they would put up a tented city for the other guests."
Comfortable retreat
I began my trip 40 kilometres south of Jodphur at Mihirgarh ("the Sun's fortress"), a boutique hotel with nine decorated rooms and a neighbouring camp comprising seven large, well-lit tents. It is frequently used as a resting place for those enjoying speciality horseback safaris.
After a day in the bustling crowds of Jodhpur, I'm back in the wilderness, scrambling over steep dunes with a moustached Jeep driver in khakis and beret who seems to think he's James Bond's getaway guy. He's actually my chauffeur to Manvar, a camp set in a five-acre resort between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.
Moti Singh Rathore, the owner of Manvar, says Rajasthan is known for three things: "hospitality, beautiful women and barren landscapes offset by colourful clothes". All three are in evidence that evening as we ride camels into the desert to watch the sunset while a lone piper silhouetted against the sky entertains. We're wooed with local singers and dancers, tandoori snacks and a fireworks display. That night, I drift into a peaceful sleep, considering the early retirement of my battered, two-man tent.
