A luxurious tour of Rajasthan, enjoying royal palaces

and princely hospitality

The Maharajah Marathon is an exclusive and supremely luxurious 19-day tour of the royal palaces and stunning temples of Rajasthan, known as the colourful state and renowned for its vibrant lifestyle, landscape and history. The 3500km route starts in Delhi and finishes in Agra, in the shadows of the Taj Mahal, before taking the express train back to Delhi for the journey home.

Crews will enjoy privileged access and princely hospitality, visiting gorgeous palaces, stunning temples, historic forts, beautiful national parks and thrilling tiger reserves. With irst-class accommodation, short daily driving distances and

no fewer than seven rest days, this is a highly social touring event, devoted to experiencing the best of this beautiful culture. Suitable for novices and experienced crews alike in cars of all ages.

With plans gathering pace, route designer Kim Bannister has completed the inal route recce and shares his thoughts on this incredible event.

The perfect insight for those already on the entry list and something to whet the appetite for those still considering. Don’t miss out on this spectacular event that you will never forget.

Pre-start: DelhiAfter the long flight, it was nice to get to the hotel after a short 20-minute drive and find it was an oasis of calm, wonderful service and excellent food amongst the noise and chaos of Delhi.

After a night’s sleep, it was straight into the sightseeing as I had to cram two days into one as my time on the recce is much shorter than the competitors will have on the event.

My local guide suggested starting in the Old Town and I would definitely recommend this as one of the highlights. We decided to walk rather than take the usual tourist method of transport, the tricycle, and it was so much better. We could see more and take our time over the trip, as long as you are aware of the traffic, it was fine.

From the Old Town (it is suggested to arrive early and leave before 12noon, as it gets packed), we headed to the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, one of the holiest places to the Sikh religion. After removing shoes and socks, washing hands and feet, and covering our heads, we were allowed to enter and walk around, but no photos inside please!

As we were there at lunchtime, we got to witness the daily communal kitchen, all run by volunteers of the Sikh faith,

which feeds 20,000 people on a normal day and up to 50,000 at the weekend or on festival days. Anyone can enjoy a free meal, rich or poor, Sikh or not. It is an amazing example of giving something back to the community, I just didn’t want to do the washing up!

With my stomach rumbling, we stopped for lunch at a lovely restaurant in an area known historically as the ‘Thieves Market’ and many of the tables are made from items purchased at the market in times gone by.

Once fed and with a second wind, more sightseeing took place. One of my personal favourites was the site of Gandhi’s last days and assassination. To see the place where this great man spent his last 144 days and was cruelly cut down was very moving and well worth the traffic.

With time running short, flying visits to Humayun’s Tomb, the tomb of the second Mughal emperor and Qutab Minar, a soaring stone tower 72 metres high, completed the day. Thankfully crews will be able to spend two days enjoying the sights and sounds of Delhi before the start.

Delhi to MandawaAfter an excellent breakfast omelette, we headed away from

Delhi south west to stop at the Heritage Transport Museum

about 45kms out of the city.

The museum features a range of vehicles linked to India, some

made overseas, but most built in India, together with some

amazing art installations and a great coffee shop. When we

left, we found that over one-and-a-half hours had gone by so

we have arranged for the museum to open at 9.00 so crews can

have plenty of time to look around.

Lunch was taken in Narnaul where the owner of the restaurant

is going to organise a trip using typical local transport for

crews to the Jai Mahal temple built in 1590.

From Narnaul, we headed west to Mandawa and the hotel,

which is in a converted fort. The building is truly remarkable

and the use of space very clever, with bedrooms, bathrooms

and sitting rooms placed where space allows rather than in a

logical order, really different.

A shorter day today, but an early start as we needed to drive through the main street of Mandawa. The hotel is in the centre as it was originally built to defend the town, so we used back roads to the town of Ramgarh which has some amazing mausoleums, temples and buildings. We parked on the main street and then spent over an hour having a guided tour of just one of the many buildings in the town.

From Ramgarh, we used the main road, with very little traffic, to Bikaner and another very different hotel where crews will spend the night.

I wanted to get to the hotel early so we could have lunch then head into Bikaner to explore the Junagarh Fort, this was home to the last Maharajah in the region until Independence in 1947.

The Fort features some 350 rooms and numerous courtyards. I didn’t look at them all, but it was a fascinating way to spend some time before heading back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.

Tonight, we are dining in the desert, part of which includes a ride on a Camel Cart. It was this or actually riding a camel. I will let you know how I get on later.

Dinner in the desertA short drive through villages and sandy tracks took us to the gate of the farm where dinner was to be served. At the gates a camel cart was waiting together with a friendly driver. The seat was comfortable, but the view of a camel’s rear end was not great.

Dinner was excellent, with tables set in an area on top of a sand dune giving lovely views over the fields below. Starters were served at the table, a variety of tandoori dishes cooked in the clay oven, then the main course was a superb buffet of local dishes, all washed down with some very good Indian wine or beer.

The floor show was also a delight with real local dancers and musicians. The dancers were members of a snake charming family from the village we have driven through, 60 per cent of the staff also came from the village, as apparently snake charmers make great dancers! There was also a great display of musicianship with one man playing two flutes at the same time, incredible.

After a little too much Indian Shiraz, we made our way back to the hotel for some well-earned rest.

Mandawa to Bikaner

Bikaner to JaisalmerFrom Bikaner, we headed south to the famous Karni Mata Temple, often known as the ‘Rat Temple’ but actually dedicated to all four-legged creatures. The area was busy as the full moon is due and there were many pilgrims on their way to pray.A short run through the back roads, sometimes a little bumpy, took us to coffee at Gajner in a lovely heritage hotel with views over a lake.

From Gajner, we drove to the village of Khichan near Phalodi, where a population of Demoiselle Cranes are protected by the villagers. With that sixth sense that animals seem to have, the cranes were there in great numbers knowing they were safe from humans.

By now we were feeling a little peckish so headed for lunch at Pokaran Fort in the village of the same name. Another converted old Fort, the restaurant served a great local buffet

and afterwards we watched a demonstration of pottery making, which the village is famous for. The potter has no power so uses a stick in a hole in the potter’s wheel to drive it and fashion the pots and other items. These are all for sale at very sensible prices.

With new cups to add to the load, we headed west to our overnight in Jaisalmer.

Having checked in to the hotel, we headed into the desert west of the city where another camel cart ride awaited, this time journeying into the sand dunes to watch the sunset before returning to the hotel for a late dinner at the end of a rather packed day.

Jaisalmer to JodhpurRather than re-trace our route from yesterday, we decided to head south out of Jaisalmer to the town of Barmer.

There was a lot of military activity in the area, tanks, trucks and soldiers on the move and then I realised we were less than 70kms from the Pakistan border and these were troops heading out to relieve the existing battalions on the border.At Barmer, we stopped at the Sanchal Fort for coffee and then went with the hotel manager to a local village where a social experiment sees the ladies working on hand embroidery rather than toiling in the fields. There are very strict rules of working hours and payment and the ladies will give a demonstration of their work when the event comes to town.

We returned to the hotel for an early lunch then headed east to Jodhpur and the amazing Mehrangarh Fort which overlooks ‘The Blue City’.

A few words cannot do justice to this amazing place, you need to experience it for yourself. Crews on the event should have at

least an hour or two at the end of the day to spend here before heading to what can only be described as an absolute gem of a hotel.

Widely reported to be the best hotel in the world, the Umaid Bhawan Palace is the last palace built in India and part of it is the home of the current royal family of this area. If you are coming on the event, then treat yourself to a view of the hotel in the Internet to see what you have to look forward to for two nights.

The guide at the Mehrangarh Fort explained that cities created by Hindu rulers are always followed by the word ‘pur’, as in Jodhpur, Palanpur and Udaipur. Cities created by Muslim rulers are followed by the word ‘bad’ as in Ahmadabad and Hyderabad.

Tomorrow we head for the magical city of Udaipur so more news then.

Jaipur to UdaipurWaking up in a palace is a new experience so I took a walk around the gardens to get the full early morning effect. Breakfast was taken on the terrace with the service and attention to detail everything you would expect of this wonderful place.

However, we had to continue on our journey, so left the city heading south east towards the town of Pali. There was no choice but to use the main road, but then we could head out into the countryside and a complete change of character.For the past few days, we have been in a typical desert area, flat and open. Today all that changed. We started to see hills and bends in the road, plus a number of small villages along the route with the usual collection of tuk tuks, cows and motorbikes.

Although the roads have been damaged by the monsoon, there were signs of repairs going on so I hope that some of the bumps and holes will be filled in by the time the event gets to the area. Even if there has been little progress, it is still not a difficult drive.

The agent had found a lovely lunch halt near the town of Sadri in a new boutique style hotel. Talking to the manager over lunch, he did say that they can offer a cooking demonstration of key Indian techniques before we all sit down to eat, could be a very interesting idea.

From lunch, our route went to the famous Jain Temple at Ranakpur. In this Temple, there are over 1,000 pillars of which

no two are identical. Followers of the Jain faith are always in the Temple and are happy to offer help and guidance. One point to note is that you must remove your shoes and socks before entering.

The road from Ranakpur towards Udaipur was so different to anything else we have driven on this trip so far. Narrow, hilly and twisty as it climbs through the hills. It was also very green after recent rains and should be the same in February.We came out of the hills and joined the highway for the final kilometres into Udaipur and another amazing hotel for the next two nights.

The Lake Palace Hotel is owned by the King of Udaipur but run by the Taj group and is, as the name suggests, in the middle of a lake. You catch a ferry to get to the door where we were welcomed in style by the hotel team.

For the film buffs, The Lake Palace featured in the Bond film Octopussy and much of the location filming was completed in the city. There are restaurants where you can watch the film over dinner, if you feel the need.

UdaipurAfter catching the ferry back to the hotel jetty, we headed to the Royal Palace and a short tour of the area. The Royal Palace is still home to the King of Udaipur, now called the Maharana, and is the largest royal palace in India.

From the palace, I headed into the streets of the old town and what a great experience. Anything you want, need or even think you might need is on sale in the narrow streets outside

the palace gates. I walked in wonder among the spice sellers and the fruit and vegetable market. My guide told me that Indian ladies usually shop twice a day for fresh vegetables, once in the morning for lunch and again in the afternoon for dinner.

Tomorrow we start our journey towards Jaipur.

Udaipur to PushkarIt was lovely to have breakfast overlooking the lake before the baggage was collected, the drinks bill paid and the ferry back to the private jetty taken, ending our stay at the Lake Palace.We negotiated the Udaipur traffic and headed north out of the city to view the Jain and Hindu temples at Delwara. These are not busy tourist destinations, so parking is on the street and you walk in.

Continuing north, the massive figure of Shiva suddenly appears, which is sitting on top a huge new temple being built. As the temple is not yet completed, you cannot get too near, but there is a good parking and photo spot to take in the incredible sight.We decided to try and get away from the main roads and turned off into country roads heading for a coffee stop in the Devgarh Mahal in the town of Deogarh.

This is a lovely heritage hotel and palace right in the centre of the narrow shopping streets. The hotel manager will ensure that

cars will be securely parked a short way from the hotel and crews will be driven in by local transport.

The roads leading to Deogarh were lined with huge numbers of marble cutters and sellers. If you are planning a new bathroom then wait until you get here, it must be cheaper than back home.Having enjoyed a coffee, we once again joined the main road, as this is the only sensible way to get to our next stop in Ajmer.

Ajmer boasts both a Hindu and Muslim Pilgrim Centre plus numerous temples and a lovely lake. Once again, a hotel was chosen as a convenient parking/coffee/late lunch location and crews can then take a Tuk-Tuk or local taxi to see their chosen sights.

Pushkar to JaipurFrom Pushkar, it was straight into the countryside to head

east towards Jaipur and our overnight hotel.

On the way we called into the town of Bagru, famous for

its block printing and indigo dying and we arranged for a

demonstration for the group.

Amazingly the place where we have arranged the

demonstration also happened to have a retail outlet so

you will be able to purchase some local handicrafts when

you have finished.

Lunch is at the amazing Rambagh Palace, so this is a short day.

Once lunch is over then everyone can have a half day

sightseeing trip to visit the incredible Amber Fort before

dinner on the terrace back at the hotel.

Jaipur to SamodeAfter a leisurely breakfast it was back into the car for another

half day sightseeing before moving hotels from Ramburgh

Palace to the Samode Palace, about 50kms north of the city in

time for lunch.

The reason for the move will become obvious to all crews who

are driving the event, I will not say too much now but the

evening is considered one of India’s highlight attractions.

Samode to RanthamboreHaving recovered rom the evening entertainment, our first stop was at Chand Baori, one of the largest step wells in the world and very impressive indeed.

Having taken the main road to get to Chand Baori, we decided to try and head off into the countryside and the back roads or the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, the condition of the roads was so bad that we had to turn back and use a little more main road to get to our destination, the Tiger Reserve at Ranthambore.

We arrived just in time for a late lunch before jumping into one of the open-top jeeps for a great drive in the reserve. Tiger sightings are not common, the animals have huge territories and the tracks the Jeeps are allowed to use are not in the thickest of the tree cover. However, after around an hour-and-a-half, our guide got really excited and we saw a tiger around 100 metres away walking through the trees.

The vehicles are not allowed to drive off the tracks to follow the animals, so we had to wait in the area and try to pick up his trail, unfortunately he proved elusive and no further sightings were reported.

On our way back to the hotel we had a great view of a sloth bear, these are supposed to be even rarer than the tigers, so we were very lucky to see it.

Over dinner, the talk of everyone around the various tables was of tiger sightings and we seemed to be one of the few who had been lucky that day.

Thankfully the event will have a rest day so there should be up to three chances to get out and find this elusive creature.

Ranthambore to AgraTime constraints meant leaving Ranthambore early to head to Agra, missing the early morning drive in the reserve. Our crews on the Maharajah Marathon will be much luckier.

Having failed in our efforts to drive the countryside roads yesterday, we were determined to try again and this time we succeeded.

What a great drive it was. The road conditions varied enormously, with some damaged areas, some twisty parts, some narrow dirt bits and some really nice bits. The result was a trip through the real rural India, passing villages going about their normal business, local markets, chaos, confusion and lovely countryside in equal measure.

We came out of this into a most amazing find in the town of Karauli, the Bhanwar Vilas Palace, a hotel but also the family home of the local royal family and we met some of them over coffee, really charming people.

We were not allowed to leave before a tour of the palace and the small collection of very original classic and vintage cars, plus the Palomino horses, which are bred here. It should make a really interesting stop for crews on the event.

With time running short, we took our leave of the family and continued on to the city of Bharatpur and the Keoladeo National Park, a wonderful bird sanctuary.

Park your car at the entrance gate then take a tricycle rickshaw to view the park, a great idea that certainly saves the legs and feet.

Although we were now heading or the finish line in Agra, we had to add one final highlight to the trip, Fatehpur Sikri.

Fatehpur Sikri was built as the capital of the Mughal Empire and was used as this from 1571 to 1585, there is a tale that there is little fresh water available which is why it was abandoned after such a short period.

Due to pollution you cannot drive to the site but have to park and catch either an electric rickshaw or bus, what a great idea. Only a short distance stood between us and the finish in Agra, so it was back on the road and using the by-pass we headed into the city and our finish hotel, where we will enjoy a fabulous gala dinner.

It had been a really wonderful trip with so many amazing things to see and experiences to enjoy. But one more waits in the morning as we visit the epic Taj Mahal.

Crews will take the afternoon express back to Delhi, for one final night in the city before we all head home the next day.

Overall, the roads have been decent with a mix of surfaces. We found some nice back roads that will make for good driving but there are some that will need careful handling.

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