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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.

After our camel ride, we arrived on a hilltop where Bijay had a small picnic table set up. We enjoyed a traditional sundowner (safari’s version of happy hour, usually in a picturesque setting) and took in the view of the pink hued valley below. It was a lovely spot to have a Kingfisher beer and snack on some bite-sized fried chicken.

We returned to the Aman-I-Khas by jeep, and the resort was glowing with lanterns and the firepit was ablaze. It’s such a beautiful place– the ambience is exotic, chic, and intimate.

When we got to our tent we found a hot bath already drawn. I must say that the word  “tent” does not do the accommodations at Aman-I-Khas justice. The suites are more like canvas pavilions, with high vaulted ceilings and distinct areas for lounging about, a sitting area, bathroom and bedroom. The bells and whistles are all there too– strong wifi, plenty of hot water, ample electrical outlets, heated floors and a king side bed complete with heated blankets.

Posh as it is, there is something special about sleeping under canvas. The sounds of nature here are different and intriguing, and you feel so close to them tucked away in your tented palace. We weren’t all that hungry and it was so comfortable we contemplating calling it a night, but when I heard some music in the distance, I decided to check it out.

Three local musicians were playing live on the lawn between the restaurant and the guest library. They added to the already special atmosphere here.

We made our way to the dining pavilion to have a bite. One course each was enough for dinner, with both the lentil soup and chicken korma were delicious.

After dinner we were ready for a good night’s sleep. What an incredible first day.