Travel To jodhpur

Trip number:3rd trip.

This time we stayed at Hotel Devi Bhawan.

After a delayed flight(all fault of an extremely unfeeling Air India-who made all of us wait 2 hrs, after boarding, on the tarmac-because they wanted to charge a sick passenger for an upgrade-which they could not do earlier as they had not figured that their economy class aisle was too narrow for a wheel chair-someone tell me exactly how many years have they been flying?!!?So much so for take off.

On landing and baggage claim we found that the lock of the check-in baggage had been broken and so we spent another 20 min making acquaintance with more unhelpful AI officials.
On a happier note we were met by a smiling taxi driver-who incidentally had been awaiting our arrival since 2 pm-it was now after 4:30 PM- and very welcomingly taken to Devi Bhawan.

First impressions:A quiet tree filled peaceful abode-put us back quickly into a happy holiday mood.

There is nothing like Rajasthani hospitality- in all out trips to the royal state the charm of Rajasthani hospitality has always made us feel cherished, welcomed and extremely comfortable....and we keep coming back for more.

We had a first floor delux room in devi Bhawan- large, spacious with a good sized bathroom and an exclusive balcony with a view of the pool. The room was done up tastefully in real/orignal antique furniture.(unlike some places I know which in the effort of trying to be heritage really go over the top and coming across as crude and in your face.*more about this in a later post.)Beautifully carved stone panels inset in the walls, a lovely mirror, cool marble floors and old brass switches make for a lovely room.The desk on which i am writing has me drooling.My shopping instincts have been suitably aroused.

Jodhpur has many places where one can buy old furniture etc.
The pool is clean, very pretty and the trees that shade the pool not only add to the 'oasis in the desert' feeling but also enable you use the pool at all times during the day which is so inportant in hot sunny Jodhpur.

The cooing rock pigeons, blushing doves, melodious koels and the occasional soaring eagle complete the picture of the home away from home Devi Bhawan is.
the hotel trees also are home to the koels we realised the next morning as we got a good sighting of these shy birds while eating breakfast. In all my travels(and childhood in shimla) I have never managed to spot them. I had my fill of observing both the glossy black male and the spotted female.No need for my binoculars,which I had forgotten to bring anyways.

The staff is attentive, cordial and very helpful. We went around the city in autos which the hotel staff helped us get and they also told us how much to pay so we were not fleeced as happens in many cities.PS: fix the rates before you board.We followed this advise and had no problems what so ever.

My husband was working so I went around the city with my son on our own.Never did I feel uncomfortable or scared-Felt safe-something I never have in Delhi or Gurgaon even after living here for so long.
The traffic is less and the auto drivers do not drive like maniacs. I have a cervical problem and during the trip it had been acting up again. But the drivers we got were really good and did not shake me up at all(despite the roads).

Food at Devi Bhawan: Simple north Indian home cooked meals.My main problem in eating out is that I have a sensitive throat which objects to poor cooking medium. No problems here at all. After having spicy, heavy meals outside in the city(we all are foodies-live to eat) dinner in Devi Bhawan was a soothing balm to our excited stomachs.They do not have an extensive menu. More of a thali-differrent vegs. everyday- or one can order a la carte from what is freshly made that day.
A real home away from home.

Would I recommend Devi Bhawan- Yes.
Single travellers-yes.
Single women - Yes.
With families - yes.
Indian travellers - Yes. very affordable.