Rawla Narlai Heritage Hotel

diverse activities, including leopard safari

Set in the village of Narlai, at the bottom of the escarpment between Jodhpur and Udaipur in Rajasthan, Rawla Narlai Heritage Hotel is a very authentic, characterful and relatively upmarket property,

Once a grand hunting lodge for the royal family of Jodhpur, this lovely palace was originally built around 1680. It was restored to its former glory and opened as a boutique hotel in 2012, personally operated and hosted by matriarch Rani Usha Devi and her two sons, Maharaj Raghavendra Singh and Maharaj Suryaveer Singh.

The property sits within the village, at the foot of a prominent granite dome, whose caverns contain ancient temples and whose summit is crowned by a large statue of an elephant.

The hotel is centred on a grand four-storey mansion house and its subsidiary buildings, which contain elegant lounge and dining spaces, leading out to lovely courtyards containing a large swimming pool.

There is also an extensive spa facility.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Rawla Narlai Heritage Hotel is in 32 rooms, all with air-conditioning. They come in three specifications …

Grand Heritage Room : original building

“Classically grand, with aesthetically manicured interiors, these chambers sit atop the original edifice. Complemented by arches, pillars and antique windows, these rooms provide you the pleasure of ‘living in the past’, albeit in a la mode comfort.”

Luxury Grand Heritage : original building

“Traditional meets contemporary in these lavish, innovative and exquisitely designed rooms. Despite the opulent interiors, the rooms blend sensitively with the natural surroundings as you embrace unimaginable luxury and enjoy the privacy of your personal sitting area.”

Narlai Suite : new building

“High style and blue-blooded comfort mingle with rustic ethnicity in these royal suites of our new wing. The room exudes a timeless sophistication and symbolise classic elegance.”

Activities

Rawla Narlai Heritage Hotel provides access to an unusually broad range of historic and cultural activities in the vicinity …

• Local walks
• Vehicle safari
• Horseback riding
• Mountain-biking
• Hiking
• Jungle lunch
• High tea by the lake
• Dinner at the step well
• Dinner in the bush

The Rajasthan region is usually explored as a private-guided overland safari, starting and ending in Delhi.

We often start these trips by flying from Delhi to either Udaipur or Jodhpur in the south, which are more rural and relaxed, before weaving a route north by road back to Delhi

In this case, Rawla Narlaii usually features in between Udaipur and Jodhpur/Jaipur.

Seasonality

The best time of year to visit the Udaipur area is generally considered to be during Oct-May, although there are considerable seasonal variations within that period …

October is the transition period between the end of the monsoon rains and the start of the cool dry season. During the month daytime temperatures usually rise to around 33C/91F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures remain up around 16C/61F. However the rainfall usually drops away to around 25mm (1”). Sunshine is around 9 hours per day (around 80% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are usually clear.

Nov-Feb is the main cool dry season. During this period the daytime temperatures usually rise to around 25C/77F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures hold up around 7C/45F. There should be virtually no rainfall. Sunshine is around 8 hours per day (around 80% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are usually clear.

Mar-May is the hot season, the often uncomfortable build-up to the main monsoon. During this period the daytime temperatures can climb steeply to around 37C/99F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures are up around an uncomfortable 20C/86F. Rainfall usually remains almost negligible. Sunshine is around 8 hours per day (around 75% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are usually clear.

Jun-Sep is the main monsoon season and is generally considered to be the least favourable time to visit. During this period the daytime temperatures drop off slightly to around 35C/95F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures remain up at a stifling 24C/75F (made all the more uncomfortable by the increased humidities). Rainfall climbs to around 175mm (7”) per month. Sunshine drops to around 5 hours per day (around 40% of daylight hours), meaning that skies can remain overcast.

Getting there

The Narlai area is usually reached by road, connecting into trips as follows …

• Agra : 550 km to the northeast
• Delhi : 600 km to the northeast
• Jaipur : 350 km to the northeast
• Jodhpur : 150 km to the north
• Ranthambore : 360 km to the northeast
• Udaipur : 120 km to the southeast

one of our most highly recommended hotels