After our brief stay in the DAS Devigarh we traveled on to Jaipur to one of the most expansive, luxurious and welcoming places of the India tour – the Rambagh Palace, known as the “Jewel of Jaipur” – for good reason.  Astoundingly it was originally built in 1835 as the home of a handmaiden to the Queen!  It also served as a hunting lodge and royal guesthouse and later it became the residence of the Maharaja Sakai Man Singh II and Maharani Gayatri Devi.

The architectural layout matches perfectly with the elegant landscaping, and despite its size only houses 78 beautifully restored grand luxury rooms and suites.  Every area is meticulously manicured and provided me with hours happily wandering around taking photos:

The courtyard outside my room:

 

The “backyard” where outdoor or indoor dining of offered while gazing at the expanse of a cricket field:

My room which included a lavished black marbled sunken tub:

Across from the entrance to the Rambagh Palace was a small park where I met up with a pair of peafowl and a few mynah birds:

It was the end of molting season so the peacock was just beginning to grow back its spectacular tail feathers

 

As it turned out, I spent more time physically in this palace than any other during my India journey as I had come down, not with Delhi Belly but rather some 24 hour bug. I stayed back from one day’s activities to rest up and lounge around and the warm and gracious staff literally could not stop seeing to my welfare.  It was quite lovely.

India had more revelations in accommodations – check in next week!

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