Marieke's Art of Living

AMANBAGH Alwar Region reachable from Jaipur
After four visits, I highly recommend this sumptuous spoil for the end of your trip. One of the loveliest and newest Aman resorts it bespeaks elegance, tranquility, serenity and sits quite “isolated” in a beautiful region of Rajasthan. Be at rest or avail yourself of any of the many interesting excursions available on and off the property through very attractive countryside.
Preferred suites are the Terrace Haveli rooms which are capacious, understated and elegantly appointed, affording great privacy.
A plethora of outdoor activities are within the immediate vicinity of Amanbagh, including cycling and trekking, horseback, donkey and camelback rides, as well as sunset elephant rides to the nearby Madar Baba Ki Chattri for spectacular 360-degree views of the surrounding area. Rowing or sailing on Ajabgarh Lake during the months of August until February can also be arranged. Of particular interest are tours to traditional Meena villages. Unique to the region, the Meena are a minority race who have settled over the centuries in the nearby hidden valleys. Renowned for their colourful dress, jewellery and crafts, the Meena have retained their traditional lifestyle that embraces few hints of modernity. Visit: Ajabgarh Fort, The Bhangarh of great archaeological importance, Satimata Dham a collection of temples whose name is derived from the Sanskrit word, Dham, meaning “Meditation Palace for Sages and the Holy.” As the most sacred pilgrimage site for the people from Alwar, its sanctity is matched only by Pushkar and Mount Abu, Mansarover Lake a birdwatcher's paradise from October to February and Sariska Nature and Game Sanctuary.

AHILYA FORT
Weaving the greatest magic of any restored fort in North India is Maharaja of Indore's summer palace at Ahilya Fort that is quite without peer. Owned by Indian prince, Richard Holkar, gourmand and anglophile, this is a remote but stunning destination located on the cliffs above the sacred Narmada River and totally worth the detour as they say. Stay at least 3 nights to absorb the stunning courtyard gardens and orchards, the swimming pool, the river, the Rehwa society renowned for its loom weaving, the exquisite abandoned city of Mandu, the daily life in the village, the pilgrims along the river. This property will not suit those wanting a sanitized modern hotel experience, but rather those who will be moved by wonderful food, and all-inclusive house-party ambience, and its incomparable setting. I adored and cannot wait to return even though it’s a bit of a schlep from Indore airport which in itself on the way to no where. Be prepared too to delve into deep-ish pockets to stay here for a memorable restful place that takes you back in time.
Marieke’s Most Recent Discoveries:

WILDFLOWER HALL an Oberoi spa resort near Shimla
Shimla, once the summer capital of the British Raj 500 kms north of Delhi evokes charming alpine architecture and a fairytale landscape in the foothills of the Himalayas—blanketed in fragrant deodar forests with views of looming, snow-dusted peaks. Whilst modern-day Shimla disappoints, Wildflower Hall 12 kms on the Mashobra side rewards immensely as a spa and Ayurved retreat with those incomparable views. Occupying the former summer home of Lord Kitchener, who was the British Army’s Commander in Chief in the early 1900s, this intimate resort has a brilliant indoor pool and outdoor spa, as well as lovely treatment rooms and extremely solicitous staff. The delicious cuisine combines local ingredients and Himachal dishes with modern light fresh ingredients. Quite possibly the amusements here today (horseback rides through apple orchards, walks on forest trails, mountainside picnics, golf on the steepest course, bike rides) are the same ones Kitchener enjoyed back then.

SHREYAS RETREAT
I adored my all too short visit here and could have happily stayed a week at this very special, serene, and private retreat. A boutique property situated 35 km from Bangalore, Shreyas spreads over 25 acres of landscaped gardens with just 14 luxury garden cottages dotted though a coconut plantation, organic gardens and paddy fields. Carefully trained staff who go about their daily agendas in complete quiet unobtrusively tend to a maximum of 25 people. Shreyas is an impressively environmental-friendly retreat that retains the original landscape and natural beauty of the place, preserves precious natural resources with initiatives such as rain water harvesting, solar heating, ayurvedic and medicinal herb plantations, organic farming and waste disposal. All meals served at Shreyas are made from ingredients freshly hand-picked from its 20 acres of fields.
There is an open-air yoga hall where yoga lessons take place, as well as deep relaxation, meditation and breathing exercises. Also a winding 3-kilometre pathway, a temperature controlled 25 meter lap pool, a library, cricket pitch, massage centre with trained therapists.

SWA SWARA
Located in northern Karnataka, and south of Goa, SwaSwara’s focus is as a seaside yoga and Ayurvedic retreat. Recently opened with 27 villa style accommodations inspired by the traditional family estates that dot the Konkan coast, you will find air-conditioned modern fittings with authentic natural materials, most of them sourced locally from the artisans of the area, a lovely arc of a beach on the doorstep and impressive organic gardens and water harvesting throughout this cgh property.
The centerpiece of SwaSwara is the blue meditation dome echoing the temple architecture of nearby Gokarna. There is a daily program of hatha yoga and you can expect personalized attention from Yoga experts belonging mostly to the Bihar school.
The fabulous South Indian food at SwaSwara is in keeping with the natural spirit that inspires everything else here with the focus on freshness, pure and simple and Fresh produce comes from their farms.

AMAN DELHI- the Ultimate Uber Urban Retreat.
Aman has opened their first metro hotel in Delhi and now rivals the city’s best. According to Travel + Leisure “No one is able to escape the tumult of New Delhi, but Aman embraced this challenge, unleashing the equivalent of design Xanax—interior spaces in warm sandstone; acres of manicured lawns that enclose the hotel like a verdant moat, plunge pools on the private terraces adjoining most of the rooms and a full-size pool that Italian designer Rosita Missoni described as “a perfect length for swimming laps, which you rarely find in a hotel,’’ never mind one nestled at the center of a seductive and confound-ing capital city. Even Spain has come to India with the very hip tapas bar. There are luscious dining rooms and a soothing state of the art spa. This is THE hotel of choice for both leisure and business traveler with its wonderful proximity to many major commercial and tourist sites.
Marieke’s Art of Living has secured some exclusive privileges for our guests from some of the world’s leading hotels.
Enquire with us for free upgrades.