Ranthambore National Park, India
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Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (USD2,206.43), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
Style
Wild at heart
Setting
Tiger territory
Explore
Perched on the edge of Rajasthan's prime tiger-spotting territory in Ranthambore National Park, Aman-i-Khás takes luxury camping to a new level, with 10 opulent, Mughal-inspired tents, butler service and the chance to spot a Bengal beast in the wild. Safari has never been so chic…
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A camel safari for two, including sunset drinks
11 luxury tents.
Noon, but flexible subject to availability. Check-in, 2pm.
Rates include all meals and non-alcoholic drinks, plus laundry service. Room rates are subject to service charges and taxes that amount to approximately 35%.
The handsome leather chest at the end of your bed doubles as a minibar, which remains fully stocked with your tipple of choice for the duration of your stay.
Aman-i-Khás is closed from 1 June to 30 September each year.
Personal batman (butler), Spa Tent offering massages, scrubs, facials and traditional henna art, well-stocked Lounge Tent, central outdoor fire pit. In rooms: free WiFi, king-size bed, sitting and dining area, rain shower and separate soaking tub.
With soaring six-metre-high canopies, elegant interiors, sunken marble bath tubs and custom-made teak furniture, these tents are seriously luxe. Creamy cotton curtains divide the enormous 'rooms' and a private entrance area where tea is served every morning. For added privacy, go for tent number one, which is set furthest away from the main camp.
The sparkling square pool echoes the region's traditional stepwells, ancient irrigation tanks with concentric steps on all sides. Take a dip and then flop onto a shaded sunlounger.
With safaris, walking tours and camel rides on the menu a suitably robust pair of shoes and trousers are a must but you'll want something a little more fashion-forward come sundowner time. Remember to add your camera to the kitbag and an extra memory card to hold all those safari snaps.
Entry and safari passes for Ranthambore National Park are an additional US$75 each, plus taxes.
Children are welcome and cots are available free of charge for infants. US$60 a night (plus taxes) will cover a bed and all meals for littles aged six to 12; for over-12s (including extra adults), US$125 (plus taxes) a night.
Aman-i-Khás caters to Smiths of all ages, and with safari-park surrounds Juniors can go wild and embrace their inner Mowgli.
All ages are welcome, but the hotel is probably best suited to kids aged five and over because they'll be able to enjoy (and sit still during) the safaris.
Once the kids tire of safari sessions, there's a swimming pool, croquet lawn and games of cricket to be won (and lost). The Spa offers Mehendi, traditional henna art of temporary patterns that are usually applied to your hands. Children can also learn to design their own hand-block print fabric. Beyond the camp, there are camel-cart rides, visits to Ranthambhore Fort, and trips to the Old City where kids can join in sessions of Gilli-danda, an old-school stick game.
The pool has shallow stepped areas for little swimmers.
A children's menu and high chairs are available. Packed lunches can be rustled up and the kitchen can heat baby food and milk.
Free babysitting is available upon request.
Baby cots, which are provided at no extra cost.
The camp isn't fenced, so keep an eye on younger children who might hear the call of the great outdoors and want to explore solo...
When the weather permits, an alfresco table overlooking the campfire, jungle and lake is our top tip.
Off-duty safari chic; channel a modern day Sarah Layton in The Jewel in the Crown. Bring a pashmina and warm clothing if you’re staying during winter.
Lit by flickering candles at night, the Dining Tent has one large communal table and several smaller settings, but dinner is just as often served outside beside the roaring fire. Traditional Rajasthani cuisine, inspired by the royal kitchens of the Mughal emperors, and continental dishes are available, and most meals are created using veggies and herbs grown in the camp's own organic garden.
Afternoon G&Ts and post-dinner whiskies are poured in the Dining Tent and served around the fireplace.
The kitchen is open 24 hours a day to cater to your every craving.
Available around the clock with breakfasts, lunch, dinners and sweet treats delivered directly to your tent.
Aman-i-Khás is situated near the Ranthambore National Park, in Sawai Madhopur in south-eastern Rajasthan.
The nearest air hub is Jaipur International Airport (www.jaipurairport.com), which is serviced by GoAir (www.goair.in), Jet Airways (www.jetairways.com), Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) and Indian Airlines (www.airindia.in). The 180-kilometre drive from Jaipur to the hotel takes around three hours.
Sawai Madhopur train station, 11 kilometres away, services regular trains from Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Jodhpur and Bangalore, or connect via Jaipur. Aman-i-Khás offers free transfers for the 20-minute drive from Sawai Madhopur to the resort.
India’s road network and traffic conditions have a deserved reputation as some of the most chaotic in the world so it’s best not to brave taking the wheel yourself. If you want to travel by road, seek out the services of TWX (+91 11 4379 9700; www.travelworldexperiences.com), who can sort out flights and drivers for jaunts throughout India.
The open-top jeep safaris are the reason folk flock to Ranthambore. As well as being home to 50 or so tigers, there are crocodile-filled lakes, leopards, jungle cats, sloth bears, wild boar, sambar and spotted deer, and more than 300 species of birds among the dhok trees and bushy scrub.
Immerse yourself in local culture, history and legend with a heart-racing climb to the top of the Khandar Fort, a scenic 90-minute drive away. This formidable fortress still houses the remains of palaces, temples and stepwells.
Brush up on your flora and fauna with a guided walk through the low hills, or bring out your binoculars on a trip to Surwal Lake where indigenous and migratory birds fill the skies. Get ready to tick raptors, waders, kingfishers, parquets and more off your birding list. The Banas riverbed is a twitcher’s paradise; head here for bird spotting along the banks or a riverside camel ride. The hotel can serve a picnic-style lunch for you to enjoy in this serene setting.
Take a tour of the Old City and indulge in some out-of-the-ordinary retail therapy as exquisite 100-year-old silver and gold tribal jewellery is pulled from a tiny safe and displayed on the shop floor. Or stock up on the local khus (grass) perfume, packaged in a unique camel-hide bottle.
The streets of Sawai Madhopur aren't known for their gourmet restaurants or late-night watering holes, so most of your eating and drinking will take place within the luxury confines of the hotel. If you're really craving a change of scene, then the Dining Room at the Oberoi Vanyavilas (+91 (0)7462 22 3999) offers Western, Thai and Indian cuisine in an airy dining room lined with hand-painted frescoes.
Mr and Mrs Smith have just returned from a stay at this luxury tented camp and as soon as they've unpacked their safari gear and downloaded their wildlife snaps, a full account of their tiger-tracking trip will be with you. In the meantime, just to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick postcard from Aman-i-Khás in Ranthambore National Park...
Aman-i-Khás casts its spell long before you've set foot in the hotel, thanks to the personal batman (valet) who escorts you from your departure point to the luxury tented camp, attending to your every whim along the way (cue upgrades to first-class on the train!).
The property itself is equally indulgent. Inspired by those used by the Mughals during hunting parties, the 10 luxury tents have been transported into the modern era with double-height ceilings, king-size beds and sunken marble bath tubs.
White cotton curtains divide the sleeping, living and dressing areas, and central to the tent is an enormous day-bed, sprawled underneath a six-metre-high canopy, that's made for languid lounging. Ranthambore may be one of the best places in India to spot tigers but truthfully, you might find it hard to leave this regal abode.
Price per night from $2,206.43
