A pool pavillion at Amanbagh
(Picture: Aman)Cover all bases with a dual stay at Aman’s sister properties in Rajasthan. From the ayurvedic healing centre at Amanbagh, to the tiger safaris at tented camp Aman-i-Khas, you’re in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here’s what to expect...
Amanbagh
Where?
Two hours from Jaipur or four hours from the mesmirising chaos of New Delhi. En route, you’ll whizz past goats, camels and hundreds upon hundreds of the country’s most sacred animal, the cow. Stare, transfixed, out of the window as you zoom through rural villages, marble mines and ancient Mughal forts atop craggy, limestone mountains. Then you arrive at Amanbagh. A pink marble palace hidden down a jungle path: a thing of beauty. The tranquillity is instant.
Style
A pink palace — actually a former royal hunting lodge — with extremely pleasing symmetry surrounded by the Aravalli Hills, where leopards are often spotted sunning themselves. The Olympic-size, green marble swimming pool takes centre stage and the 40 domed cupolas (also pink) line the scented gardens. Frangipani blooms, the birds are riotous and monkeys roam through the grounds (Amanbagh employs ‘monkey men’ to shoo them off, but it can be a losing battle).
Amanbagh has the magic touch of Aman’s late architect Ed Tuttle all over it. Bathtubs carved from a single slab of Udaiphur green marble, beds made from Jaipur’s famous pink marble and dozens of grand sandstone colonnades frame the pool. There are local touches everywhere: candles are made on-site and ash trays are carved from local river rock. Somehow, the splendour feels both full blown and pared back.
Facilities
Aman disciples make the pilgrimage to Amanbagh for languid laps in the pool — after which a refreshing, frozen mango granita will be awaiting next to your sunlounger — and the spa. Amanbagh — under the leadership of Dr Anoop — has set up an ayurvedic clinic and is in the process of finalising its herb garden for creating bespoke tinctures and essential oils. After a one-on-one consultation with the in-house physician (my session was quite confronting and more akin to a therapy session) to determine your dosha, a bespoke programme of treatments is curated. Dip in with the odd spa treatment or go for the immersive itinerary complete with dosha-specific meals, supplements and treatments.
Opt for the abhyanga massage, which involves two therapists working in unison to knead, stroke and pummell you into blissful oblivion. There is daily yoga and the chance to practice your tree pose at the top of a 17th-century fort overlooking the deserted ghost town of Bhangarh — a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There is also a high-tech gym but you didn’t come all the way to Rajasthan for that, did you?
Extracurricular
One could never get bored at Amanbagh and the team has crafted a unique and local menu of activities for guests to pick and choose from. Ranging from sunrise walks with a local guide explaining the flora and fauna (and always keeping one eye out for those beautiful yet rare leopards) to cooking classes, astrology readings and camel rides.
The cow dust tour is a must and though it’s tempting to never leave the immaculate confines of Amanbagh, the late-afternoon, open-top jeep ride through the villages of the local area is both beautiful and life-affirming. You’ll see farmers herding their goats, cows and buffalo along the road, kicking up dust as they go, followed by chilled lemonade with a family as you watch the golden sun dip behind the mustard fields.
The hotel can also organise visits to the local temple, where you can take part in the evening chants, as well as unbeatable stargazing and hypnotic fire mediation sessions.
Food & drink
Amanbagh goes in hard for the theatre of dining. There are nine different places to eat, ranging from the terrace restaurant or pool pavilion to rooftop candlelight dining. The standout options for those who really have something to celebrate is the Jhilmil forest private dining in among the tall elephant grass hidden in the lush jungle surrounding the hotel. Here, chefs barbecue tasty tandoori and coconutty South Indian curries.
But, the one dining experience that it would be a crime not to try is the Chhatri dinner at an abandoned old fort with just the stars and your own personal sitar player for company. Lit by hundreds of diya lamps, you’ll sit cross-legged on hand-embroidered cushions eating exquisite thali ( a selection of various dishes which are served on a platter) wondering how you got so lucky. A real pinch me moment.
The signature cocktails are inventive and dangerously moreish — the Basil Peppini (a punchy, basil-infused vodka martini) was the favourite among our group.
Which room?
Hotel rooms? Not at Aman, thank you very much. There are suites and pavilions on offer at Amanbagh — with suites either overlooking the pool or the tropical gardens below. Meanwhile, the standalone pavilions are completely secluded at the far end of the hotel — complete with a 30ft private swimming pool.
The bedroom with living area, king-size bed and access to the terrace is linked to the preposterously sized bathroom (via a palatial, pink marble corridor). The turn-down surface is a nightly delight with handmade gifts every evening. We found handpainted coasters (now pride of place on my coffee table), bookmarks weaved by local women and a pot of the hotel’s special chai mix.
It should be said that the service throughout Amanbagh is exceptional and the attention to detail is staggering. At lunch one day, I leant down to scratch my leg for a moment and within seconds someone had glided over with organic mosquito repellant and proceeded to spray my legs for me. It’s the sort of place where you arrive back from your day to find a warm frangipani-strewn bath has been drawn. Laundry is complimentary —and I never once encountered the housekeeping… they move as if by magic.
Aman-i-Khas
Where?
The ‘camp’ (though, really, to call this opulent oasis a ‘camp’ does it a huge disservice) is so close to the edge of Ranthambore National Park that it’s not unusual for a tiger to roam through the tents at night (there are night security guards so no need to worry about an unwelcome tiger encounter). It’s a three-hour drive from both Amanbagh and Jaipur.
Style
This is serious luxury. Ten six-metre-high Mughal-style ‘tents’ (they are bigger than most London homes and come with sunken marble baths, warm showers and lots of buttery, tan leather and teak furniture) are dotted around the camp. It feels like your own exclusive encampment, in fact both Bollywood and Hollywood royalty regularly buy-out the property for private parties — it’s famously where Katy Perry married Russell Brand.
Facilities
Your own personal valet or ‘Batman’ is there to make your stay seamless — from room service to safari advice, they’re just a reassuring push of a button away. We were greeted with refreshing rose lemonade and a foot massage on arrival.
There is a highly instagrammable stepwell pool for cooling off after a bumpy day on safari and a peaceful spa tent offering up Aman’s much-loved signature treatments.
Extracurricular
But really, you’re here for just one thing: to see the rare but magnificent Benghal tiger. Your success depends on the season but even we — who were travelling just after the monsoon when the landscape is dense and lush, making it harder to see the tigers — managed a sighting. Aman-i-Khas puts on twice-daily safaris at peak tiger-spotting times — sunrise and late afternoon.
Bumping along in the slick, open-top jeeps is an experience in itself as the guide points out sloth bears, crocodiles, deer, some of the 300 species of birds, and the most beautiful views. For the cold early mornings, they provide hot water bottles and blankets and chilled water and baseball caps for sunny days.
A visit to the Ranthambore Fort is well worth it. Take one of Aman-i-Khas’s personal guides to explain the heritage of this Unesco World Heritage Site — as with all Aman excursions, the guide will go the extra mile and there are always some luxury surprises in store.
Food & drink
This is unlike any camp food you’ve had before. But first, start the evening with a cocktail by the fire pit to the soundtrack of live music, before retreating to the antique-filled dining tent or terrace.
All vegetables and herbs are picked that day from the on-site garden (ask for a tour) and curries are rich, tender and full of flavour. Western dishes are available as well as room service.
Which room?
With air-con/heating, Toto toilets, sunken, marble bathtubs, showers, two wardrobes, his ‘n her sinks, king-sized beds and two decking areas, it’s hard to imagine how a tent could be more decadent. All tents are the same, but tent number one is furthest away from the main facilities.
Details
Stay three nights at Amanbagh in a Garden Haveli Suite on a full-board basis and three nights at Aman-i-Khas in a luxury tent on a full-board basis from £4,901 per person with Elegant Resorts. The price includes a complimentary upgrade from a Garden to a Terrace Haveli Suite at Amanbagh at the time of booking and a choice of one activity at each resort. It also includes return flights from Heathrow to Delhi and domestic flights to Jaipur, as well as private transfers including meet and greet and UK lounge vouchers. Valid for stays between 1 – 28 Feb 2023 - based on two people sharing. For further information, please contact Elegant Resorts Reservations on 01244 897294 or visit the website at elegantresorts.co.uk.
