Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Travel + Leisure India & South Asia

TIME FLIES. What is left behind are memories of some of the best experiences you’ve had. The year 2022 was special—from launching our marquee campaign #GoingPlaceswithPeople to bringing people together through Delicious Dining Awards in July ’22, and India’s Best Awards in November ’22—T+L India & SA has had a great ride. And we cannot wait for this trip to get even more spectacular in 2023. Our first issue of the year takes you to Madhya Pradesh, as we explore Gwalior with the royal family. The effervescent and eclectic mother-son duo of Maharani Priyadarshini Raje Scindia and Yuvraj Mahanaaryaman Scindia take us on a spin in the VOLVO XC90 to discover their ‘home’. Our royalty cover feature lets you in on the myriad hidden gems that we uncover with Gwalior’s…

A WAY FROM THE CACOPHONY, Wildflower Villas in North Goa, is an eco-resort built on a 200-year-old ancestral property. With only seven villas on the premises, Wildflower Villas promises heightened privacy for its guests, and a variety of birds and butterflies as constant companions. Bulit without disturbing the surrounding ecosystem, around a forest without cutting a single tree, the property has used tiles from local craftsmen and installed them in a manner that causes minimum damage to the land. Additionally, the furniture has been sourced lovingly from family and friends in Goa. Wildflower Villas is also committed to sustainability. For instance, one can spot only glass water bottles on the premises. The rooms also feature customised concrete jars. Other efforts at the property include regular kitchen waste composting, rainwater harvesting…

BUILT IN THE late 19th century as a hunting lodge by the then Thakur of Raipur, Brij Lakshman Sagar now stands as a boutique hotel. Its initial purpose was to host noble families and British emissaries. Spread over 32 acres of land in a rural setting in Pali, Rajasthan, the property is home to 12 independent cottages with private splash pools and modern amenities. Divided into two clusters, the cottages are situated on either side of a lake and boast a sustainable design with panoramic views. The intricate architecture and design reflect the rustic and local living of rural Rajasthan. The dishes served at the property are traditional, and include special recipes from the Raipur family and the villages around. If you’re in the mood to cook up a storm,…

THE TIBET OF OLDEN TIMES WAS ALWAYS off limits. Even at the beginning of the 20th century, its geography was only imagined through the accounts of a handful of travellers who had managed to penetrate the few, zealously guarded, passes that provided access to this forbidden land. This was because in 1904, the Anglo-Tibetan Treaty that the victorious British military expedition to Lhasa forced the Tibetans to sign, effectively barred non-Tibetans from entering. While the move was ostensibly aimed at keeping the Russians out—the British feared they had their eyes on India—it effectively sealed an already inaccessible Tibet. It was in the wake of this backdrop that Sven Hedin, a Swedish explorer specialising in Central Asia, slipped in in 1906, determined to unlock the plateau’s secrets. Once “honoured as the…

AS I SIT ACROSS Nawab Kazim Ali Khan of Rampur for a meal at the Kheer restaurant in Roseate House, Delhi, the aromas of Yakhni Pulao and Nargisi Kofta waft through the air, whetting up an appetite. While Khan’s personal chef cooks up signature dishes of Rampuri cuisine for the guests at the Kitchens of the King Food Festival, he fills me up with interesting details about his family’s food legacy. Khan’s ancestors came from Afghanistan to Mughal India in 1704 and brought with them the Shinwari cuisine, which is till today found in frontier Pakistan. “The food then was hugely rice based, had lots of meat and was dry. There were no curries, we had pulaos, biryanis and kebabs like chapli, seekh, rann and shammi. In 1857, when the…

COMPARED WITH DEVON and Cornwall, Norfolk—the English county with more waterways than either Venice or Amsterdam—has historically managed to avoid attracting crowds. This is partly because the region is hard to reach: tucked away in the far east of England, there’s no motorway connecting it to London, and it’s a two-hour train ride from the capital to Norfolk’s main hub, Norwich. It is that sense of seclusion, perhaps, that has attracted kings, queens, and wealthy landowners to this windmill-dotted area for more than a millennium. England’s fifth-largest county has dozens of stately residences, including Houghton Hall—the home of Britain’s first prime minister, Robert Walpole—and Sandringham Estate, Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved country retreat. But it’s only in recent years that the royals have brought international attention to Norfolk: the presence of…

Traveller’s Guide This international travel guide has everything you need for your 2023 travel plans, from the best beach destinations to culinary hotspots and more.  travelandleisureasia.com/in/places/best-places-to-visit-in-the-world-in-2023/ Astrological Adventures This year, turn to your zodiac sign to decide where to travel to in India.  travelandleisureasia.com/in/trips/zodiac-travels/travel-in-india-based-on-zodiac/ Solo Sojourns Take off on solo trips across India with this handy guide for company. travelandleisureasia.com/in/places/local/destinations-for-solo-trip-in-india/ SPOTTED Actor Janhvi Kapoor holidays in the Maldives. travelandleisureasia.com/in/places/south-asia/janhvi-kapoor-maldives-vacation/ DISCOVER Be one with feathered friends in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. travelandleisureasia.com/in/places/local/bharatpur-bird-sanctuary-guide/ FESTIVAL TIME STAY TUNED TO OUR INSTA PAGE @TRAVELANDLEISUREINDIA FOR DETAILS OF AN EXCITING FESTIVAL COMING UP THIS YEAR! Download Travel + Leisure India & South Asia digital editions, and follow us for the best in hotels, food, style, culture, and trends. travelandleisureindia tnlindia tnlindia traveleisurein SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS…

SPREAD ACROSS 90 ACRES of lush greenery and surrounded by the Aravallis, The Ananta Udaipur is the ultimate respite from the hustle-bustle of the city, and offers luxurious stay and dining options, and an array of rejuvenating experiences. The property is all set to host the first edition of Soul Festival. What is it? Slated to take place in March 2023, Soul Festival is a unique curation of immersive experiences including culinary adventures, live performances, wellness programmes, and interactive brand engagement spaces. Organised by Ananta Hotels & Resorts, India’s luxury hospitality brand in collaboration with BurdaLuxury, Asia’s leading media house and The Envelop, an experiential marketing firm, it will be an exclusive invite-only event. The guest list will include esteemed designers, artists, influencers, and celebrities. “Soul Festival is a snapshot…

You recently delved into the metaverse and brought food to virtual space. Tell us more about this. The metaverse is a very promising space, especially for the future. You can communicate and showcase your work through it. Since it has a wider reach, people can easily avail the services we [chefs] provide. It opens and expands new boundaries. What does the future of culinary tourism look like to you? Culinary tourism is getting bigger and better. Even as people travel to different Indian cities—let alone other countries—they are looking for places to eat. They take pictures and share it on social media as recommendations. Tourism boards are also making efforts to showcase food. You now have home cooks and restaurants who are breaking boundaries. It’s no longer just about grandeur;…

Location: JAI VILAS PALACE AND GWALIOR FORT Wheels Partner: VOLVO XC90 AS I SIT TO WRITE THIS STORY, I can’t find the right words for Gwalior. Do I talk about the city’s history, dating back to the eighth century when the fortress first got its name? Or do I speak about its political prowess that flourished under the aegis of multiple dynasties like the Kachchhapaghatas (in the 10th century), Tomars (13th century), Mughals and Marathas (18th century), and finally, the Scindias, the last dynasty to hold the royal seat before the nation gained independence in 1947? To rid myself of this conundrum, I turn to Maharani Priyadarshini Raje Scindia and Yuvraj Mahanaaryaman Scindia, the royals of the city and cover stars of Travel+Leisure India & South Asia’s first issue of…

WHEN I LANDED IN BAKU, the capital of Azerbaijan, a former Soviet country, an Islamic nation positioned right above Iran, I thought it would be riddled with Ladas (the Russian car once symbolic of its self-reliance), decrepit old buildings, grey skies, and subpar infrastructure. It’s the quintessential cliched tourist perspective—one that I found to be completely untrue during my week-long stay. A modern metropolis greeted me; instead of the Ladas, there were shining German sedans, sparkly Lamborghinis and Ferraris on the wide modern roads of the city, against the backdrop of gleaming new skyscrapers and public infrastructure that could compete with the likes of London and Vienna. How this budding capital on the banks of the Caspian Sea has remained unnoticed by Indian travellers remains a mystery. At the heart…

I watched the land closely from the air. The chocolate-brown earth of South Africa, bare and threaded with rivers that turned quicksilver in the morning sun, gave way to grassland in Mozambique. Perfectly round lagoons appeared, their barren circumference suggesting brackish water. That hint of salinity was a prelude to the sea, but no preparation for what came next. The plane tilted and the sun burst through the windows, sending ovals of solid gold over the cabin walls. I looked down at the islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago and the sea between them, a low tide streaming out in 20 tantalising shades of blue. The sprawling expanse of a sandbar had pushed through the shallows. My first thought was of a sculpture in sand, reminiscent of those works of early…

BOARDING A COLOURFUL canal boat before dawn is not your typical way to start a Sunday in Mexico City. Yet there I was, watching as the mist dissipated and the surroundings revealed themselves: willows drooping to meet the mirrored water, herons perched on the banks. The Xochimilco canal system, 24 kilometres south of downtown, is best known for festive barges crowded with partygoers. But what makes these waterways so unique are actually the chinampas, artificial islands of packed mud where crops are grown; they were built more than a thousand years ago by the Nahua people. “This is an ecosystem and an archaeological site, as well as a food production site,” says Lucio Usobiaga, executive director of Arca Tierra (arcatierra.com), an organisation working to preserve these at-risk chinampas. Urbanisation, among other…

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WITH THE AUSTERITY measures put into place by corporates—both Indian and international—for almost three years, the business travel segment took a major hit. On the other end of the spectrum, leisure travel saw a major boom. As we move into 2023, let us look at the state of business travel across India and some of the major trends that will prevail. INCREASED ADRS (AVERAGE DAILY RATE) In Bengaluru, one of India’s most thriving business travel markets, hotels have witnessed a minimum of 80 per cent in traffic in 2022 as compared to 2021. “A major upswing in hotel occupancies was supported by leisure individual movement, MICE, and wedding segments. Through 2022, corporate travel was the most promising driver, uplifting the ADRs for the market overall and providing sustainability to business,”…

THE PEARLY WHITE PALACE glistens in the golden rays of the setting sun after an unexpected summer shower. A gentle purvai, a breeze from the east, wafts softly into the Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh, brings with it the mellow fragrance of the Banarasi langra mango. On my left is an imposing porch with the royal horse carriage, on my right an ancient marble temple; beautifully manicured lawns greet me ahead while a cobbled pathway with huge iron gates stands behind. I had arrived in Varanasi expecting to witness many things but seeing palaces was not on the list, and here I am, standing at the helm of a palace in the middle of the city known for its ghats and temples. “Banaras or Varanasi is filled with royal homes…

I ARRIVE IN MELBOURNE after a 24-hour-long flight from London, a not-so-easy journey, to say the least. However, the moment I step out of the airport, warm weather and happy faces around serve as an instant pick-me-up. In no time, my cab, booked via Booking.com arrives. Booking.com is no longer just a platform to book great places to stay. With its new ‘Connected Trip’ feature, it’s now a one-stop shop for everything you need for a great holiday—taxi rentals, travel packages, and city attractions. After a quick ride, I arrive at Pullman Melbourne on the Park, located in the heart of East Melbourne, and my home for the next 72 hours. My room overlooks the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which is bustling with the activities of the ICC T20…