Barbara Hirschhorn
About 30 ago, I read ‘The Far Pavilions” by M.M. Kaye and it opened my mind to the richness of India’s history and people. I send a lot of clients to India, and usually use Banyan Tours and Travels because they do great custom-designed cultural journeys with a high level of luxury all over India. They even do luxury trekking in the Indian Himalayas and wildlife adventures. There is so much to see there and my clients love it; many return multiple times.
Among my favorite areas is Rajasthan, with exotic cities like Udaipur, with its lovely lakes and famous Lake Palace, a former lavish summer palace built with marble and precious stones, and now a hotel that sits on an island. Also in Rajasthan is Jaipur, also known as the Pink City for the dominant color of its historic district. Here too, hotels include formers palaces, such as Sujan Rajmahal Palace, an oasis of calm, with extensive crowds and opulent apartments. are these hotels the ones you want to mention or are there hotels you prefer?
And not to be missed is the Taj Mahal in Agra. Built by Shah Jahan as a memorial to his favorite wife, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631, the Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful complexes in the world, and provides an entree into Mughal architecture and culture.
I also love to plan trips to other exotic locations, and from Israel to Iceland, Sri Lanka to Cambodia, I have found that the key is creating great experiences for my clients is working closely with well-vetted travel companies, native to each location. For example, in Australia, New Zealand and Japan, I often work with Pacific Experience—a very hands-on organization that has representatives onsite to ensure my clients get the most responsive service.