Blog Post
It's about the people and their passions ….. | 24 Nov, 2011 | Author: RARE - destinations and experiences
Promoting
RARE partner hotels to discerning, direct travelers is quite a
challenge. Talking about these beautiful jewels on India’s travel map
from a tiny stall pitched under the winter sun is inadequate. The posters do
not do much justice as they only paint a uni-dimensional picture that does
bring some “wows” but what about the story of how they came to be, about the
small details and the special features. We need a bigger stage as there is so
much to say.
To begin with each RARE
hotel is
a personal journey for the hotelier in question and the chosen location is
where it all began. Over the years each of these hotels have evolved to include
some of the most amazing experiences which draws from the local
culture,
landscape and family
traditions
of cuisine, hospitality and style. I always maintain that it is about the
people, their personality and interests first, the destination coming up a
close second. Everything else, the amenities, the service, the décor is detailed to match the best in the business.
At RARE hotels – the
owners, hosts and your friendly guides are the stars!
Your kids spending a day
with Tara would kindle a lifelong passion for wildlife (Kipling Camp, Kanha),
Avi’s gentle persuasion and timely organization will help you out of bed each
morning and head to the jungles (Jamtara Wilderness, Pench),
time spent with David while he talks about dragonflies, butterflies, snakes and
take you through his album of images will mesmerize you and you will be facebook friends for life (Forsyth Lodge, Satpura)! Your silent boatman is a local who takes you on a river cruise on the Ken and has been
personally trained by Joanna and Raghu (Sarai at
Toria, Nr. Khajuraho) to help you spot and identify birds. Rehman’s (Jim’s Jungle
Retreat, Corbett) jungle activities show you a side of
Corbett which you will never encounter with any of the lodges that literally
cluster in and around Ramnagar. While Ajit’s dream of creating something
akin to the open savannahs of the African wild lands not very
far from Jodhpur will mesmerize you enough to take that drive out again and again (Overlander).
In Rajasthan there is
more magic, Hemendra’s involved pampering while you enjoy your stay in a palace
perched over the Chambal river (Bhainsrorgarh Fort, Bhainsrorgarh),
Ravi Banna’s lal maas (Ramathra Fort, Ramathra)
cooked to perfection while you watch fascinated and one can talk endlessly on
myriad subjects with Mamusa, Jai and Sat’s uncle the scion of the erstwhile
Shahpura State (Shahpura Bagh, Shahpura).
Then again the story and design secrets imparted to you by Anil and Anand even
as they proudly show you around (Raas Haveli, Jodhpur) and a chance to meet
the Thakurs of Kanota while you explore their Museum (Castle
Kanota) while Harsh and Nandi’s subtle directions bring to
life the camping lifestyles of royalty at (Chhatra Sagar).
Mathilda’s detailed
housekeeping and Pradeepji’s attention to your every requirement makes your
stay in Aashyana feel like the home you never left (Aashyana
Lakhanpal, Goa), while Balaji and his team ensure that
each of your days at Shreyas is filled with healthy activities for the body and
soul (Shreyas
Retreat, Bangalore). Itemnaan
Lodges is the dream project of Ashish whose team has created
virtual havens out of crumbling vintage Kumaoni homes, the villages a picture
book of idyllic life. Glenburn is intricately woven with the story of
tea and Husna’s journey of converting this extensive plantation into a world
class retreat (Glenburn
Tea Estate, Darjeeling). Within a blissful sight of the western
Himalayas in the Binsar sanctuary is the inspired retreat for nature lovers
from where you can also explore the forests and villages that sustain side by
side. While down in peninsular India experience Niraamaya Surya Samudra now a
well-managed boutique hotel - a maverick German resident’s pioneering
project of trans-locating Kerala heritage homes piece-by-exquisite piece,
detail by careful detail to this beautiful location by the Arabian Sea (Niraamaya
- Surya Samdura Private Retreat, Kovalam).
Is there a price for passion?
Can one evaluate a mind blowing event or define a moment of discovery and learning?
Is it fair to price a RARE experience!