Royal Digs on the Road

For the first 6 weeks of the year I traveled with my mum Sam. (Yes — 6 whole weeks!) This means that I got to live the high life for a while – staying in 5-star resorts and heritage hotels, enjoying spa treatments and sumptuous dinners.

It was a bonanza of fun while it lasted! And now I’m broke….

But I don’t regret a minute of the high life! Just check out some of our favorite high-end haunts:

Bagan, Burma – Aureum Palace

The night-time view here was unsurpassed: Bagan’s famous pagodas reflected in the infinity pool and lit by floating candles and rose petals. Mom turned to me and said she’d like to spend her honeymoon here. Me too. Unfortunately, we were hanging out together so it was less than romantic! (Although we could fully appreciate the perfection of it all.) Our deluxe room had a patio overlooking the second pool. Sweet!

Kerala, India – Kumarakom Lake Resort

By and far the most swank of places – we even had our own private pool! The grounds bordered Kerala’s famous backwaters. They offered tea in the afternoons, yoga in the morning (lots of tongue breathing though that I wasn’t too sure about), and beautiful traditional southern Indian dance performances during dinner. Such decadence!

Jodhpur, India – Ajit Bhawan Palace

This place was a true resort. We had our own villa tucked away behind beautifully landscaped walkways. We were served lunch on the lawn and drinks by the pool. The pool, in particular, was dreamy (as I fell asleep in the sun…). We found everyone in India very friendly, but the staff here went above and beyond to ensure we had a comfortable stay. Wished we could have stayed longer.

Udaipur, India – Jagat Niwas Palace

Both Udaipur and our hotel grew on us each day. We had a deluxe suite overlooking Rajasthan’s famous Lake Pichola with several built-in window seats. The window seats (and view!) were addictive. We found it hard to move when they were perfect for afternoon naps, playing cards and reading. Before we knew it, the hours ticked by and it was time to adjourn to the rooftop restaurant for a fabulous sunset. I’m sold!

Cochin, India – Old Harbor House

This heritage hotel in Kerala’s old town has tons of charm. It’s right across from the backwater beach and morning fish market, and steps away from some pretty cool shopping. But all that may not matter because you won’t want to leave. The interior courtyard has lily ponds and the pool-side dining is lit up at night with twinkling stars. All with a gorgeous Indian music accompaniment. We like!

Chiang Mai, Thailand – Baan Orapin

The base of this boutique hotel is a traditional Thai-style teak house. The location is great, a bit away from the old town markets, but within walking distance, and right across the street from some of the better restaurants dotting the river bank. We had a lovely suite, with an indoor and outdoor porch. And the home-made breakfast was hands-down the best of the trip! Lovely!

*Just to be clear, I didn’t receive any benefits for these mentions, but boy, I wish I had! We paid in full through our travel agents Enchanting India (which I totally recommend) before we set out, so that bill is buried deep in my memory. Which is just as well – it allows me to focus on these new memories of our posh life in South Asia!

Tags: Ajit Bhawan Palace, Baan Orapin, Chiang Mai, Cochin, India, Jagat Niwas Palace, Jodhpur, Kerala, Kumarakom Lake Resort, Luxury Hotels, Old Harbor House

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 and is filed under Home.