India’s colourful, complex and chaotic — and so is its hotel scene. One moment
the subcontinent gets it very, very right, converting centuries-old houses
into unforgettable oases of calm; the next it gets it very, very wrong —
plastic furniture, shiny curtains, embossed wallpaper.
What you need is a trusted guide. And here he is. This is Alastair Sawday’s
personal pick of India’s best hotels. He’s spent years and travelled
thousands of miles to hunt out properties that are authentic, good value and
worthy of such a fascinating country. The results are revealed in his new
guide — but, for us, he’s chosen the seven places he’d return to time and
again: from the timeless majesty of a hilltop estate in the Himalayas to
hippie chic on the seductive shores of Cochin.
1. THE GLASSHOUSE ON THE GANGES
Rishikesh, Uttaranchal
This place is literally a few feet from the Ganges. You can take a sunrise
yoga lesson on the hotel’s private beach and reach out and touch the water
or, at sunset, dip your feet in it and just think. Nothing can compare with
having an ayurvedic treatment on the river bank, with one therapist pouring
warm oil over your forehead, another massaging your scalp and a third your
feet — it’s heaven.
This is not the Ganges you probably picture. The Glasshouse is only about 20
miles from the river’s source and so the water is very pure. It’s also
surprisingly fast flowing — you can actually go whitewater rafting here.
The hotel is a pretty bungalow from the days of the Raj, surrounded by
frangipani trees, so the air is always filled with this divine scent and
there are dozens of butterflies and birds. The bedrooms are white- walled,
huge and handsome, and if they’re missing the odd detail (some ceilings
haven’t been painted yet, so are still raw concrete), unique touches more
than make up for it: for example, one of the rooms has a solid marble sink
fed by the hotel’s own spring water.
Afternoon tea with home- made biscuits in the main building, with its enormous
floor-to-ceiling glass walls that overlook the Ganges, is magical. This is
as close as a hotel gets to a spiritual experience.
Details: Glasshouse on the Ganges (00 91 13 7826 9224,
www.neemranahotels.com), doubles from £34, room-only.
Getting there: Virgin Atlantic (0870 574 7747,
www.virgin-atlantic.com) flies from Heathrow to Delhi, from £530. Or try
British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com), Air India (020 8560 9996,
www.airindia.com) or Jet Airways (0800 026 5626, www.jet airways.com). Air
Deccan (www.airdeccan.net) flies on from Delhi to Dehra Dun, from £50. A
taxi to the hotel takes under an hour and costs less than £10.
2. KALMATIA SANGAM HIMALAYA RESORT
Almora, Uttaranchal
It’s hard to imagine a more perfect backdrop than the snow-tipped Himalayas
and the Kalmatia really does capture the essence of this very special place.
There are nine spacious cottages within a hilltop estate that’s studded with
pine trees and scented with wild herbs. It’s serene and lovely.
The owner, Geeta, clearly cherishes the property. She’s kept the decor simple:
white walls with splashes of bright yellow, exposed wooden beams,
Scandinavian-style furniture. The overall impression is austere, but
something more pampering wouldn’t be right for here, and the cottages have
wonderful touches such as open fires, romantic as well as practical — it can
get cold this high up.
One of the finest things about Kalmatia is that its pleasures are also simple.
You look out at that view or perhaps take a walk through the valley, past a
waterfall, slate-roofed houses with brightly painted doors, terraces of
wheat, buffalo grazing and women wearing the most startling colours. It’s
utterly charming. This is a great place to retreat to.
Details: Kalmatia Sangam Himalaya Resort (00 91 59 6223 1572,
www.kalmatia-sangam.com), doubles from £46, room-only.
Getting there: see above for flights to Delhi. Then take the
overnight train to Kathgodam; book through SD Enterprises (020 8903 3411,
www.indiarail. co.uk), returns from £18; then it’s a 2Åhr cab ride, about
£25.
3. THE SCHOOL ESTATE
Kodagu, Karnataka
The District of Kodagu, about two hours from Mysore, is completely different
from anywhere else in the country. If you’ve been to India before and done
all the tick-list sights, this is the kind of place that would really
intrigue you.
For a start, the local Coorg tribe don’t look Indian, they have a sort of
European-ness about them. They don’t practise any of the country’s accepted
religions: they worship mother earth and the river. They eat lots of meat,
even pork, and the women are very liberated. Nobody really knows their
heritage: there’s talk that they’re descended from the Greeks. Whatever the
truth, the reality is that they’re slightly crazy and love to party. They’re
also unbelievably friendly. You’ll feel so welcome.
The School Estate is surrounded by tea, coffee and vanilla plantations, and is
a rare treat. Its owner, Rani, is an elegant Coorg woman — a renowned cook
who loves to sit you under the mango tree and talk and eat. She served me
about 15 delicious traditional dishes for lunch as she told me about her
family. It was so civilised, with a touch of the refined English B&B to
it.
Rooms are enormous, old-fashioned and homey; there’s such a depth of love in
those hand-stitched floral covers on the rosewood beds.
It is very relaxing and, unlike so much of India these days, it’s still
relatively untouched by tourism. This place is a real find.
Details: The School Estate (00 91 82 7425 8358), doubles from
£100, full-board.
Getting there: BA (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com) flies from
Heathrow to Bangalore, from £465. Kodagu is a 5hr taxi ride from here; about
£50.
4. FORT HOUSE
Cochin, Kerala
Cochin Harbour is one of my favourite places in India. It’s huge and there’s
always something happening. Traditional fishing boats bob alongside the
cargo tugs and cruise liners, there are people everywhere. It’s so alive and
vigorous. It’s great to rent a boat and explore the harbour’s island and
villages.
The Fort House has stunning views over its entrance. It’s a bit of a wacky
place, a bit hippyish, very unpretentious. Don’t expect luxury. The huts
(some bamboo, some brick) are basic and spotless, with just a big bed, crisp
white sheets and a clothes rail — what more do you need? Its charm is that
it feels authentic; it’s made just enough concessions for its western
customers and no more.
There are much more stylish places to stay in Cochin, but the Fort House has
such a seductive ambience and it’s an incredible bargain. It’s exactly the
kind of hotel I wish we could find in every town we feature.
Details: Fort House, Cochin (00 91 48 4221 7103), doubles
from £13, B&B.
Getting there: there are no direct flights from the UK or
Ireland to Cochin. Travelbag (0800 082 5000, www.travelbag.co.uk) has
flights from Heathrow, starting at £448, with SriLankan Airlines via
Colombo. Or try Opodo (0871 277 0090, www.opodo.co.uk).
5. RAHEEM RESIDENCY
Alleppey, Kerala
This is a tasteful colonial house on a quiet beach on the outskirts of
Alleppey. It’s been painstakingly converted into a very intimate experience
by Bibi, a twinkly-eyed Irish former TV journalist who fell in love with the
building while on holiday and had to buy it. It used to be owned by the
Raheems, a wealthy family with links to Gandhi, and Bibi also bought a lot
of their furniture, such as the grandfather’s bed. It’s mahogany with inlaid
marble hearts — so romantic.
The rooms are all cool and high ceilinged, there’s lovely carved wood
everywhere, lots of antiques, inlaid coloured glass, bathrooms that open on
to the stars. This is proper understated luxury, right at the gateway to
Kerala’s wonderfully lush backwaters. I love sitting on a rice barge and
watching the children on the river banks. They look so cute with their
heavily kohled eyes (it’s meant to ward away evil spirits).
The hotel’s restaurant is also well placed for people- watching. Look out one
way and there are the families on the beach; turn the other way and there’s
the cricket pitch. You’ve got to get Bibi to advise you on shopping — she
only recommends the stores the locals use. She sent me to a little place
that only sells those gorgeous, colourful parasols, edged with gold coins.
You can tell she loves her adopted home and wants you to as well — and you
will.
Details: Raheem Residency (00 91 47 7223 9767,
www.raheemresidency.com), doubles from £62, room-only.
Getting there: the Charter Flight Centre (0845 045 0153,
www.charterflights.co.uk) has flights from Gatwick to Trivandrum from £269.
From there, Alleppey is a 4hr, £40 taxi ride away (or see Fort House for
Cochin: a 2hr, £20 taxi ride).
6. CARDAMOM HOUSE
Dindigul, Tamil Nadu
If you love the idea of being the only westerner in the village, this is for
you. It’s in the middle of nowhere and takes a lot of effort to reach, but
it’s worth it. It’s a green-tourism project run by the most wonderful, funny
man: a retired British doctor called Chris. There are solar-powered showers,
he makes his own wine and he’s even given a plot of land to the staff to
turn into an organic farm. I think they view him with great affection — and
think he’s quite potty at the same time.
It’s a winning combination because it creates an environment of conviviality
and infectious enthusiasm. This compensates for the fact that it isn’t,
frankly, the most stylish place. The rooms are large and simple, but you
won’t forget those rooftop-terrace dinners overlooking the lake and its
abundant bird life.
One of the great reasons to visit is to go out and about on the back of a
motorbike with one of the staff. I met farmers who told me about growing
rice, watched the women make coconut matting and chatted with the postman.
He was in this tiny little office (I don’t suppose they get a lot of mail)
and he was thrilled to practise his English on me.
The landscape is quite wild here, tigers are still spotted in the hills. It
feels so real. It’s an authentic experience for pretty hardened travellers.
Details: Cardamom House (00 91 45 1255 6766,
www.cardamomhouse.com), doubles from £50, room-only.
Getting there: BA (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com) flies to
Chennai (Madras) from Heathrow, from £426. Jet Airways (0800 026 5626,
www.jetairways.com) flies from Chennai to Madurai from about £100. Dindigul
is a 2hr taxi ride from Madurai; about £15.
7. THE BANGALA
Chettinad, Tamil Nadu
This is one of the most surprising travel experiences around. You drive
through fairly ordinary country into a fairly ordinary village, and just as
you’re wondering why you bothered, your eyes open wide in astonishment.
Suddenly, you’re in the middle of an unbelievable boulevard of palaces,
built on a heroic scale. There’s a mock-French chateau next to a
mock-Edwardian mansion next to a mock- Tyrolean castle. It’s stunning.
They were built by the Chettiars, a coterie of families who poured the profits
from trading teak in Burma into these wildly extravagant homes. In the midst
of this madness, the Bangala offers an oasis of calm. It’s an elegant villa
in the main town of Karaikudi. The rooms are a good size, comfortable rather
than lavish, and European in style, with cheery floral fabrics.
Thankfully, though, its kitchen is traditional. This is one of the few places
that serves the fruity Chettinad curries, as is the custom, on banana
leaves. It’s great to explore the villages, then curl up with a book on the
lovely veranda. It is definitely the best place to stay in the area.
Details: The Bangala (00 91 45 6522 0221,
www.thebangala.com), doubles from £85, full-board.
Getting there: see above for flights to Chennai. From there,
take the overnight train to Karaikudi; book through SD Enterprises (020 8903
3411, www.indiarail.co.uk). The journey takes 12 hours and costs £56 return.
The latest edition of Alastair Sawday’s Special Places To
Stay: India was published on Thursday, at £11.99. To buy it for the
reduced price of £10.79, including p&p, call Books First 0870 165
8585
Alastair Sawday talked to Susan d’Arcy
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