Colourful Kerala- A Tourist’s Guide to God’s Own Country

There is something alluring about Kerala that draws hundreds and thousands of global tourists every year. This southern land is blessed with distinct topography, an interesting culture and mouth-watering Keralite cuisine. Read the fascinating tales penned by the blogger who explored the beautiful backwaters of Kerala, or hear it out from the mouth of a native Malayali, and you will know why you must visit this paradise on earth. If you are person who loves to travel, you will find it impossible to write off Kerala from your bucket-list. Kerala is no less enchanting than the snow-peaked Himalayas or the sandy coastal beaches of Andaman. Well, it a completely different ball game and will surely leave you yearning for more.

In case you are in a holiday mood, have already packed your luggage but now find yourself in a quandary since the destination has not been decided yet, you know where to go! Your love for the mountains will take you to Kerala and your sociable nature will bring you closer to its culture. Sitting at the feet of India, this city has something or the other to offer to each one of us. Simply chalk out a weeklong trip to Kerala that you will never forget. Check out the Maharaja Express fare of the luxury travel itineraries which cover the major destinations of this beautiful state.

Kochi: Kochi or Cochin, as it was known earlier, stands as the proud representative of gothic and modern architecture. Stroll down the bustling alleyways of the Jewish Colony, visit the Mattancherry Synagogue, or check out the Chinese Fishing Nets.

Munnar: The rolling hills of this picture palace is known for its tea plantations. Visit the tea museum, or try tea therapy by sipping on a freshly-brewed cup at a private estate. No doubt, you will fall in love with the breath-taking landscapes of Munnar.

Alleppey: This place, known for its famous backwaters and inland canals, is one of the most preferred tourist destinations in India. Here, life is best lived on a houseboat and you experience what Wordsworth called ‘the bliss of solitude’ along the serene shores of the Alleppey Beach.

Kovalam: This is yet another beach destination in Kerala, but it may come across as a bit mainstream for those looking for a solo retreat. Otherwise, this is a popular choice for families from Kochi. Climb up the lighthouse for a memorable view of the setting sun as it paints the sky in vermillion red.

Things You Must Try Out:

ü  A ride on the houseboat in Alleppey- your trip to Kerala will be incomplete without this.

ü  Sail down the Periyar River to spot some fauna.

ü  Watch the famous Kathakali dance.

ü  Try Keralite cuisine. Don’t miss the popular Kerala Beef Fry with Malabar Porotta and Prawn Moilee.

You can check out the Maharaja Express rail facilities at The-Maharajas.com.

Maharaja Express Exclusive Jaipur Tours

Jaipur has been the land of Mughal lords. Called the “Pink City” due to its pink, to be precise, orchre colored houses spread throughout the city, the place is the gateway to the royal life of Rajasthan. Maharaja Express goes to Jaipur through its seven distinct North Indian tours.

Hidden attractions of Jaipur

The city’s hills and parched trees signify that there is a great desert around, the Thar Desert. The site encompasses the Amber Fort, which talks of a long-lost empire. Just walk around the back of the fort and you will find the Shri Jagatshironmani Temple. It was built by the ruler of Amber on his wife’s request.

The temple receives a mention here due to its rare feature. Here, Lord Krishna is not shown with his usual partner Radha. Instead, he is depicted with Mira Bai. This is the only temple of its kind to harbor such depiction. Mira Bai was a princess who became the lover of Lord Krishna.

Visit the City Palace Museum and you will again find a temple here. Amidst the lavishness and the royalty, you will be charmed by Shri Govind Devji temple of Lord Krishna. It is believed that the image of the Lord present in this temple is more than 5000 years old. A rare feature of this temple is that it is open only for seven glimpses or “jhankis” per day. You cannot enter the temple just any time. Timings are fixed for seven “jhankis.”

Do you know?

Do you know Jaipur is the first planned city of India? Sawai Jai Singh built it in the 18^th century. It is the biggest city of Rajasthan and the capital of the state.

Prince of Wales visited Jaipur in 1905-06. It was during this time that the city was painted pink or ochre to impress him.

The city has awe-inspiring architecture, vibrant market places, intriguing history, and a liveliness that makes you feel at home. The royalty of this city invokes kingly or queenly feeling in you…and when you come through the Maharaja Express to Jaipur you are a “royal guest” of the city.

Golden Triangle tours

Apart from tours that cover Rajasthan widely, the Maharaja train offers two exclusive tours of the Golden Triangle of India. It comprises Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. The tours give you a chance to know Jaipur better.

You can attend the Elephant Polo Match or dine lavishly at some of the most royal hotels of the city. You can explore the city’s natural, unkempt side or visit well-preserved and painted museums, complexes, and more. The city’s market is an attraction.

Coming to Jaipur in the worlds best train is an altogether different experience. The Maharajas’ Express is voted as the world’s leading luxury train six times in a row from 2012 to 2017. It offers tourists a pompous welcome at the platform and a personal butler on board. It offers well-planned and well-guided tours. The staff’s etiquettes and hospitality are impressive.

All these and more add to the charm of traveling in the Maharajas’ Express. It, indeed, is an experience of a lifetime.

Unforgettable Luxury Holidays In India

A part of India is rich, a part is poor. In the rich part, again there are the well-to-do, the super rich, and then there is one category that is a class apart – the royals.

Luxury train like the Maharajas’ Express makes an endeavor to explore this royal side of India. It takes you to places where royalty is still alive. It attempts to create the royal era in its interiors. Drenched in royal décor, the train itself looks like “kingdom on wheels.”

Well, travelers of this train are no ordinary people; they are people with a high taste of life. They don’t wish to travel like a commoner; their desire is to be treated like kings and queens on tour. They believe in living life king (queen) size.

If you are one of them, this is a good time to book your space in the Maharaja train to experience one of the most memorable luxury holidays  India. The train’s tours are scheduled for March and April this year. The train intends to travel across royal lands of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. All the tours feature a trip to the Golden Triangle, which consists of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur.

The train provides several special offers. One of them is the Early Bird offer. This means you must waste no time in thinking. Just log on to the train’s official website and book a suite or cabin. Also learn about other equally exciting offers. Traveling in this train is going to be a mind blowing experience…something you never experienced before.

Grab the 50 per cent discount on Presidential Suite!

Bring your beau or your best friend along and he or she gets flat 50 per cent discount on fare for the Presidential Suite, which is the star attraction of Maharajas’ Express. The suite features twin baths and a living room. The suite is sprawled in one entire carriage of the train.

The suite, called Navratna or Nine Gems, is an epitome of luxury. It offers an unmatched experience in sheer royalty and pamper. It is a great place for honeymoon couples or for those wanting to soak themselves in pure luxury.

Set your mood for luxury travel

The Maharajas’ train offers five thrilling North Indian trips. They are: Gems of India, Treasures of India, Indian Splendor, Indian Panorama, and Heritage of India. It offers two South-bound tours viz; Southern Sojourn and Southern Jewels.

Each tour showcases India’s rich culture and heritage. Each tour includes a trip to one of the Seven Wonders of the World – Taj Mahal. Travelers get a chance to visit places of rich historic and cultural value like Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Ajanta Caves, Gwalior, Varanasi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Delhi, and more.

The tours unveil India’s regal face. You may have been to the above mentioned places before, but traveling to these places in a luxury train like the Maharaja gives your trip an extra ordinary edge.

So, if you are planning for royal holidays in India, the Maharaja train is waiting for you. Bookings are open. The train is all set to take you to “luxury land.”

Maharaja Express Fare And Features That Make It Unmatched In Luxury Travel

Among a fleet of luxury trains around the world, the Maharajas’ Express leaves a deep imprint in the hearts of travelers. This luxury train of India gives competition to the Orient Express of Europe, which was till now regarded as the epitome of luxury train travel.

Features that make Maharaja true to its name

The train offers first class welcome to its passengers. This happens right at the platform. You walk on red carpet. The staff greets you warmly. They do a teeka with vermilion and wrap a garland of fresh flowers around your neck. This was the traditional Indian style of welcoming kings in the ancient royal era.

Passengers of the Maharajas’ Express are called royal guests. Each guest is allotted a personal butler. Wow! You can order a cup of coffee in the middle of the night. The turbaned butler with spotless ethnic suit eagerly serves you. He stays with you round the clock, yet remains invisible so as not to invade your privacy. Fine etiquettes and excellent hospitality of the train staff impresses.

The train takes care of safety on board. You can find a doctor on board, plus there is 24x7 air ambulance facility. Fire alarms, CCTV cameras, and other safety measures are taken care of. The train even takes care of the water you drink. That’s why it features water filtration plant on board.

The train’s pneumatic hydraulic suspension system gives a smooth ride sans jerks. Each of its cabin and suite is equipped with individual climate control system, electronic safe, and eco-friendly washrooms.

The train is so designed that it offers all possible comforts that can be facilitated in a moving train. Besides the plush suites and cabins, you can find the finest selection of drinks accompanied with savory snacks. The two dining cars of the train simply awe you through their exquisite décor, fine cutlery, and a variety of lip-smacking cuisines.

The train also has a mini library and a plush lounge. The train is equipped with different leisure facilities to cater to different interests. Besides, windows with panoramic views of the outside delight your senses.

Maharaja Express fare

The train is ready with its North Indian tours in March and April. If you hurry, you can avail yourselves the Early Bird offers. It depends on suite and cabin availability. Another offer is that of 50 per cent discount on an accompaniment. In other words, take somebody along you and the person pays only half the fare.

For details on offers, terms and conditions, and more information on tours, you can visit the train’s official website.

You need to be present at the departure site, which is Safdarjung Station of New Delhi in most tours, one hour before the departure time. The grand red carpet welcome of passengers at the platform is one of the attractions of this train. Other attractions include high tea with the royal families in their palaces, elephant polo match, royal lunch In Udaipur’s City Palace, champagne breakfast atop Khema with the Taj Mahal in the background, and more.

Agra Tourism: When Luxury Meets Love

Agra offers a dream vacation. Forget its bustling streets and chaotic local markets. Look at Agra through a tourist’s eyes and you will find immense beauty and wonder in it. Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Akbar’s Tomb, Dayal Bagh, Fatehpur Sikri, and more – the city awes you to no end.

Historical allure

The city harbors a historical allure that pulls people from far off places of India and abroad. The Uttar Pradesh tourism organizes various fairs and festivals to promote Agra tourism. The Taj Mohabbat Show is one of them.

The advent of luxury trains in India has given a powerful boost to tourism in India, especially Agra. Trains like the Maharajas’ Express have arranged for a visit to this historically rich city in all its North Indian tours.

Agra is a part of the Golden Triangle tourist circuit, which also includes Delhi and Jaipur. It is said that missing a visit to the Golden Triangle is like missing a significant part of India’s history, culture, and royal essence. In other words, you haven’t seen much of North India, if you haven’t been to the Golden Triangle cities.

Royal Indian holidays

Agra forms an essential part of royal tour packages, especially those of luxury trains. The city, which was the seat of Mughal power, is famous for its forts and its markets. Walk in any market down the road and you find vibrancy all around. It gives you a chance to mingle with the locals and have a good time shopping and tasting the street food.

Holidaying in this city is like being a part of its rich history. When you visit Agra through a luxury train like the Maharaja you cease to be a traveler. You are now a royal guest – a maharaja or a maharani – who has come to pay a visit to the city that boasts of royal roots.

The Maharaja train offers 5 distinct tours that include a visit to Agra:
• Gems of India: 4 days and 3 nights
• Treasures of India: 4 days and 3 nights
• Heritage of India: 8 days and 7 nights
• Indian Splendor: 8 days and 7 nights
• Indian Panorama: 8 days and 7 nights

Each tour carries its own charm and a set of thrilling things to do and places to visit. Depending on the time and your budget, you can choose any of the tours and enjoy some of the most memorable Indian holidays filled with luxury and leisure.

The train operates its tours from September to April. This is a great time to tour North India. The warm winter sun allows you to roam around the sprawled gardens of the city and visit forts and palaces. You can bask in the winter sun sitting on one of the benches of the beautifully-maintained gardens around the Taj Mahal. Feel love in the air here.

Luxury trains like the Maharajas’ Express contribute significantly to boosting Agra tourism. The allure of the Taj Mahal draws tourists from across the world. Trains like these carry eager tourists to this historical city. They return home filled with beautiful memories.

Maharaja Express Booking For The Great Indian Holiday

Want to own the “Nine Gems” for one whole week? Maharaja Express booking is open. Be the king or the queen. Live life lavishly in Navratna or Nine Gems, the Presidential Suite of the prestigious luxury train of India.

A thing to do before you die

Traveling in the Maharajas’ Express should definitely be in your list of things to do before you die. The irresistible tours and the mind blowing experience on board the train rejuvenate you to the core.

For example, you may have been to the Golden Triangle many times, but traveling to this tourist circuit in the Maharaja train delivers an unexceptional touring experience.

It does not matter whether you have been to the Taj Mahal, what matters is that now you visit the place like a king or a queen yourselves!

How often do you dine like a VIP in some of the royal dining locations of Rajasthan or enjoy a champagne breakfast atop Khema with the Taj Mahal as the backdrop? You may usually travel in first class of Express trains, but a red carpet welcome with music, garland, and teeka is the privilege of only the travelers of the Maharaja train.

Journeying in the Maharajas’ Express is different from journeying through other trains or means of transport because not once do you step out of luxury in the entire tour. Right from stepping at the Safdarjung Station platform of New Delhi, where the train departs from, to stepping outside the train, sightseeing, dining, and being transported to various tourist destinations till stepping outside the platform when the tour ends, you are treated like “your majesty.” Isn’t this a wonderful experience?

Worried about the fare?

Maharaja Express fare does not break your bank, as usually the notion with regard to luxury train travel. The most expensive luxury train of India is providing attractive offers. This makes it reachable to a wider audience.

The Early Bird offer gives you an attractive deal in fare. Then there is the 50 per cent discount offer on the fare of an accompaniment. In other words, if you take somebody along, the other person pays only half the fare…and this offer is for the Presidential Suite! You can get details on the train’s tour itineraries, schedules, and fares by visiting its official website. Also know more about the train and its exciting journeys online.

The train operates between September and April. This is a great time to tour North Indian states. Most of the tours begin and end in Delhi. The train is regarded highly in the global scene. It has won several coveted awards, national and international. An opportunity to travel in this prestigious train should not be missed.

So, if you have been saving for that one “blasting” holiday of a lifetime, let it be this one. Maharaja Express booking is available online. In spite of spending money, you feel as if it is an investment…you invested in sheer happiness and lifelong of beautiful memories. The unique experience of being treated like maharaja or maharani is priceless. 

Maharaja Express Rail: Make Your First New Year Resolution In The Train!

Indian Railways’ tryst with luxury happened in 1982 when the Palace on Wheels luxury train pioneered the era of luxury travel on Indian railway tracks. There was no looking back after this. With the advent of the Maharaja Express rail in March 2010, things have absolutely become more comfortable and luxurious in train travel.

Such is the excellent tour schedules of the train and the warm hospitality of the staff that the train has earned various awards at the national and the international front. The train has turned out to be the most luxurious rail in India; it rubs shoulders with the prestigious Orient Express of Europe.

There is hardly a doubt that the train has redefined luxury. It has brought to life the richness of kings and queens of the bygone era. The train, with its plush interiors and the ancient and the modern put together, creates an intriguing atmosphere. You cannot help but feel special here.

A rich train ride

The décor of suites and cabins of the train is inspired by the royal chambers of the erstwhile kings and queens of India. Luxury on wheels is not a new thing in this country. Several maharajas who reined in India had built their own rail lines with their personal trains.

For example, the Maharaja of Vadodara had gifted his son a completely functional toy train. The Maharaja of Gwalior brandished his silver model train in front of the East India Company officers. He used to make the train chug on his banqueting table.

The era of Raj saw many Maharajas with their personal carriages, which were done in sheer luxurious settings. They used these plush things for state visits, hunting trips, and nuptial stays.

The striking feature of these trains was their décor. They usually featured exquisite carvings, mirror work, designs with gems studded on them, intricate patterns, elegant tapestries, and beautiful jewel work that spell bound people. The trains and their décor spoke about the pompous lifestyles of India’s maharajas.

The Maharaja Express rail endeavors to imitate the same pomp and give its travelers luxurious pleasures.

Money buys luxury; luxury brings happiness!

People who say money cannot buy happiness haven’t stepped inside the Maharaja train!

The train is equipped with modern amenities, eco-friendly technologies, and warm services. The staff takes into account each detail with meticulousness and renders impeccable hospitality to travelers. The staff is diligent and dedicated.

Attractive offers this season

Talking about money, of course the Maharaja train is the most expensive luxury train of India; but it still does not break your bank. The train provides several attractive offers that help you save money and enjoy the luxuries of life.

The train’s 7 distinct tours offer an insight into vibrancy and colorfulness of the country called India. Well, who doesn’t know about India’s diverse cultures, festivities, holiness, and rich heritage?

India intrigues, indeed!

So, what are you waiting for? What’s the best way to begin 2018 than be in the arms of luxury? Soak yourselves in pure pleasure and pamper, as the warm winter sun casts its rays on the New Year.