The Ranbanka Palace is a royal place to travel. The 80’s and 90’s were dominated with family travel in India. With 20 somethings earning like never before and travelling, the focus is shifting away from the travel of yesteryears. The instinct earlier was towards ticking off a list but today’s traveler wants to sit back and relax. With today’s fast paced lifestyle, luxury travel is fast becoming a necessity. Although the western world has woken up to it’s benefits, it’s time for Indians to also do so. Ranbanka Palace located at Jodhpur is perfect for this kind of travel.
Walk through of Ranbanka Palace
Located in the blue city of Jodhpur, this 20th century city palace is a throwback to the might of the Rajputana royalty. Built in 1927 by Maharajadhiraj Ajit Singh ji from the royal family of Jodhpur, Ranbanka Palace is now in the hands of their scion, R.K Karanvijay Singh. The 70 room Ranbanka Palace is a relief to overused senses. Be it listening to the chirping of the birds or straining to identify a constellation during clear nights, this place offers you a disconnect from the world not easily available.
Have you visited Jodhpur Bazaars?
Rajputana Architecture at Ranbanka
The opulent luxuries at the Ranbanka offer you a chance to feel like royalty without it’s stresses. The strong built walls hold stories of Rajputana valour while a collection of photographs on the walls gives you an insight into the most recent history of the family. Restored in 2000, the fort holds numerous knick knacks from all over Rajasthan. Be it a collection of weapons or musical instruments.
As you will have already seen in the walkthrough video of the property, the rooms of Ranbanka are divided into Deluxe, Club and Suites. With hardwood furniture and colours of red and saffron dominating the frame, your stay at Ranbanka will always remain colourful. The Jodhana experience is available to those who book the Jodhana suites. The private terraces on our rooms were something that gave us the opportunity to keep on blabbering without a care in the world.
What to eat?
A newly built large dining hall acts as the main restaurant of the hotel. Breakfast is a buffet with an Indian speciality along with eggs made to order. For lunch, we tried out the ostentatious Rajasthani thali. A plethora of dishes were arranged on our plate. The Gatta Curry, the Laal Maas and the Papad ki Subzi gives you an explosion of flavours you haven’t experienced before.
There is not a single second of boredom at the Ranbanka Palace. Activities like the Desert Safari to Bisalpur is one of the good options. The camel reserve at Bisalpur hosts safaris which are usually day trips. It starts off with a jeep ride to the forest. It is followed by a trip around the forest discovering wildlife such as Black Buck, peacocks and Nilgai. After a break for tea and the famous Jodhpuri Kachori, it was time to ride the majestic camels. Many authentic Indian penchants like Astrology, Palm Reading and Henna application are also available.
The Gold Room at Ranbanka Palace
The Gold Room is the pinnacle of Rajputana royalty. There are a plethora of taxidermied animals including deer, elephant and tigers. Heads of many of these animals adorn the walls while a life sized tiger roars at you from the corner of the room. Elephant’s feet have been used to make stools, while their tusks adorn the walls. A soft leopard skin overlays the old piano. There are also some old albums showcasing the days of hunt.
Ranbanka Palace is an option for those who love to travel slow and luxurious. It is an experience that will rejuvenate you thoroughly.
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