BEST LUXURY TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN INDIA
BEST LUXURY TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN INDIA
Spa and Wellness Holidays – Luxury Travel
India is a much sought-after destination for Wellness holidays due to its rich tradition of wellness through nature. Ayurveda is the traditional medicinal practice of India, fast emerging as an alternative to allopathy. Yoga has its roots in ancient India. Yoga helps us keep our bodies fit mentally and physically. Whereas, Ayurveda addresses any existing health problems.
A healthy mind is essential for the working of a healthy body. These experiences help in relieving the stress which comes from hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Luxury Travel holidays that allow you to rejuvenate and refresh are a must-try.
There are several world-renowned resorts in the Himalayas. Kerala in South India has many globally renowned wellness resorts which have catered to many international as well as domestic clientele.
3. Luxury Travel on Wheels with Railways of India
Indian Railways along with its subsidiaries played a major role in the growth of India. In order to boost international tourism in the country, the railways decided to create luxury train services that travel to major tourist destinations in the country such as Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. There are currently 6 luxury trains namely:
- Deccan Odyssey covering Maharashtra & Goa
- Golden Chariot covering Karnataka and Goa
- Maharaja Express covers a lot of central India
- Palace on Wheels is the oldest luxury train covering the royal Rajasthan
- Royal Orient covering Rajasthan and Gujarat
- Royal Rajasthan on Wheels covering Rajasthan
These trains have facilities such as luxurious suites, spas, private lounge, conference center, health center, gym, gourmet restaurant, bars, and much more like a personal butler. These trains run on fixed schedules and have limited seats that need to be booked in advance. The train packages cost more than INR 3 lakh per person.
Maharaja Express has even been voted as the world’s most luxurious train seven times in a row. It is surely a luxury on the wheels.
Read more on the Inditales review on Deccan Odyssey.
4. Tea Garden Stays
Tea Garden stay is a beautiful experience that should be experienced at least once in a lifetime. It offers a chance to see how the most important beverage of our life is plucked, processed, and prepared for us to drink. The green terraced views are soothing and have a calming effect. Staying in Tea estates means that you will learn the subtle art of plucking and watching a tea factory at work, staying in vintage bungalows, and being served the old-world charm way. Many estates even provide hiking tours due to their vast size.
Luxury tea estate accommodations can be found in Munnar and Ooty in the South. Darjeeling, and Assam in the East, and Palampur in the North.
5. Luxury on Water
Houseboats
Like the luxury palace on wheels, India offers luxury on its vast variety of water bodies as well. Houseboat stay is one of the best luxury experiences India has to offer. Houseboats have beautiful interiors, bedrooms, living room, deck and all modern facilities which you get in your house. Kashmir and Kerala are two places in the country where you can enjoy the luxury of staying in a houseboat.
Dal Lake, Kashmir
The Kashmiri Houseboats are stationary in nature (non-motorized) and are docked at the edges of the scenic Dal Lake. They are largely made of wood with intricate carvings. The tourism department of Jammu and Kashmir have graded houseboats from A to D. Where A means most luxurious and D means least luxurious according to the features it offers. Every houseboat has a large balcony overlooking the lake. A Shikara ride, which is a unique narrow wooden boat found in Dal Lake is often provided complimentary with your houseboat stay.
Kerala Backwaters
Houseboats in Kerala, are motorized and bigger in size than the ones found in Kashmir. It’s not fast but is used to provide leisure trips on the backwaters. The houseboats are called “kettuvallum” in Malayalam. The houseboat cruise in Kerala can be availed from several places. But Alappuzha and Kumarkom are major towns on Vembanad Lake from where houseboat services can be availed. Little offbeat options are available on Ashtamudi Lake. The houseboat cruise in the backwaters can range from 1 night to a whole week depending upon the desire of the tourists. The hull of the boat is made of wood which is held together by ropes of coconut fiber. The roof is made from bamboo and palm leaves. The exterior of the boat is painted with protective coats of cashew oils.
River Cruise
While many of India’s roads are well-trodden, there are vast swathes of the country that remain almost untouched by tourism. Some of these are only accessible by boat. River cruises are the best opportunity to explore these places, it also helps in appreciating how life revolves around a river. Ganga and Brahmaputra are two rivers where river cruise is most popular.
Brahmaputra River cruise, Guwahati
Cruising around the Brahmaputra offers scenic views ranging from farmlands, tea plantations, and forests. From the deck of your cruise, you can enjoy the pristine wildlife of Kaziranga National Park. If you’re lucky you might get to see the famous one-horned rhinoceros that the park is known for. Look out for the apex predator – the Bengal Tiger. The Brahmaputra also has the largest riverine island in the world Majuli. Majuli is so big that it is a separate district in itself. Majuli is home to many indigenous tribes with their unique traditional way of life. They engage in activities like mask-making for Vaishnava festivals celebrated here.
Ganga River cruise, Varanasi
Ganga is the lifeline to India; nurturing millions of people living on its banks. Ganga connects the people of India spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. Currently, it is not possible to cruise the entire length of the Ganga but it might be possible to do so by 2024. Currently, you can cruise on the river from Varanasi to Kolkata and vice-versa. The cruise captures the heart of the lower Ganga plain from the spiritual ghats of Varanasi to the chaotic waterways of Hugli in Kolkata.
This cruise is a fantastic way to capture the essence of Ganga. Geographically speaking the best time to take this cruise would be summer because of high water levels in the river due to melting glaciers. From a weather perspective, winter months are most suitable though it takes more time on the cruise due to silting in the river because of the low water level. These cruises don’t always navigate in the main river, they often charter around different tributaries of the river.
6. Adventure Holidays – Luxury Travel
For thrill-seeking travelers, adventure holidays are best. India is a land of many adventures and activities that makes you feel refreshed and happy. Some of the unique adventures you can take are:
Hot Air Balloon Ride
A Hot Air Balloon ride is a great way to get aerial views of stunning locations. For those who fantasize about flying in the air with the cool wind rushing through their hair, feeling light as a feather floating in the sky, hot air ballooning is perfect. Hot Air Balloon rides in India are available at limited places as it is regulated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Tethered hot air balloon rides, where the balloon is anchored to the ground by a strong rope, might be available in many cities in India, but it lacks the proper experience of freely floating in the air. The prices vary largely on the basis of the duration of the rides which may range from 10 minutes to 45 minutes in the air.
The desert state of Rajasthan is the most famous place for hot air ballooning in the country. Regular flights operate in the pink city of Jaipur which goes over the city’s famous monuments and heritage buildings. Pushkar also has regular flights during its famous camel fair in November. Other famous sites in India for hot air ballooning are Goa, Lonavala in Maharashtra, Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh, and Pollachi in Tamil Nadu.
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