Your ultimate guide to Delhi

Sure, you could do the Qutub Minar dash in twenty minutes, land at Ambawatta One to tick the box of watching the sunset spill over the monuments with a picante, and move on. Spend some more time on Mehrauli’s expanses, though, and your curiosity is rarely not rewarded. This is one of Delhi's oldest neighbourhoods, home to over 50 monuments spanning multiple dynasties – dotted with rose kulfis and steaming chai to boot.  Every year, between September and November, Phool Walon ki Sair takes place. It’s a qawwali-led festival with origins in the 19th century. For three days, Delhiites converge to offer ceremonial floral fans and tributes at two sacred sites: the dargah of 13th-century Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki and the ancient Yogmaya Temple. Then… there’s a contemporary art centre and boutiques with some of India’s most bougie names in design and fusion restaurants. A rather stale phrase, that of the old and new coming together,  comes to the mind of many Delhi residents when describing the city, its gallis and buildings alike. Mehrauli is one of the few areas, personally, where you can get away with saying that and not sounding generic.  You get it. This guide, really, is just asking you to give Mehrauli the kind of time that a Delhi University south campus student would.

The particular fluorescent exhaustion of a Saturday evening in Select Citywalk or DLF Avenue isn’t the end of Saket, though that has its occasional delights. This neighbourhood’s charm also exists in a fashion that I’d call the stuff of side-questers’ and souvenir-grabbers’ dreams.  A bunch of abandoned poultry sheds-turned-cafes that became South Delhi’s favourite budget film indie setting, a sixty-year-old ceramics market that’s become responsible for much of my kitchen’s contents, and arts initiatives in the most unassuming of corners… in the same neighbourhood where post-post-modern sports are kicking off, and lowkey bars compete head-to-head with hundreds of Delhi’s best in-big-building dining spots. Several of my Saket favourites are near a metro station, making most of them reachable in a single visit. But no one visits Saket just once if they live in Delhi. As these picks will likely indicate, bringing friends here is great, but it’s rewarding to give some of these spots some time alone as well.

The never-ending ruckus around chai tapris, a steady drift of classical music, natak companies running lines like opening night is today, and skateboarders slicing through the air: these sounds sum up Mandi House on any given day. This classy-yet-affordable neighbourhood in central Delhi is the closest the city gets to Broadway. But long before Mandi House became Delhi's cultural command centre, it was the private estate of Raja Sir Joginder Sen Bahadur of the former Mandi State in Himachal Pradesh – hence the name. By the 1970s, the king's grand palace had been auctioned off, making way for Doordarshan Bhawan (the OG state-run television broadcaster of newly independent India) and Himachal Bhawan. Around the same time, the area's cultural icons assembled: Lalit Kala Akademi, National School of Drama, Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, and Triveni Kala Sangam. They, along with a dozen other institutions, helped transform Mandi House from a royal address into the beating heart of Delhi's arts scene. And that's why Mandi House is the city's easiest plan: for an evening, a morning, an afternoon, or whenever you're in the mood to accidentally stumble into a play, an exhibition, a poetry reading, or a handicraft sale. If nothing else, come here for a stroll through its surprisingly quiet backlanes, lined with gorgeous postmodern houses. If you're looking for a head start, begin at any of these spots.  

Connaught Place, locally referred to as 'CP', is perhaps the only place in Delhi to boast crowds, colonial-style buildings, five-star-hotels and good dirt-cheap food all at once.  Featuring several two-storied Georgian-style structures, Connaught Place is made up of two concentric circles: the Inner Circle and the Outer Circle, around a central park (bearing the tallest tricolour flag in the capital). Radial roads bind the two circles tightly. This is fitting, given that CP’s pretty much the epicentre of Delhi’s cuisine and shopping experience. Connaught Place was designed by Robert Tor Russell in the 1950s. Its location gives it an edge: right at the heart of the capital, close to Janpath Market, Jantar Mantar, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, and Mandi House. There’s also a high chance you might stumble upon some cute pop-up performances: a guitar solo, or a living statue.  What does it take to explore Connaught Place at its most beautiful, though? A late evening or midnight walk with friends, I'd say, coupled with this list. 

For all intents and purposes, where Taj Surajkund really shines is in what it does for the folks in Delhi who desperately need a break. The let's-head-out-for-the-weekend folks. The I'm-sick-of-planning-hill-getaways folks. The we-should-spend-family-time folks. You get the gist.  At first glance, you may think this is a strange niche I'm going on about. On closer introspection, you will realise that you may very well have been all of these folks at some point in your urban-hell city life. And while Delhi's home to some of the slickest and loveliest hotels in the country, they're usually too centrally located to really allow a full de-stress. A half-hour drive into the semi-wilderness without planning an itinerary, though? Now we're talking.  The property, perched on the outer edge of Delhi, was taken over by the Taj Hotels group from the Claridges in 2013. Back then, it functioned as a Taj Vivanta. In February 2026, it reopened in a new avatar – as a resort and spa. As a chain that’s already got two beautiful properties in Delhi – one in Chanakyapuri and another on Mansingh Road – this one had to be markedly different in order to make sense. And it is! Away from the bustle of city life, the hotel possesses a marvellous view of the Aravallis, a world-class spa, and rooms that feel slightly more luxurious than usual.  Why stay at Taj Surajkund? Frankly speaking, this hotel doesn’t make sense for tourists who want quick access to the city’s most famous attractions, or business travellers, because it isn’t particularly close to any airport.  The hotel seems almost intentionally designed for providing a break – and catering specifically to people residing in Delhi NCR. The property’s large, but not massive enough to cow a visitor. It still feels intimate enough to claim a majestic view of the Delhi Ridge, with a massively airy ground floor that wraps around a lush courtyard and conveniently placed dining areas.  Who this hotel is REALLY for is folks looking to experience a truly high-quality spa, loads of pampering, some day drinking, and little to no responsibility about deciding where to eat. Getting to Taj Surajkund The hotel’s about 30 minutes from South Delhi, and about 45 minutes from Central Delhi. I wouldn’t advise a trip on the Delhi Metro for this one. One must curse at the Tughlaqabad traffic and amuse oneself with the cacophony of honks for a bit when going by road, but there's an added perk to the journey that enchanted me to no end: crossing the mighty ruins of the Tughlaqabad Fort, gently overtaken by vegetal sprawl. One can see the ramparts of the remnants of what was envisioned as the third city of Delhi. It's just a sweet little reminder of how endlessly historical Delhi city is. And makes for a nice conversation on the way up to the property.  What are the rooms like at Taj Surajkund? We stayed in a Luxury Suite. Let me tell you – if you can afford it, get it. Especially if you’re coming here to unwind. It just feels incredibly worth it to fork out a bit more to feel like you’ve truly escaped city life. The suite is almost stupidly large, and comes with a terrace garden, several wraparound balconies, a dining room, a living room, and a massive bedroom with a gargantuan television. Every nook comes with an aforementioned balcony, with views of the courtyard, the forest, and beyond, and the marbled bathroom’s equipped with a sunken bathtub and separate shower area. Toiletries are all by Forest Essentials, with far more amenities in the kit than I strictly needed (but adored) – including perfume, all sorts of lotions, foot soaks, and more. They also do customised welcome kits (I felt thrilled at the prospect of eating my face off of some digitally printed chocolate) plus generous bowls of fresh fruit and other complimentary desserts.  Where to eat at Taj Surajkund? The property comes with two main restaurants – Paranda (North Indian) and Golden Dragon (Chinese) – plus a coffeeshop called Vista (all-day dining, including breakfast), an ‘easy’ bar that overlooks the courtyard, the Promenade Lounge, and a lounge where buffets are served.  We lunched at Paranda. Every dish we tried was incredibly sumptuous and easily rivalled some of the best Indian restaurants in Delhi. Great butter chicken, excellent meat curry, delightful sabzis, all paired with flaky paranthas and mini kulchas. The sweet lassi’s out of this world.  We dined at Golden Dragon in the evening. The meal fell behind on the starters (the dimsum could’ve been better) but caught up on the mains. It's a no-nonsense, hearty Chinese menu that’s recognisable to any Delhi Punjabi, and deeply, deeply comforting food. You get what you see here. Breakfast at Vista’s pretty standard fare – the same as most upscale hotels across India, though I’d say that the Indian spread gets equal weightage here. Don’t expect fancy cold cuts or pork items.  What are the facilities like at the Peninsula? Besides the gorgeous infinity pool and spa (more on that in a minute), they also have a fully equipped gym, a pottery centre for kids (or adults) where they can make a small memento, a game room, and a playroom for kids. You’d have guessed by now that this is a pretty family-friendly place.  The J Wellness Circle spa’s been recently renovated, and feels slick, top-notch, and very inviting. Therapies range from 60 to 240 (!) minutes, and are all inspired by ancient Indian techniques. I must say I was very impressed by the spa rooms, which come with lofty ceilings, ornate marble work, a large bed, and a very fancy jacuzzi, plus a shower area. You’d be a fool to come here and give the spa a miss.  Besides massages and scrubs, the wellness centre also offers yoga sessions, plus most salon services.  What’s the area like around Taj Surajkund? Honestly? Pretty isolated and unexciting (unless you maybe want to check out the nearby Tughlaqabad Fort or happen to be in the area during the very exciting Surajkund Festival). But by no means is this a launchpad to Delhi’s raucous party neighbourhoods.  Closest transport: The Surajkund or Sarai metro stations, but we recommend getting your car or taking a cab

A few years ago, an episode of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives introduced me to Jawai – a fact that will, undoubtedly, make wildlife enthusiasts roll their eyes. While I found the show itself questionable,, it left me with an image that hasn’t quite left me since: an open jeep bouncing over giant boulders, in search of a fleeting glimpse of the elusive leopard. That’s part of why I found myself at Storii by ITC Hotels in Jawai in the peak of summer. Why stay at Storii Jawai? The moment you enter Storii Jawai, you can see granite formations on all sides, with scrubby greens cutting across the landscape. It's unlike most wildlife destinations you may have seen. There are no dense forests here or dramatic jungle cover. Just rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. The ruggedness is rather beautiful. Half the fun is just looking around, whether from the open deck of your villa, during a buggy ride, or while wandering around the property. After a while, the idea of a big cat casually lounging on top of one of these boulders doesn’t feel far-fetched at all.As for the experiences, they’re designed to make the most of the setting. One evening could involve dinner in a private canopy, another in a dining room that’s unapologetically grand. Somewhere in between, there are peacocks to feed and wildlife stories to swap. What are the rooms like at Storii Jawai? Spread across 8.5 acres, the boutique resort has only 15 rooms, ranging from garden cottages and deluxe suites to tented safari villas and plunge pool cottages. I stayed in the latter and my days quickly fell into an almost comically predictable rhythm: breakfast, safari, pool, lunch, nap, repeat. That doesn’t mean I didn’t make use of the sit-out, which also has a swing. Over the three days I was there, I found myself reading a book, sipping coffee or simply sitting with the breeze (only in the early mornings or late evenings, because Rajasthan afternoons are not kind).Inside, the room is done up in soothing shades of brown and white, with a four-poster bed taking centre stage. But if you somehow forget you’re in leopard country, the décor is quick to remind you. Leopard motifs on the blinds, leopard-print cushions, leopard-inspired rugs, and framed photographs of – you guessed it – leopards. By the end of my stay, I was half expecting one to turn up and ask how I was enjoying the room.The bathroom is large and well laid out, with separate shower and toilet areas, plush towels, toiletries from ITC’s in-house range, and yet another black-and-white photograph of a leopard keeping watch. The highlight, though, is the plunge pool. Calling it a pool for swimming would be ambitious, but it’s perfect for cooling off after a safari or dangling your feet in with a book in hand. There are sun loungers alongside as well, though in the afternoon heat they feel more decorative than functional. What is the food like at Storii Jawai? Most of your meals will be consumed at Amaraa, the property’s all-day diner, which looks like a colonial-style bungalow from the outside. Indoors is a grand dining room with chandeliers, arches and a cabinet displaying an assortment of curios: an earthenware piece, a lamp and, naturally, a leopard figurine. One thing becomes pretty clear: the leopard theme is not up for negotiation. Yet again, one is seen prowling across an elaborate botanical mural. The resort really doesn’t want you to forget where you are, in case the landscape outside wasn’t reminder enough. The chairs, meanwhile, continue the theme with black frames, striped upholstery and animal print. It’s a lot, but it works. Breakfast is available whenever you'd like, which is particularly useful if your holiday schedule involves ignoring alarms. The spread covers everything from poori bhaji, kachori and poha to eggs, pancakes and pastries. Lunch and dinner swing between local favourites and continental comfort food, though the green Thai curry turned out to be a surprise contender. What you shouldn't miss is the Storii Box, which arrives in a multi-tiered dabba (yes, like those old-school tiffin boxes). Inside is a full Rajasthani spread: laal maas, gatte ki sabzi, ker sangri, daal baati and panchmel dal. Usually, Rajasthani meals can feel heavy, but this one was surprisingly balanced and didn’t send me into an acidity spiral afterwards.Storii Jawai also has a bar lounge, The Ember Room, which feels like a gentlemen's club fit for royalty. At the time of my visit, the bar licence was still pending, although the space already looks ready for someone to dramatically order an Old Fashioned and discuss drawn-out battles over inheritance.You can also step out onto the lawns for high tea: sandwiches, cookies and the occasional kachori thrown in for good measure. After all, it’s Rajasthan. What are the facilities like at Storii Jawai? There's plenty to do here for all age groups. Ollie’s Corner, a glasshouse-style kids’ club, keeps younger guests occupied with activities and an outdoor mud-play area, so yes, parents do get a break. The pool, set against the rugged hills, becomes the default plan once the sun slips out of sight. And after a morning out in the open gypsy, being tossed around those rocky slopes, the deep tissue massage at K by Kaya Kalp Spa is pretty much all you need to reset everything. There’s also a fitness centre, for anyone still ambitious enough to think a treadmill is a better idea than a safari. What's the wildlife experience like at Storii Jawai? Guided safaris head out twice a day (morning and evening) in open gypsies driven by local guides from Jawai, and ‘drive’ is putting it mildly. The terrain is wild enough that at several points you’re basically tilting along granite slopes. There are moments when the jeep feels almost perpendicular, clinging to the rock. It takes a while just to settle into this landscape. A good 20-minute drive in, you start crossing Rabari villagers herding goats across the road, life carrying on in the middle of all this dust and stone, before the boulders fully take over. Our driver, Ishwar, made it look annoyingly easy. Alongside us was a Rabari villager with a stick, who accompanied us through this stretch as our unofficial bodyguard. We kept going, scanning what mostly looked like empty rock until it wasn’t. After a fair bit of boulder-hopping and patient staring into stone, we ended up spotting four leopards over the course of a three-hour evening safari. For most, the prize is the leopard sighting but there are other stops worth pulling up for. The Jawai Dam, for one, is all green and open water after all that rock — making you reach for your camera before you’ve even fully stopped the jeep. Crocodiles lounge around here too, mostly unbothered, like logs adrift. And while you’re on this long drive, the team at Storii Jawai packs up high tea or breakfast, so the rumbling in your stomach doesn’t get mistaken for a leopard growl. What's the service like at Storii Jawai? It’s not a huge property, which works in its favour, because service is quick and seamless. The staff are warm, always smiling, and seem to know the landscape inside out. Ask them about it and you’ll end up with a few leopard stories you didn’t ask for, but will probably end up listening to anyway.  Getting there By air – Maharana Pratap airport, Udaipur (150 kms away), Jodhpur airport (168 kms). By rail – Jawai Bandh station (about 15 km away) and Falna station (about 50 km away.  

To be completely clear, Eagles Nest is a hotel found by accident, booked through trust, and guarded jealously, furtively, to be rebooked over the years. Part of my praise comes from the knowledge that finding a decent place to stay in the hills can be a tedious affair. Middle ground’s a shaky place in hillside hospitality. Hostel enthusiasts will make a case for the cheap and cheerful B&B, and folks who negotiate only above a certain thread count will flee to luxury resorts with a shudder.  You will, after a bit of a trek all over the internet, find the upper, classier end of B&Bs, and of course, the white-sheeted, room-serviced mimics of five-star counterparts, but if you’re a traveller who can’t handle the last-minute shock of a bad booking or the boring predictability of cookie-cutter hotels, look no further than Eagles Nest. The property, which commands the upper reaches of Dhongri hill in Gallu village above Dharamkot (to say ‘perched’, as I was tempted to, would have been a terrible mistake), is the result of many stupendous years of history. What was once the remains of a stone house built more than 150 years ago by an American Pentecostal mission became the home of an English couple, Bo and Sheila, who bought the land from the owner in the 1970s and rebuilt the house painstakingly over years. Now a hotel, the property has unmistakable personality that only years of beloved inhabitation can buy.  All of this is established in ways that struck me as gratifying, and confident in their non-negotiability. There is no motorable road up to the hotel, for instance, and there are no plans to build one. Upon making your way up the rickety roads of Dharamkot, which often turn to slush come monsoon and winter, you must trek your way up the hill yourself – an easy 10-minute walk if you’re able, a huffy-and-puffy 20 minutes if you’re not. There are other signs. The lushly landscaped hydrangeas, which come in more colours than I knew. The stable – an original leftover from Bo and Sheila’s home – gorgeously devoid of its horses through the afternoon, because they’re grazing in the meadow on the property. Bits of shopping lists tucked inside the thousands of books on the property as makeshift bookmarks. And the couple’s own current home, just shy of the main hotel, now lived in by Sheila, I’m told. Though the hotel is managed by Aashvim Hospitality Services as part of their BookMark Hotels venture, there is a deference still paid to its previous owners – a fact, to me, that seems almost unbearably charming.  Getting to Eagles Nest This is a hotel built for privacy, seclusion, and utmost quiet. The unmotorable path up is proof enough, but so is the location itself, high above Dharamkot proper. It is indeed possible to drive up till where the road is motorable if taking a cab or coming by personal conveyance, but normally, folks prefer to take a bus or flight to Dharamshala, after which there are plenty of cabs to be had. The hotel is happy to arrange one for you as well.  Luggage will be carried up for you once you reach that last little bit that vehicles can’t manage, but the 15 to 20 minute walk up and down the property isn’t something that can be too easily done several times a day if you’re fussy about that sort of thing. Late check-ins aren’t encouraged for the same reason. It’s best for visitors to reach while there’s enough daylight to guide them here – about 7pm in the summer and 5pm in the winter.  What to expect at Eagles Nest Eventually, the bumpy path smoothens out, and you enter Eagles Nest land, which is reminiscent of a picture book – trails leading off the road into the forest as the sun glints in the far, far distance. A cobbled pathway taking you up to the property, lined with trees inhabited by barbets. Horses poking their noses out of their stables to inspect you as you walk past. The hotel itself isn’t too large – 12 rooms and five suites, with most of the rooms in the main property, and the suites off to the side. The property’s simple, understated, yet utterly grandiose. Everything’s built with rough-hewn stone and finished with pared-back wood interiors. What it isn’t, though, is a fanciful reimagining of an English lord’s home. Furnishings are warm but minimal, stopping shy of the excess that hotels like this can sometimes verge on when trying to convince clientele of intrinsic taste and class. The den, which we immediately dubbed the reading room thanks to the gobsmackingly tasteful collection of books on the shelves, is easily the most elegant room in the house.  The dining room’s small, personal – a long wooden table with chairs on either end, plus a couple of tables here and there if the hotel gets too busy. This entire thing looks out onto the garden, which in turn leads, through a tiny landscaped walkway, to a viewing point from where you can see an astoundingly panoramic view of this side of the hills – Dharamkot, Dharamshala, McLeodganj, Triund, and more.  Because we visited on the cusp of monsoon, right around the time the roads began to really pose an issue, the hotel was almost empty. Perhaps that was why it felt more like a home than usual, though something tells me that even nearing maximum occupancy, service remains friendly, top-notch, and as personalised as it did for us.  The rooms at Eagles Nest You’re treated to a spectacular view of the mountains from any room you occupy. The minimal theme carries through – rooms are unadorned, except for some bookshelves and a painting of whatever flower your room or suite is named after. Bathrooms are modernly fitted and have running hot water and basic toiletries, while beds are soft and perfectly comfortable. There are, charmingly, no televisions in the rooms. In short, nothing distracts from the Dhauladhars outside. We spent a decent amount of the day sitting on the balcony watching the sun and the mist illuminate and shroud the hills intermittently.  The food at Eagles Nest By this point, you won’t be surprised to learn that you can’t order off a menu here. A chef decides the meals – a set menu of several dishes – every morning. In practice, that allows for much flexibility. A sweet smile and the chef’ll accommodate what you like, maybe throw in a dish or two to please you. It’s very similar to deciding what’ll be made at home. The food’s home-cooked and tastes like it. Breakfast is standard fare – eggs of choice, porridge, fruit, paranthas. Lunch is usually Himachali or North Indian, with lots of local preparations of vegetables and chicken. Dinner is usually Continental – the kind of dinner recipes my Catholic-convent-educated grandmother taught my mum. Chicken, sauteed vegetables, cottage cheese steak, pasta, garlic bread. A dessert succeeds lunch and dinner: gulab jamun, homemade brownies, kheer.  It’s important to note that Eagles Nest doesn’t serve alcohol, but you’re free to get as much of your own as you want, and they’re happy to chill your wine or serve your whiskey at any time of the day. Amenities at Eagles Nest The hotel’s well equipped to deal with bored folk, but not obnoxiously kitted out with things that’d jar the peace of the place. Plenty to do outdoors: they’ve got three horses you can ride before 9.30 am in the morning, a cricket pitch that’s not officially part of the property but used often by guests, a badminton net, and croquet sets.  Nice treats for indoorsy folk too, like the reading room I so lovingly mentioned before, the viewing point (which comes with plenty of place to sit and gaze at the stars), and a spa and sauna facility. This last one, should you wish to use it, is available only at a day’s prior notice, since the masseuse is called up from the village below. Guests craving a slightly more frenetic sort of entertainment can use the rec room, which has two table tennis tables, a snooker table, a foosball table and video games. The area around Eagles Nest Don’t get me wrong – though you’re vertically removed from immediate action, there’s plenty to do around Eagles Nest, if you’re alright with a little bit of walking around.  Just where the motorable road ends is the starting point for the famous Triund trek, which takes about half a day to complete. You could also hike up to the beautiful Gallu waterfall nearby, which takes about two or three hours in total. Another trail takes you through the forest to Naddi village. There are, actually, plenty more trails you can follow, from various points on the hotel property or nearby.  You could also cab it to Dharamkot (about 15-20 minutes’ drive) – or if you’re particularly adventurous, walk the pagdandi snaking down the hillside to the town. Lots to do here in the form of pottery lessons, shopping for crystals and jewellery, café hopping, or walking over to Bhagsu village for the famous Bhagsu cake. Dharamkot hosts a fair amount of trance and techno nights on the weekend, so keep an eye out for those.  McLeodganj is equally close, and it’s a bigger town with lots more tourist activity. You could visit Namgyal Monastery, where the Dalai Lama lives, do lots more shopping – for shawls, rugs, and more – and visit some bars and cafés.  Who should visit Eagles Nest There’s something reverential about the tranquility of this hotel. In my view, it’s best suited for travellers who are able to cope with peace and quiet, enjoy long walks, don’t mumble about a lack of Ubers and food delivery services, and, above all, love nature. If you’re one of them, there’s nothing about Eagles Nest you won’t like.  Time Out tip: Take advantage of your proximity to the outdoors. The hotel’s admittedly beautiful, but I think it’s best intended as a launchpad for several other things you can do around it. Coming back to a home-cooked dinner and perhaps a cup of tea in the den after your wanderings is only an added bonus. 

 Time Out says When the Lal Haveli was built in 1871, it’s unlikely that anybody imagined it would one day house guests drinking craft cocktails in the lounge. The Johri has taken the historic building (once used as a pivotal centre for India’s Independence Movement)  and turned it into a place of such bejewelled opulence that it’s quickly dominated the hotel scene in Jaipur. This is no small feat, given the lavishness of Rajput hospitality is known by folks far and wide.    Why stay at The Johri? There’s something about the hotel that makes it the most meaningful of all things: genuine. The architecture, while decadent and reminiscent of Rajput, Mughal, and neoclassical elements, doesn’t feel contrived or out of place in the middle of the bustling Johri Bazaar. Designer Naina Shah seems to have imbued the place with the soul of the city – with additions like bone-inlay detailing and hand painted murals, the restoration of the old haveli has been done full justice.  Another plus is the location. It’s an interesting choice to place a luxury hotel inside the thick of a bazaar. While some may be initially taken aback by how busy the winding marketplace is, I’d say it adds to the old-world charm. One step out of the hotel and you’re immediately in Old Jaipur, with the City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar within walking distance. The market itself is a delight, and is lined with some of the city’s best gem shops and textile houses. Some will be pricey given the prime location, but it’s nothing a smart haggle can’t fix.    What are the rooms like? Each of the five suites is named after a gemstone or precious metal: Manak (ruby), Neelam (sapphire), Moti (pearl), Panna (emerald) and Sona (gold). The decor’s rich, but restrained. A sort of lived-in luxury charm.  Manak, for instance, is decked out in dusty rose with candy cane details. Neelam’s got pale blue walls and black-white columns they only unearthed during the restoration process, plus a cushioned vintage swing. Moti’s done up in ivory and comes with a private verandah. Sona features warm amber tones and ornate cornices, and Panna’s walls are packed with pastoral frescoes.    Where to eat? The vegetarian restaurant at The Johri has earned its stripes: back-to-back Condé Nast Traveller Top Restaurant Awards (2023 and 2024) and a spot on the World's 50 Best Discovery List. I say that because while hardcore carnivores will most definitely turn their noses up, you’ve got to have trust in the awards – the food is JUST that good.  The menu is seasonal and draws inspiration from Jaipur’s walled city. Local ingredients are cooked in a way that’s nothing like your usual North Indian fare. Curries are spiced, but surprisingly light. Seasonal vegetables shine in every dish – don’t miss the palak (spinach) chaat or the nihari, which swaps out mutton for jackfruit. Cocktails deserve equal billing, and are all made by an in-house mixologist who usually, if he’s free, will sit down with you to understand your palate before mixing up something bespoke.  By late afternoon, the Pukhraj Lounge becomes the star. High tea service is a big deal here. The lounge itself is done up in hand painted murals of Rajasthan’s flora and fauna. By evening, it transitions to a cocktail bar serving house favourites. For a hotel with just five suites, the food and bevvie game punches well above its weight.    What are the facilities like? It’s a small hotel. You won’t find a gym or pool here. What you will find, though, is a very-well done massage, lots of quiet personal time, and top-notch personalised service.   Closest transport: Nearest airport is Jaipur Airport, 12 kms away. Book now: Via The Johri's website

Touted as the pioneer of wellness stays in the country, Ananda owes half the heavy-lifting of that claim to the Himalayas alone. The palace gazes down at the Ganges (mostly green-blue here in these parts) on one side, and up at the mountains on the other. It’s somewhere between hazy mist and forest.  The rest is an expanse of gem-like gardens and white heritage-style buildings,  all under the steady gaze of the Viceregal Palace, the erstwhile home to the Maharaja of Tehri Gharwal, still kitted out with the century-old furniture, antique four-posters, vintage tapestries and Belgian mirrors. The result, though, isn’t all heady opulence. There is some groundedness here that most heritage palace hotels sidestep.  Who is it for? Wellness is the brisk aim here. The palace will form merely the backdrop; most of your stay will likely be spent between the spa block and your elegant, neutral-toned room, which owes very little to royal nostalgia.  What I mean to say is: if you’re after a glamorous holiday replete with several outfit changes and late, booze-fuelled dinners, this is not it. This is a disciplined, schedule-driven affair. You will wake early, be in bed by 10pm, and probably eat far less than usual.  Travel light – there’ll be a soft white cotton kurta-pajama set waiting for you in your wardrobe, replenished twice daily. You will live in it daily and silently be thankful, considering the amount of oil in your body and hair from the spa treatments. I’d say there’s something deeply liberating about not caring how you look, though.  Within hours of arrival, you’ll be sitting with an Ayurvedic doctor who evaluates your dosha, sleep patterns, stress levels and digestion. An itinerary follows. Early morning yoga, an afternoon Vedanta lesson, three controlled meals, and two massage treatments a day. Your schedule is full. There is no sightseeing agenda. The only real outing’s a slow walk through manicured gardens and stepped landscapes with gentle fish-scale waterfalls that are scientifically proven to lower blood pressure.  Excursions into Rishikesh for the evening Ganga Aarti can be arranged. If you turn up in your Ananda uniform, chances are you’ll be discreetly ushered into a front row without asking. That’s the sort of reputation this place carries. Basically: Ananda’s for those who want to detox without feeling like they’ve checked into a hospital, and obviously, for those who don’t mind paying for it. The guest list is illustrious, so there’s plenty of brag value. The minimum stay is three nights, and rates are all-inclusive. You may momentarily calculate that the same sum could finance extravagant palace feasts elsewhere. Here, every meal’s tailored to your body type and the goals of your programme: personalised, plated meticulously and intentionally smaller than you might expect. That restraint is part of the luxury. The rooms For the price point, you might question the size of the rooms and the amenities at first. But the devil’s in the details, and that’s why you sleep better here. The muted colour palette, pillow menu, high-thread-count sheets, and that view of the Ganges all add up. There is a flat-screen television that feels slightly out of place, albeit necessary in a five-star property, I suppose. The minibar is alcohol-free and stocked only with healthy options. The spa The highlight of the property is its 2,230 sq m spa, which stands in clean-lined contrast to the old palace buildings behind it. Modern spaces. Himalayan rock saunas. There are 24 treatment rooms, each cocooned enough to feel entirely private. The main spa lobby features a high skylight that filters sunlight into a round, knee-deep pool below. Signature therapies range from holistic Ayurvedic rituals and Tibetan facials to classic Swedish massages. The Kama Suite, designed for couples, offers a more indulgent experience with specially selected oils intended to be both sensual and spiritual. Beyond the treatment rooms lies a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy area complete with a steam room, sauna and a Kneipp circuit. The spa boutique’s almost reason enough to linger, stocked with Ananda’s own products, yoga mats, books, clothing and jewellery. It’s the only kind of retail therapy encouraged here.

Laalee might quite possibly be the artsiest boutique hotel in Jaipur, but that’s hardly surprising given the owner, Shan Bhatnagar, is an artist. Despite that though, you’d expect art, but not the sheer quantity that Laalee houses. Right off the bat, I’m amazed by the fact that not a single wall’s left unadorned: traditional Pichwai art with lotus and cow motifs; paintings of Lord Krishna, his gopis, and the rest of the ensemble; a massive painting of Shrinathji in the double-height lobby with two staircases. It’s a full-scale flamboyance, a head-on Pichwai takeover, all courtesy of Shan.  Laalee sits at the edge of the walled city – it’s where Jaipur town first began spreading beyond the four original gates. What you get is a modern neighbourhood that harkens back to older days – it’s close to everything you’d want to visit, yet blissfully removed from the honking, dust, and relentless traffic of the city centre. It is, after all, the posher, everyday bit of Jaipur. Not touristy at all.  Why stay at Lalee Don’t mistake the artistic flourishes for a lack of competence. Though once a private residence, Laalee needn’t hide behind the lavish storytelling to prove its worth. Sham and his wife, Devyani (a stellar chef) have refined the place to near-five-star standards, and sure, you may find yourself craving a patch of neutral wall, but Laalee owns the fact that it’s a maximalist’s dream. With the candlelit terraces, rose petals flung around, and Manganiyar music drifting through the night, and you barely notice the lack of a view. Not that you miss much. Shan’s painted his own imagined cityscape on the terrace wall anyway. Most of the nine rooms in the hotel look much the same, except for the rooftop suite, which comes with a private terrace. Some rooms are Pichwai-clad from floor to ceiling, and all of them are kitted out with bedding, crockery, and lamps from luxury Indian decor brands, all designed specially for the hotel. Like most boutique hotels in Jaipur that began life as homes or mansions, the bathrooms lean compact. There’s no Dyson hairdryer or freestanding tub, but there’s more than enough happening outside the bathroom walls to keep you occupied. Where to eat at Laalee The food here’s seriously underrated. Devyani’s a chef, so you can imagine that the meals are top-bloody-notch. Ideally, you’d have at least one meal a day here, including the coffee made from rocket espresso from Milan. You can eat at the alfresco space on the ground floor alongside the pool, the indoor dining room, the library bar, the coffeeshop, or the terrace.  The menu’s diverse, and includes a lavish eight-course tasting menu that hops from  Italian-style baadal jam to a Lebanese-leaning chaat with hummus and sumac. The winter thali lifts recipes from Devyani’s grandmother’s old notes, including an anti-nausea chaat masala she invented specifically for Devyani’s childhood road trips to the mountains. You’ll also find reimagined Kayastha favourites like gram flour samosas and hot, crispy jalebis. If you’re a cocktail connoisseur, you could consider hopping on over Native Cocktail Bar, which is a short drive away. 

Many a traveller, upon setting foot in Jaipur, has expressed a certain disappointment at not finding the sand dunes they expected of the Rajasthan capital. Fortunately or unfortunately, the city’s long outgrown its sandy frontier days, but worry not: if the desert’s what you after, Teela offers a glimpse of it without having to travel all the way to Jodhpur or Jaisalmer.  This one’s not for the rugged camping folks. This is luxury camping, set across a vast, untouched expanse of family-owned land, framed by the Aravallis, wild pampas grass and towering cacti. It’s admittedly an hour outside of the main city, and yes, there are network issues, but Teela’s offering something that the heritage hotels in the city can’t – a break from the fort fatigue, and a fun little escape to the wilderness.  What are the rooms like at Teela? There are two types of accommodation at Teela: the geodesic domes and the Luna Airstream caravans. From the outside, the domes look fairly simple. They’re made from modular steel pipes wrapped in high-density waterproof fabric with curved PVC windows, which is also your first clue that this is very much a cool-weather escape. Inside is all very high design too. Each dome’s got a small kitchenette, a dressing area and a lounging corner set beneath the wide panoramic windows. It’s a clever balance between comfort and good design – the air-conditioning does a decent job of keeping both the hot and cold weather in check (though it doesn’t always put up the strongest fight against the peak summer heat). It’s also got some nice touches: Marshall speakers, a tea chest, a Barefoot Luxury kit, which includes artisanal toiletries. The attached bathrooms are also luxuriously fitted. No lugging yourself to the dusty outhouse here.  The Luna Airstreams are priced higher, and come with a few added indulgences. These include a private patio where the caravan is fitted in, along with an open-air hot tub. Your butler will happily draw your bath and scatter rose petals if you’re in the mood for a little desert romance. In fact, each of the rooms come with a butler, which proves more necessary than indulgent, particularly given the hilly terrain that occasionally requires legs of steel. If you decide you’re done with trekking up and down the dunes for the day, your butler will even summon a jeep to bring you back.  What can you do at Teela? This is where Teela truly shines, and the property has no option but to rise to the occasion of keeping guests entertained throughout the day, given that it’s totally cut off from the city. Mornings begin with a sunrise trek, followed by breakfast by a tiny, serene lake. Evenings veer fancier, with private film screenings under the stars on a helipad that happens to be on the grounds.  There’s a bunch of adventure activities if you’re interested, too: paintball matches in the sand, ATV circuits, Polaris drives, and exploration trails. Plus a trampoline.  Where do you eat at Teela? Given Teela’s remote location on the edge of Jaipur, all meals are enjoyed on the property. Lunch is served at The Rait, a sunlit concrete and glass restaurant with large windows that frame the desert. The menu brings together Indian and European influences, with a strong focus on local produce sourced from farmers in the nearby Achrol village. The kitchen’s particularly well known for generous Rajasthani thalis. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, they’ve also got a Jungle Rasoi experience, where you can learn to make your own rotis with locals inside the forest, and later enjoy the meal on low woven beds under the warm sun.  For dinner, guests can request a private dining experience set under the open sky, with low seating, carpets, flowers, candlelight, and a thoughtfully curated menu.

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