Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur. Photo / Supplied
From tented camps in big cat territories to palace hotels and private river cruises, India has a quieter, more indulgent side if you know where to look, writes Poonam Binayak.
Before India became a republic, it was made up of princely states, each ruled by individual dynasties. Many of their palaces have since been converted into heritage hotels, some run by the descendants of the royal families, others leased to hotel groups, offering travellers a rare chance to live like a maharaja.
Among the most iconic is the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, a white marble vision floating on Lake Pichola. Built in the 18th century for Mewar royalty, it now hosts guests in antique-filled rooms with lake views and personalised butler service. In Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawan Palace serves as a museum, residence and hotel managed by the Taj group. Still home to the royal family, the wing open to guests features domed ceilings, Art Deco interiors, and sweeping views over the city’s blue houses.
Prices vary by season and room category, but expect rates from around $930 per night. Unsurprisingly, this spot books out in peak season (October to March), so book early.
For a transformative escape, few places rival India’s luxury wellness retreats. Among the most iconic is the Ananda in the Himalayas, a 100-acre estate near Rishikesh, where personalised programmes target everything from stress to hormone health. A seven-night stay including a garden- or river-view room, Ayurvedic therapies, daily yoga and all meals starts at around $9725. A two-hour drive away in Dehradun, Six Senses Vana is a serene retreat tucked into a forest of Sal trees. It offers Tibetan healing, acupuncture, sound therapy and movement classes in a minimalist, design-forward space, with prices starting from $3122 per person (twin-share) for a three-night stay in a garden room.
Far South in Kerala, the birthplace of Ayurveda, riverside retreats like Mekosha offer spa suites that include doctor-led detox programmes, yoga, meditation and organic meals. Packages range from $1803 to $3270 per person. Slightly north, Soukya in Bengaluru is a leafy 25-room sanctuary that combines Ayurveda, naturopathy and yoga for physical and mental wellbeing. Guests enjoy a garden deluxe room with full board, yoga and an initial doctor consultation from $432 per night with customised treatment packages available. If it’s good enough for King Charles and Queen Camilla, who visited in 2024, it’s good enough for us.
If you want to cover a lot of ground in style, luxury trains are the way to go. The 23-carriage Maharajas’ Express and 21-carriage Deccan Odyssey evoke the golden age of rail with carved-wood interiors, vintage lighting and white-gloved staff. Both feature elegant dining cars serving Indian and international dishes, bars and curated excursions.
The Maharajas’ Express runs four routes (three-to-six nights) from Delhi and Mumbai, with stops at iconic spots such as the Taj Mahal and Varanasi. The Deccan Odyssey offers six-week-long journeys across western and central India, including temple visits, wine tastings and tiger safaris.
Fares start from $8141 per person (twin-share) on the Maharajas’ Express, and $13,868 for single occupancy on the Deccan Odyssey.
For a front-row seat to India’s wildlife, with all creature comforts, book a stay with SUJÁN, a luxury hospitality brand known for its conservation-focused safaris. At SUJÁN Jawai (a Relais & Châteaux property between Udaipur and Jodhpur, guests sleep in tented suites with marble showers and private sit-outs, surrounded by wild leopard territory. At SUJÁN Sher Bagh, another Relais & Châteaux property in Ranthambore, colonial-style tents sit just minutes from one of India’s best tiger habitats. Both offer expert-led game drives, candlelit dinners under the stars, and spa treatments with a view. Rates from $4090 (Jawai) and $2432 (Sher Bagh) per night.
For a slower, more indulgent way to explore Kerala’s famed backwaters (a vast network of village-dotted lakes, canals, and lagoons), charter a private, air-conditioned houseboat with a rooftop sundeck and personal chef who can whip up tasty Keralan delights. Sustainability-focused operators like Spice Coast Cruises, part of the CGH Earth group, run well-appointed vessels on Vembanad Lake near Kumarakom, with single cabins from $546 and doubles from $845 per night. In northern Kerala, wellness retreat Neeleshwar Hermitage offers exclusive cruises aboard its sleek houseboat, The Lotus, on the quieter Valiyaparamba backwaters, starting from $505 per night.
Camping in India doesn’t mean roughing it. In Rajasthan’s Thar Desert, The Serai (a Relais & Châteaux property) near Jaisalmer offers tented suites with private gardens and heated plunge pools, while royal suites add butler service, a massage tent, and alfresco dining. Stays include camel rides, folk music, and sundowners on the dunes with prices from $1575 per night. In Gujarat, the Tent City pops up during Rann Utsav (Nov–Feb), when the white salt desert shimmers under moonlight – air-conditioned tents start at $234 per person per night.
Further north, in Ladakh’s high-altitude cold desert, Chamba Camp Thiksey runs from May to early October and offers ensuite tents with four-poster beds, private sit-outs and butler service – ideal for travellers seeking luxury with adventure at 11,000 feet. Multi-night packages include cultural performances, rafting on the river Indus, and village walks and start at $4082.
If you want to explore India at a slower pace – albeit in comfort – consider a river cruise. In the northeast, Adventure River Cruises’ MV Mahabaahu sails along the mighty Brahmaputra River in Assam, drifting past tea plantations, island monasteries, and rhino-filled grasslands. The vessel has river-view cabins, a pool, spa and bar for downtime between shore excursions. Fares start from $12,388 per cabin for an 11-night cruise.
Over on the Ganges, India’s holiest river, the double-decker RV Kalaw Pandaw runs 14-night cruises from Kolkata to Patna, with stops at wildlife-rich national parks, traditional silk-weaving villages, and temple towns. The trip ends with a land transfer to Varanasi, one of the world’s oldest living cities – a fitting finale to a journey downriver. Onboard, expect wood-panelled cabins with French windows, an open-air bar and a small library, with fares starting from $15,302 per person.
India is best known for its colour and chaos at ground level, but the aerial views are just as striking. One of the most memorable ways to experience them is by hot-air balloon. In Rajasthan, SkyWaltz offers 60-minute flights over Jaipur’s historic forts and palaces, as well as Hampi’s surreal boulder-strewn ruins and winding rivers – two of India’s most cinematic landscapes. Prices start at around $541 per person in Jaipur and $482 per person in Hampi.
On the southwest coast, Goa offers a more tropical twist, with the state tourism board running balloon flights over paddy fields, coconut groves and beaches near Chandor in South Goa. A standard flight costs about $251 per person. Balloon rides usually run between September and April, when the skies are clear and winds are favourable.