On Site: Maharajas' Express
Luxury Travel Advisor, July, 2010
– by Julie Earle Levin
"India — you either love it or hate it," says one very well travelled friend. He falls into the first camp and has been more than a dozen times. He enjoys the incredible, luxury hotels where service abounds and the hotels themselves feel like palaces, but hates the inter-city travel and catching planes since 'there are always delays!'
We were excited to try out a new option: India’s first cross-country luxury train, The Maharajas' Express. The train cuts across state borders, whisking guests from Mumbai to Delhi, or in our case, Delhi to Calcutta. We embarked on a seven-day, six night journey in March, that usually requires visitors to fly to and from Delhi to visit each place.
Can you imagine seeing India on a luxury cruise? Clients who have enjoyed Silver Sea would feel right at home on this train. Both a cruise and a train cover huge distances in ultra-comfort, the train moving mostly at night to arrive in a new city each morning. Guests have a leisurely breakfast on board, then are joined by top notch tour guides with Cox & Kings. That company started in India in 1758 and specializes in travel in each city we visit.
Luxury train travel is not new in India, but the Maharajas' Express takes it to a new level. Guests get their own large bathroom with a shower and toilet. Plus, a personal butler meets your every need. Mine, who was named Rameesh delivered cups of hot, sweet Darjeeling tea each morning as a 'wake up' call. He also took clothes to be laundered. If there was ever a WiFi problem, it was fixed fast.
We started our journey in bustling Delhi, India's capital. It's a city in the midst of construction ahead of the October Commonwealth Games. Our first night we stayed at The Oberoi hotel which is well-suited to business travelers with plenty of staff at hand, and a fabulous restaurant/bar called threeSixty that also attracts the locals. Bookings are essential. Very early the next morning we met with fellow passengers. The city was fully awake, it's tri-wheeled taxis known as tut-tuts, motorbikes and cars causing a vast sea of traffic jams. But we had no worries since the delays were anticipated so we arrived with plenty of time to spare. At the train station, a band played traditional Indian music, and we were presented with golden colored marigold wreaths. Waiters carrying silver trays of juice and champagne steered us on to an Oscars-worthy red carpet, that ran the length of the 23-carriage train. Local television news reporters circled eagerly. We oddly felt like celebrities.
On board, our journey began with a tour of the coach, called 'Pukhraj' (meaning yellow sapphire) All the coaches are named after gemstones. Then it was time for breakfast. Fresh watermelon juice and eggs and toast, served on French dinnerware and set on a crisp, white cotton tablecloth. It was thrilling to sit and watch life roll by outside, through the train’s enormous picture windows. There were families collecting water, and lush green landscapes once we left Delhi and were in the country. We got glimpses into houses right by the railway tracks. Women carrying bundles of wood perched on their heads, in bright saris smiled and waved at us.
The train has the sway of a cruise boat, kind of like slow dancing. It’s not unpleasant, thanks to high tech German suspension. It moves especially fast at night.
Our first day of travel was not a large distance. We were traveling to nearby Agra to see the Taj Mahal (so there was plenty of time to settle in, check out the DIRECT TV and Internet, and unpack clothes. Just once! No need to re-pack each day.
In Agra, we pulled up at the train station, where coaches were waiting to take us to Agra Fort, the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then it was on to lunch at a hotel with a bird’s eye views of the Taj. The lunch was disappointing since it was outdoors in the heat. We would have been much happier had it been at The Oberoi, Agra, which is stunning and air-conditioned with its own gorgeous spa and beautiful surrounds. It is a must see attraction in itself. Most rooms have direct views of The Taj, and for guests who want to see it early morning, there are golf carts available for a quick spin to see it). For some of us, who had seen the Taj before, we wandered off on our own to explore. We ended the excursion with a well-organized shopping trip for marble, spices and gemstones.
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