The Ranthambhore reserve in Rajashtan
The fascinating Indian state of Rajasthan will surely continue to amaze travellers for some time to come. Here you can find palaces straight out of “The Thousand and One Nights” nestled in impregnable citadels and lively bazaars in villages where time has literally come to a standstill. A land of contrasts with tuc-tucs alongside limousines. How can you not help be intrigued by its sumptuous legends, which are bound to give you a new boost of energy? Oberoi Vanyavilla, 100 km from Jaipur, in the Southeastern part of Rajasthan, will not disappoint you either.
Departure for the Ranthambhore reserve
5.30 a.m. The first sunrays are shyly making their way through the abundant trees, light clouds are floating by and spirals of mugginess sail at the top of the vegetation, before disappearing off into the horizon. Back in the luxurious bungalow tents of Vanyavilla, it is already time to get up and get going. Our safari, where we hope to see some tigers, is scheduled to start at 6.00 a.m. After gulping down a masala (Indian tea), served in the lobby by the Oberoi’s perfectly trained personnel, we get into open jeeps. The Ranthambhore reserve, located a few kilometres from Oberoi Vanyavilla, is home to some thirty tigers, all survivors of the famous hunts of the maharadjahs, on a territory that extends some 1600km².
Intense emotions, accelerated heartbeats and memories to last a lifetime
Once we arrive at the reserve, we more or less have to pick a number from a hat to see which of the five zones we will get to go on. We get the jeep going to zone 4. Our guide tells us that zone 3 would have been the better deal! Oh well! We see what he means after three hours of bumpy roads, interspersed with savannah and forest vegetation, and then false alarms when we discover the cries we hear are actually coming from monkeys or peacocks, and birds with multi-coloured feathers taking flight upon our intrusion into their territory. But that is all part of the fun! Where are the tigers? At last, we think we can make out the silhouette of this majestic animal that has almost become legendary. We return back full of dreams and vivid images.
Art de vivre at Hotel Vanyavilla
The heat is starting to get to us. We are eager to get back to the freshness of the hotel and one again be pampered by its very accommodating staff.
All of the Oberoi hotels cultivate the Indian-art of a welcome and are extremely attentive to small details which have given them their well-deserved reputation. The Vanyavilla, with its high standards of hospitality, is no exception to this rule. After each safari, the ‘ballet of waiters’, dressed in traditional garb, gets underway to welcome each one of us.
The 25 tents nestled in the lush vegetation of the park with dozens of hectares, take on the dimension of a dream full of intense emotions. To get to them, we make our way through several paths lined with fragrant trees and bushes. Well protected from indiscrete eyes, the tents are the epitome of sophistication. This site is a harmonious blend with tones in beige and ivory, fabrics embroidered with golden thread tigers on the unbleached linen ceiling, light veiling and colonial style furniture. The canopy bed, with its unbleached mosquito netting, is an ideal place for relaxation, and picture windows surrounding the bedroom offer a splendid view over the lush vegetation and the private terrace.
Here the guest feels in harmony with the surrounding jungle.
Unforgettable images
In the evening, after a refreshing dip in the swimming pool, there is nothing more divine than to enjoy a scotch in the British-style library where tales of tigers from the reserve are told.
Then a candlelit dinner at the poolside, with piercing music from the sarinde (a traditional wind instrument) in the background, remains an out-of-this-world experience.
Next day, at dawn, we again try to see some tigers.
Without any success, but the wait is also part of the excitement. All along the road, many other precious images catch our attention. Women draped in colourful saris, children with fiery eyes, cows circulating on the roads in the opposite direction and overloaded rickshaws calling out for more passengers to round out their day’s work.
Back to the accommodations, time out for the spa.
This break is a must to make the most out of your days of complete leisure.
Beautifully romantic, the small pink building overlooks a pond with water lilies. The openwork design balconies of its three suites, just against the face of the building, offer guests a peaceful moment, out of this world.
To get to these suites, all you have to do is to walk down a few steps, go past a small basin embedded in the ground, just above the water.
The suites are furnished with colonial furniture, mahogany-coloured flooring and floral frescoes on the wall. A beautiful bathtub directly faces the picture window. Outside, A refreshing wind is blowing at some fountains.
Next on the agenda, is selecting from a wide range of treatments. Each treatment offers an introductory journey into well-being in order to recharge your batteries, regain vital energy and real serenity.
Then back in the tent, when night falls, we dream of waking up in the early hours to the first light of dawn and then again falling asleep under the glow of the sunset.
5.30 a.m. The first sunrays are shyly making their way through the abundant trees, light clouds are floating by and spirals of mugginess sail at the top of the vegetation, before disappearing off into the horizon. Back in the luxurious bungalow tents of Vanyavilla, it is already time to get up and get going. Our safari, where we hope to see some tigers, is scheduled to start at 6.00 a.m. After gulping down a masala (Indian tea), served in the lobby by the Oberoi’s perfectly trained personnel, we get into open jeeps. The Ranthambhore reserve, located a few kilometres from Oberoi Vanyavilla, is home to some thirty tigers, all survivors of the famous hunts of the maharadjahs, on a territory that extends some 1600km².
Intense emotions, accelerated heartbeats and memories to last a lifetime
Once we arrive at the reserve, we more or less have to pick a number from a hat to see which of the five zones we will get to go on. We get the jeep going to zone 4. Our guide tells us that zone 3 would have been the better deal! Oh well! We see what he means after three hours of bumpy roads, interspersed with savannah and forest vegetation, and then false alarms when we discover the cries we hear are actually coming from monkeys or peacocks, and birds with multi-coloured feathers taking flight upon our intrusion into their territory. But that is all part of the fun! Where are the tigers? At last, we think we can make out the silhouette of this majestic animal that has almost become legendary. We return back full of dreams and vivid images.
Art de vivre at Hotel Vanyavilla
The heat is starting to get to us. We are eager to get back to the freshness of the hotel and one again be pampered by its very accommodating staff.
All of the Oberoi hotels cultivate the Indian-art of a welcome and are extremely attentive to small details which have given them their well-deserved reputation. The Vanyavilla, with its high standards of hospitality, is no exception to this rule. After each safari, the ‘ballet of waiters’, dressed in traditional garb, gets underway to welcome each one of us.
The 25 tents nestled in the lush vegetation of the park with dozens of hectares, take on the dimension of a dream full of intense emotions. To get to them, we make our way through several paths lined with fragrant trees and bushes. Well protected from indiscrete eyes, the tents are the epitome of sophistication. This site is a harmonious blend with tones in beige and ivory, fabrics embroidered with golden thread tigers on the unbleached linen ceiling, light veiling and colonial style furniture. The canopy bed, with its unbleached mosquito netting, is an ideal place for relaxation, and picture windows surrounding the bedroom offer a splendid view over the lush vegetation and the private terrace.
Here the guest feels in harmony with the surrounding jungle.
Unforgettable images
In the evening, after a refreshing dip in the swimming pool, there is nothing more divine than to enjoy a scotch in the British-style library where tales of tigers from the reserve are told.
Then a candlelit dinner at the poolside, with piercing music from the sarinde (a traditional wind instrument) in the background, remains an out-of-this-world experience.
Next day, at dawn, we again try to see some tigers.
Without any success, but the wait is also part of the excitement. All along the road, many other precious images catch our attention. Women draped in colourful saris, children with fiery eyes, cows circulating on the roads in the opposite direction and overloaded rickshaws calling out for more passengers to round out their day’s work.
Back to the accommodations, time out for the spa.
This break is a must to make the most out of your days of complete leisure.
Beautifully romantic, the small pink building overlooks a pond with water lilies. The openwork design balconies of its three suites, just against the face of the building, offer guests a peaceful moment, out of this world.
To get to these suites, all you have to do is to walk down a few steps, go past a small basin embedded in the ground, just above the water.
The suites are furnished with colonial furniture, mahogany-coloured flooring and floral frescoes on the wall. A beautiful bathtub directly faces the picture window. Outside, A refreshing wind is blowing at some fountains.
Next on the agenda, is selecting from a wide range of treatments. Each treatment offers an introductory journey into well-being in order to recharge your batteries, regain vital energy and real serenity.
Then back in the tent, when night falls, we dream of waking up in the early hours to the first light of dawn and then again falling asleep under the glow of the sunset.
Juin 2009
By Katya PELLEGRINO
