The Southern Escape

DURATION: 8 DAYS Best for: Tigers, crocs, medieval murals, royal homestays, far-flung forts

ROUTE: Ranthambore National Park • Bundi • Bhainsrorgarh • Jhalawar WHY GO? To experience the wild landscapes and rarely visited monuments of Rajasthan’s far south-eastern districts. WHEN TO GO: Oct–mar

Sidestep the crowds in the littlevisited south-eastern corner of Rajasthan. This is a great route if you’ve travelled in the region before but want to venture further off-piste for a taste of what the country was like 30 or more years ago. The obvious difference between then and now is the presence – tucked away in beautiful hilltop or riverside locations – of some outstanding heritage hotels where you can experience life in small market towns and rural villages from the comfort of a bona fide, functioning Rajput palace.

The trip begins at Sawai Madhopur, springboard for Ranthambore National Park, one of the country’s foremost tiger reserves. If you haven’t yet seen a tiger in the wild, you might be tempted to linger here in the hope of sighting a big cat or two lounging in the ruined lakeside pavilions, or stalking herds of chital deer on the edge of Ranthambore’s forest. The park is also serviced by a crop of safari lodges and camps offering the last word in retro colonial chic. Otherwise, continue south to Bundi, a traditional Rajasthani market hub whose old town sprawls from the foot of an imposing 17th-century palace.

Early the next morning, climb the hill to see the murals in the palace’s former zenana, or women’s quarters, which depict episodes from the life of Krishna in vibrant blues, greens and reds. Later, press on south to Bhainsrorgarh, where another ancient royal complex crowns a clifftop overlooking a bend in the Chambal River. Make the most of the views from the domed cupolas on the roof, where you can dine by candlelight in the evening. Orchards of guava and papaya line the far banks, reachable by rowing boat – a treat in the early morning sunshine, though be sure to keep a careful eye out for gharial crocs basking in the shallows.

Your final destination will be the town of Jhalawar, in the south-east corner of Rajasthan on the edge of the Malwa Plateau, where you can stay as a guest of the local Maharaja, Rana Shri Chandrajit Singhji Dev Bahadur, and his family. Encircled by a lotus-filled moat, Prithvi Vilas Palace is well placed for explorations of the area’s remote temples and forts, foremost among them the citadel at Gagron, spectacularly sited at the confluence of two rivers.

Did You Know?

Ranthambore was a private and exclusive hunting reserve of the Jaipur royal family until 1955.