Month: December 2013

My butler slash batman, Bijoy, woke us up an hour before dawn with tea service and some cookies. I requested to go someplace special to see the sunrise and this requires an early departure. Bobby our guide from the previous day, showed up with a driver and covered jeep to take us to Surwal Lake. The drive through rural Rajasthan was really interesting. We got to see the village wake up. There were a lot of traffic jams– caused not by cars but by cows who were hogging the road.

We arrived at the very peaceful and serene Surwal Lake about 15 minutes before the sun started to show. The local children were curious and very friendly and even willing to pose for me in a few photos. Once again, the staff at Aman-I–Khas hooked me up. The sunrise was beyond beautiful– and incredibly peaceful. These words aren’t usually what first comes to mind when one thinks of India. The sun started out pale pink before rapidly changing to brilliant orange as it climbed higher in the sky. Birds started coming to the water and there was a boat on the lake catching fish. It was an unforgettable morning.

After taking it all in, we started heading back and stopped along a levee where Bijoy arrived in a separate vehicle with our breakfast, which he set up a table so we could dine al fresco with a perfect view of rural Rajasthan. Bijoy served the watermelon juice I’ve grown to love here, and hard boiled eggs (exactly as I had ordered them the previous day). Tropical fresh fruit was also on the menu- with the limes and kiwis being standouts. There were, of course, hot towels so we could clean off any dust we picked up exploring the countryside. The staff at Aman-I-Khas sure knows how to take care of their guests. What a lovely end to an absolutely unforgettable morning. We drove back to the resort very happy glampers.

After coming home from our game drive, we were exhausted and took a much needed nap. But I did get up in time to enjoy a ceasar salad for lunch (made with lettuce from the Aman-I-Khas’ own vegetable garden.

Bijoy, our batman, gave us a tour of the Aman-I-Khas property, which was 15 acres of farmland only 10 years ago. Besides the luxurious guest tents, the camp includes a beautiful outdoor yoga area (with yoga offered every morning). There are also two gardens on the property, overseen by a father and son team of gardeners. All of the herbs in my food were growing right there, as well as most of the vegetables. It was fun, because it was a scratch-and-sniff tour where I got to see everything from basil to tomatoes growing surrounded by marigolds. The marigolds, I learned, serve as a natural bug repellent for the crops, acting as a sort of diversion and attracting would be insects to their saffron hued blossoms.

All of the staff was incredibly kind, and one of the cleaning women allowed me to shoot her portrait. It was amazing seeing how an elaborate sari can be worn while sweeping.

There is also a fantastic tented library and gift shop. The books ranged from coffee table art books to paperbacks left by other guests. There was also a table dedicated to Aman resorts so guests could learn about their other properties around the world.

Once the sun went down, it was time for cocktails around the firepit. I don’t know why, but gin & tonics taste the best in safari like surroundings. If only s’more curry were a thing in India! The evening was a bit nippy, so we ate a light dinner in the restaurant, enjoying the musicians performing outside the restaurant. They even waved hello to me because they recognized me from the night before. I can’t say enough how gracious and lovely the staff here is. The personalized service is impeccable but in-your-face obvious. Bijoy is always just the push of a button away. Our dusty clothes from our morning game drive were returned to our tent folded in a basket. After dinner we both fell asleep exhausted, knowing we would be up early to go someplace special Bijoy had arranged for us to watch the sunrise.

We woke at 6:15 when our batman, Bijoy, delivered a pot of English Breakfast tea to our tent. Then we got up to get ready for our first game drive in Ranthambhore National Park, which is known for tiger spotting.

It was chilly, but the tea and toasty tent made getting up pretty easy. The incredible staff at Aman-I-Khas sure knows how to take care of their guests– when Bobby, our guide arrived in a open top jeep, we were given hot water bottles and blankets to keep us toasty. The gift shop at the resort also had fleece jackets (well worth the $10)! It’s a short drive to Ranthambhore, but an interesting one, as the village was just waking up and you could get a sense of daily life in rural Rajasthan.

Once we entered the park, we saw lots of wildlife. December, when the foliage is thick and weather is cool, is not the best time to spot tigers, although there had been several sightings in the past few days. Ranthambhore is beautiful and unlike any National Park I’ve visited. There is an ancient fort at the entrance which is over a thousand years old. Also, many people were entering on foot to visit the fort and in the park.

Our morning game drive was thrilling. We saw fresh tiger prints so we knew there was a chance for a tiger spotting! That was the first priority of the day, as tigers are on the move in the early morning hours and the prints were fresh. Male tigers can travel up to 15 kilometers at night, and the females about half that. The females have their cubs with them for the first two years or so until they are old enough to defend themselves.

We spotted many other animals and some stunning birds, including Kingfishers who were too quick for me to capture their brilliant blue with my camera. The Great Egrets, with their long necks, and a beautiful juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle with stunning yellow eyes. Peacocks were plentiful.

There are several types of deer: Spotted Deer (think Thumper and Bambi) and many Sambars, which are the primary source of food for the tigers. We also saw several Blue Bull Antelope.

We had quite the adrenaline rush– a few minutes of a bumpy jeep ride– when Bobby and the other guides and trackers heard Sambar distress calls nearby. Sambars make these noises to communicate that there is danger (meaning a tiger) in the area. We spent a bit of time zeroing in on the distress call and knew a tiger was in the near vicinity when we saw Sambars walking tense and slowly, with their tails erect. This is high alert in Sambar body language. Unfortunately, we couldn’t locate the tiger and had to settle for photographing their fresh tracks.

After three great hours of game viewing, we returned to Aman-I-Khas a bit dusty. The staff greated us with hot towels and tea and Bijoy took my backpack to wipe the dust away. We ate breakfast under the shade of trees. Indian breakfast is growing on me, especially the Poori Potato Curry, a dish from Northern India served with deep fried unleavened bread. They also had all the usual breakfast items on the menu– Eggs Benedict, omlettes, French Toast and waffles.  The fresh fruit was exotic and deliciously ripe. The lime wedge was unbelievably juicy and went so well with the kiwi slices.

With full stomachs, we returned to our tent to freshen up. There was plenty of hot water (and water pressure) to clean up the dust from our game drive.