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More and more business travellers are headed to India, with a requisite stop in New Delhi. It is a long way to India from almost anywhere, and the wise traveler will tack on a day to see one of the world's greatest architectural treasures, the Taj Mahal.
From Delhi, one can take a short flight, a two-hour train ride, or a four-hour drive dodging tractors and mule-drawn carts to go 125 miles south to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Once you reach Agra, there is only one place to stay: the stunning Oberoi Amarvilas.
The appeal is immediate. Walk into the lobby and you are stopped in your tracks by the scene framed in the hotel's tall arched windows. Just 650 yards away is the beautiful marble dome of the Taj Mahal. Each of the 102 rooms in the hotel offers the same view, some from terraces and some even from the bathtub. The bar and tea lounge off the lobby are perfect for a sunset cocktail overlooking the Taj.
Steps through a terraced garden lead to a refreshing blue-tiled infinity pool, where water dribbles down rocks alongside the pool when someone splashes in. Paddle towards the Taj Mahal and you're headed for three floral-patterned panels accented with gold leaf. Flip-turn to swim to the other end and you are swimming towards a gold-leafed Ganesh, the beloved Hindu god with an elephant's head.
If you are lucky, you'll get to shake hands with Rancho, a graceful langur monkey with silky white hair. He's perfectly tame and lives in a teak house near the hotel, but he's on the job: the hotel staff takes him for a walk several times daily.
There are lots of wild rhesus monkeys in the neighborhood, and they used to run amok on the hotel's balconies, occasionally flummoxing
It turns out that rhesus monkeys are scared to death of langurs and have stopped their tricks since Rancho moved in.
The hotel rooms are luxurious, with teak floors, inlaid wooden desks and walk-in closets for the smallest rooms, glass-encased, gold-leaf adorned, octagonal rain showers in the luxury suites, and patio dining areas and custom-made furniture in other spacious suites. Doubles range from $450 to $2,400.
The Indian restaurant, Esphahan, is known for its thalis--plates with small samplings of a number of delicious curries served with rice. There's also a Western restaurant, Bellevue, and a poolside snack menu.
Not to be missed--especially after a hot visit to the monument--is a stop in the hotel spa, which is operated by Banyan Tree, the famous Thai spa. There are plenty of choices, including a Thai massage, an Indian Ayurvedic massage or a Chakra head and shoulders massage. Prices range from $38 for half an hour to $185 for half a day's bliss.
While the hotel is a spectacular destination, one wouldn't go there except to see the Taj Mahal, which--be warned--is closed on Fridays.
The Taj Mahal is known as the world's most lavish monument to love. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan began building it in 1631 as a mausoleum for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth as she gave birth to their 14th child, a daughter, who lived.
Visitors are whisked by electric cart for the two-minute ride from the hotel to the gates of the monument. The best time to go is at sunrise, around 6 A.M., for the cooler temperatures, fewer crowds and play of morning sunlight off the white marble exterior.
Those with more time can arrange a tour of nearby historical sights and even go on to the magnificent castles and forts of Rajasthan.
Oberoi hotels can coordinate visits that include stays in Oberoi properties in the region, but visitors might want to enlist the help of a well-respected travel agency like Creative Travel in New Delhi, which plans custom trips for individuals as well as groups. Creative Travel can be reached at 91-11-2687-2257 or creative@travel2india.com
Forbes Fact
The Oberoi Amarvilas has the air of a medieval Indian palace, but was completed in 2001 at a cost of $3.6 million. It was designed by P G Patki & Associates of Bangkok, incorporating styles inspired by Islamic architecture.