RED CARPETS, HIGH TEAS & TURBANED MUSICIANS
Red carpets, high teas & turbaned musicians - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Red Carpets, High Teas & Turbaned Musicians | |||||
| (India) | |||||
| By: Hansika Bhagani, Issue 44 – Spring 2010 | |||||
| FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR THE MAHARAJA EXPRESS HAS BEEN CRISSCROSSING NORTH AND CENTRAL INDIA ALONG THE INDIAN RAILWAY SYSTEM. NOW, HANSIKA BHAGANI REPORTS, THE OPERATING COMPANY HAS THE ROMANCE OF LUXURY RAIL TRAVEL IN THE MODERN ERA DOWN TO A FINE ART. | |||||
| In a time when an hour or so on a plane can get you halfway across a continent, there’s a certain luxury in travelling slowly. Deserts, lakes, mountains and forgotten parts of the country all pass by the old-fashioned rail traveller with the soothing sounds of the train click-clacking as the soundtrack. But delete the soundtrack. On the Maharaja Express the luxury extends to sound proofing in all of the carriages. This luxury Indian rail journey takes in North and Central India in various tours that crisscross the country, from bustling Mumbai to stately palaces in Rajasthan, to the unparalleled beauty of Agra and the modern sophistication of Delhi and further afield. At the start of their journey, guests are welcomed on the platform with garlands, offered fresh juices and invited by a private valet to take a tour of the train along the velvety red carpet that stretches its length. At every station thereafter, travellers are welcomed in traditional Indian royal style with red carpets, local turbaned musicians and enthusiastic hosts waiting to show off their city. Along its 23 carriages The Maharaja Express offers a range of accommodation options and a butler dedicated to each carriage. All of the cabins are either double or twin-bedded with ensuite bathrooms, individual temperature controls and panoramic windows. The high-tech staples in every cabin include LCD TVs, DVD players and high speed internet, a true luxury considering the remote areas the train navigates. The Presidential Suite is its own carriage with two bedrooms, lounge room, two bathrooms and two entrances. Presidential Suite guests can spread out in a lavishly appointed space with enough room for several sofas and a dining table. With only 84 passengers on board strangers become firm friends in the Maharaja’s restaurants where everyone gathers for hearty meals before and after eventful sightseeing days. Breakfast and dinner are served at the Rang Mahal and Mayur Mahal restaurants which offer Indian and Western options in a fine dining setting. The Mayur Mahal is the more formal of the two, featuring a glass-mosaic ceiling, exotic gold plating and cutlery set upon glass tables. Guests are encouraged to dress up for the three-course dinners in this restaurant. An effort is made to continually surprise guests with the range of cuisine styles which may include traditional eggs and bacon, delicious Indian desserts, crispy masala dosa, foie gras and mushroom ravioli. Friendships made over dinner are cemented afterwards in the train’s bars – the Safari Bar and Rajah Club - over speciality international wines, beers, cocktails and spicy Indian snacks. Bar staff aim to memorise your drinks order by the second day and dietary requests to the chef are noted and accommodated. Each carriage also has its own 24-hour butler whose job it is to make sure travellers’ needs are met – from a piping-hot morning chai to laundry and currency conversions. Those seeking an authentic rail experience of yesteryear all the way down to the swaying and jolting carriages will be disappointed by the custom German engineering of the Maharaja Express. The journey is smooth and the sound-proofing eliminates most of those romantic train noise. Guests will sleep the night away peacefully and wake to the thrill of a new city in the morning without even really feeling as if they’ve travelled overnight on a train. | |||||
| DETAILS: | |||||
| Rates start at A$848 per adult per day and rise to A$2,651 per adult per day for the Presidential Suite. That is a carriage on its own, complete with sitting room, two bedrooms – one with twin beds and one with a double – two showers and even a bath. | |||||
| FARE INCLUSIONS: | |||||
| Accommodation in double / twin bedded cabins with en suite bathrooms, all meals, soft beverages, house brands of Indian wines, beer and spirits, butler service, guided off train excursions inclusive of entrance fees and still camera fees, transport and services of a guide, complimentary tea, coffee and mineral water on board, porterage at stations. Visit www.rirtl.com for more details. | |||||
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