Indian train travel: Journeys fit for a Maharaja

[John Ashworth]

Indian train travel: Journeys fit for a Maharaja

What better way to get round a country’s iconic sights than by train – especially if that train has butler service, a gym and a library? Clover Stroud offers the inside track on India’s finest railways .

The Telegraph
By Clover Stroud8:00AM GMT 15 Jan 2012

Maharajas’ Express

Offering what is arguably the most thrilling of all of India’s rail trips, the Maharajas’ Express was launched in 2010 as a joint venture between the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and travel experts, Cox & Kings. The fine attention to detail is reflected in the excellent food and charming service – passengers even have their own butler standing by in case they fancy a masala chai in the middle of the night. There are two restaurants, a lounge and bar plus a presidential suite with a bath.

The “Classical India” trip is particularly tempting as it’s a roll call of India’s greatest hits, starting at the Taj Mahal, before heading to Gwalior. This town, with its spectacular fort, palaces and sandstone citadel, is packed with gems and the tour includes the glittering walls of Man Mandir Palace, Saas-Bahu temples full of sculptures of dancing girls, and the Jai Vilas Palace, with a crystal staircase and two of the world’s largest chandeliers.

Gwalior is followed by a brief stop at the lapis lazuli palace of Jahangiri Mahal at Orchha, before heading to the extraordinary erotic temples of Khajuraho, dating from 950. Sitting incongruously among bougainvillea-lined dusty tracks, the temple carvings display the full spectrum of human emotions, not simply the erotic.

The tour then takes in Bandhavgarh, for potential tiger spotting, before heading onto the sensual onslaught that is Varanasi, a place of ancient pilgrimage. Nothing here disappoints, and returning to the train after an evening cruise surrounded by the chanting of Sanskrit mantras and the drifting scent of sandalwood is a wrench. But the following morning’s journey through the green agricultural fields of Uttar Pradesh more than makes up for it, especially if you happen to be tucking into the train’s delicious green curry and sliced mango at the time.

The cultural odyssey continues to Lucknow and Nawabi and finally to New Delhi, with little treats along the way such as a sound and light show at Khajuraho and an evening of feasting and dance at Nawabi.

The only downside is the price: a shade under £5,000 per person for seven nights. Then again, a trip on the Maharajas’ Express is the train ride of a lifetime.

Indian Maharaja

So great is the draped and twinkling luxury of the Indian Maharaja that it sometimes feels as if you’ve stepped into a Bollywood movie, with the all-singing, all-dancing accessories of luxury living. Tired of the crowds at the Taj Mahal? Head to the steam bath, gymnasium and Ayurvedic massage area. In need of urgent Skype action? Slip into the business centre and library.

The train itself trundles through ancient India, starting in Mumbai, before heading north towards Rajasthan. One of the troglodyte highlights of the journey are the Ellora caves, dating from 600AD, housing Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples carved into the rock, and then the Ajanta caves, with paintings dating from the second century.

The caves are followed by the lusher country of Udaipur, and the white City Palace on the banks of Lake Pichola, once home to the Maharani of Udaipur. Although this trip is less rich in wildlife than others, it offers the chance of a tiger safari at Ranthambore National Park, although sightings are quite rare.

No one should miss the Taj Mahal, of course, but possibly the highlight of the journey is the Pink City of Jaipur, in Rajasthan, especially the Amber Fort, an ancient hilltop fort, and the City Palace, home to the current maharaja.
The tour also takes in Bharatpur, near Agra, visiting Fatehpur Sikri, the red sandstone city built by Akbar the Great in the 16th century as India’s political capital but deserted after 14 years.

Above Agra, itself, many visitors often overlook the Red Fort. It was here the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife, was imprisoned by his son. From his prison he could see a slice of the Taj, but he died in his cell without visiting it again.

The journey finishes in Delhi, with a rickshaw ride through Old Delhi to take in Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

Golden Chariot

Critics of smart train travel complain it can be a sterile way of removing the visitor from the pleasurable sights and sounds of one of the most sensually stimulating countries on the globe.

The Golden Chariot, however, confounds this notion, and is perhaps the most charming of all the trains reviewed here. It’s also the trip most closely connected to the landscape and wildlife of India, because after starting in Bangalore (Bengaluru) the train stops at Nagarhole National Park. You’ll see leopards and tigers if you’re lucky and lots of birds if not – there are more than 300 different species; take an early morning boat safari in the park.

The first major stop is Mysore, city of palaces and temples, where outlandish domes and turrets jut from sacred temples lining the streets. One of the best of these is Mysore Palace, which houses some of the most eye-popping art in India. Also worth visiting is Srirangapatna, the island fortress which was home to Tippu Sultan.

At Shravanabelagola you can visit Asia’s largest monolithic statue, the Jain pilgrimage centre at Vindhyagiri, which, with 700 steps, is exciting but not for the fainthearted.

The deeply romantic ruins at Hampi, a World Heritage Site and capital of the 14th-century Vijayanagara empire, are a huge part of the appeal of the route followed by the Golden Chariot.

They cover 10 square miles, a melancholic memory of a great but broken city along the banks of the Tungabhadra river. They’re followed by more regal splendour at Badami and Pattadakal, a ruined ceremonial centre for the Chalukyan kings, with extraordinary carved temples on the Malaprabha river.

The final stop is Goa, whose churches and beaches are predictable but possibly a relief after rumbling for 10 days across India, before flying out of Bangalore.

Palace on Wheels

Studded with rich architectural monuments, including a very high concentration of palaces, forts and carved temples, Rajasthan embodies the colourful romance of exotic India, but its size is overwhelming, which is why a train trip is such an effective way to see it.

This tour is good value, although groups may be larger than on the other trains, and sightseeing trips tend to be in coaches, rather than minibuses, which are more impersonal but cheaper.

Starting in New Delhi, the train heads straight to Jaipur, where a tour of the Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal, or Palace of Winds, is accompanied by an elephant ride. Here you may spot a very elusive tiger at Ranthambore National Park, but more interesting is the visit to India’s largest fort, Chittorgarh, before you head to the Lake City of Udaipur, with its creamy palaces on the edge of Lake Pichola, and Jag Mandir rising out of the water.

A whistle-stop tour of the city is followed by a trip into the Thar desert to the sandstone fort of Jaisalmer, a city studded with latticed havelis and grand mansions. There’s also a chance to ride a camel into the desert before moving onto Jodphur, with its imposing Mehrangarh fort.

Before the final stop in Agra for the Taj Mahal, and then home from Delhi, there’s a trip to Bharatpur to visit the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, home to thousands of Siberian cranes, egrets and other migratory water fowl, and one of the best bird sanctuaries in the country.

WHAT TO AVOID

Flights into India often arrive in the early hours of the morning, so make sure you or your operator reserves a room for that night, rather than the next day, to prevent nervous exhaustion on arrival.

Indian trains don’t always run on time, even luxury trains; take plenty of reading material to pass idle hours when you might otherwise feel stuck on the train.

The air-conditioning on the trains can be powerful, so pack warm layers such as shawls for evenings in the dining carriage.

Even if you count yourself a good sleeper, take earplugs and an eye mask. Some of the trains are noisy, and earplugs help as you’re shunted around at 3am.

GETTING THERE

British Airways (0844 493 0787; britishairways.com) offers flights to Delhi from £510 return, to Mumbai from £530 return, and Bangalore from £570 return.

THE TRAINS

Indian Maharaja (0800 032 7748; theindian maharaja.co.in). The Golden Chariot (0800 032 7748; thegoldenchariot.co.in). Maharajas’ Express (0091 9717 1794008; rirtl.com). Palace on Wheels (0800 845 6201; palaceonwheels.net).

PACKAGES

Each train runs a variety of slightly different routes, so the following are examples of one route. Prices are based on two in a twin/double cabin.

Maharajas’ Express

Greaves Travel (020 7487 9111; greavesindia.com) offers a seven-night itinerary on the Maharajas’ Express, from £4,799 per person, including full board, all tours and transfers, and return flight to Delhi. Cox & Kings (0845 564 1984; coxandkings.co.uk) has a selection of itineraries, from £5,561 per person for 10 nights.

Indian Maharaja

Great Rail Journeys (01904 527180; greatrail.com) offers an 11-day itinerary on the Indian Maharaja, from £3,350 per person, including full board, all tours and transfers, and return flight to Delhi and Mumbai.

Golden Chariot

Greaves Travel (020 7487 9111; greavesindia.com) has a seven-night itinerary on the Golden Chariot, from £3,550 per person, including full board, all tours and transfers, and return flight to Bangalore.

Palace on Wheels

Audley (01993 838000; audleytravel.com) offers a seven-night itinerary on the Palace on Wheels, from £2,785, including full board, all tours and transfers, and return flight to Delhi.