We started with our beloved Kumarakom Lake Resort where we stay for three weeks.  It is our idea of bliss.  Warm welcome, comfort, sunshine, heat, gorgeous pools, own courtyard pool, good food with our special requests, ayurvedic if wanted, beautiful garden, birdlife, tranquil lake environment and superb staff who are both friendly and excellent.   Enough, three weeks works wonders!  View Kumarakom photo album.

 

Then we flew up to Gujarat and arrived at Ahmedabad via Hyderabad on Spice Jet.   Rann Riders made us welcome for a return visit and their new place Kutch Wilderness Kamp is interesting and a bonus for the area around Bhuj.  We visited and met with weavers, dyers, printers who are all very skilled and their crafts originate centuries ago. Naturally there is the lovely wildlife to once again enjoy in Gujarat from Rann Riders.  In Ahmedabad, we stayed at Mani Mansion which we liked, comfortable but not big and in a good location. View Gujarat photo album. 

 

Then we flew in to Jaipur.  Jaipur is growing as the capital of Rajasthan and the new international airport is a great improvement.  We stayed at Khas Bagh which we loved.  This is a new lovely place with elegant rooms, good service, lovely pool, gracious property with plans for its own vegetable garden and butterfly garden, and only 25 minutes from city centre.  View photo album.  We also stayed one night at Dera Mandawa which we loved in the inner city, great rooms and very warm welcome and good food. View photo album.  We attended a wedding privately which was a lot of fun.

 

Finally, we were guests of HH Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur Mewar.  Fateh Prakash Palace is looking excellent now and we had gracious hospitality from Shriji for the Maharana Mewar Foundation Awards. (Click here to read my India link article on Mewar - The Soul of Rajasthan)  That was all good fun and very interesting and Udaipur was lovely once again. View photos.

 

Finally, flew down to Mumbai and stayed at the new airport hotel Niranta (it is good: comfortable rooms with peace and great showers and reasonable food) before boarding the Emirates back to Glasgow, which nearly went pear shaped as Emirates had a meltdown of their IT which delayed everything at Mumbai International Airport and so we caught the follow-on plane to Glasgow with minutes to spare in Dubai, but then home again safely. 

 

Have returned to enjoy a fabulous Scottish spring with sunshine and the blossom which has filled us with joy.

 

Aline