We're sat in our hotel room in Udaipur, waiting for the heat of the day to dissipate so we can venture out and explore the city a little more. While we wait, we wanted to share a few of our thoughts on the types of places we've stayed - and the different experiences of tourism we've had.
Living in luxury?
It all started in Ranthambhore, where Jon felt distinctly uncomfortable about the hotel we were staying in. The thought of porters carrying bags from the bus to our rooms, while we lazed around drinking complimentary Pepsi, felt wrong - compounded by the fact that the hotel, in a bid to capture the safari feeling, felt distinctly reminiscent of the British Raj. We came on holiday to understand the places we're visiting, and to get to know its people - not to sit around pampered while they toil away looking after us, right?
Georgia quickly took Jon in hand and pointed out that, really, there hadn't been any other kind of hotel we'd been in. They ALL had porters carrying bags to the rooms; they all placed a high value on hospitality and ensuring guests did as little as possible. By doing that, they keep travellers like us tipping, and providers like Intrepid coming back time and again, fuelling their economy and enabling them to grow as a community and a business. So far from being separate to the local lives of the people, we were in fact integral.
Could it be that staying in hotels and living in (what felt like) the lap of luxury wasn't quite as devoid of culture as he had thought? It certainly gave Jon something to think about on the trip.
Bijaipur - now, THIS is luxury
After Bundi (see our last post for details of what we got up to there) we headed out to Castle Bijaipur, another 'heritage stay'. This one was in fact the first place that Intrepid used for heritage stays, giving rise to all the other places they use and setting the standard for these types of places. To say it was magnificent is an understatement.
Like Fort Madhogarh, it is owned by a noble family - in this case, the Maharaja of the region himself (who is available to lead yoga classes at 6.30am each day). The place has a pool, spa, and is totally in the middle of nowhere. It was heavenly. Our stay there included a 'village safari', where we saw various small farming communities at work, and a meal at the Maharaja's lakeside property (when it's not monsoon season, Intrepid actually camps down there in air conditioned, en-suite tents!)
That evening we had a really interesting conversation with H and with Chris, a fellow traveller, on what we'd seen. It had felt very strange visiting these communities who have so little compared to us - and a little uncomfortable when we were ushered into one of their houses, to take photos, surrounded by more smiling, yet horribly dirty children. It had felt a little voyeuristic. But H explained to us that the house we visited was owned by a man working at Castle Bijaipur - and he was very happy to have people in his home. And though the children in these communities don't have the same levels of hygiene we've omen to expect, they're less susceptible to diseases than their urban counterparts. Their communities aren't drowning in plastic as Jaipur and Delhi were, and the people in these communities even have a higher life expectancy than people living in cities. So the picture of what 'well off' looks like isn't as clear cut as us westerners first thought.
And as the conversation moved on to what H's wedding would look like, and what life is like for Chris working in an international school in South Korea, Jon suddenly realised that despite his luxurious and touristical setting, he'd gained a real insight into India's culture and the everyday lives that Indians lead - exactly what he'd feared missing out on.
Udaipur - setting out on our own
After a wonderful two nights in Castle Bijaipur, we left in cars for Udaipur, our next stop. In Udaipur we've been staying in a small hotel, and have been left pretty much to our own devices other than a tour of the city palace (we must confess we're getting a bit palaced out) and a boat ride around one of Udaipur's beautiful lakes, followed up by a lovely meal in a lakeside restaurant. The heat has been punishing; Jon struggled particularly round the palace, revived only by a mixture of Fanta, water and Lays crisps.
But today, with nothing on the itinerary, we decided to take a quick stroll around the town. We ended up getting a little lost, weaving in and out of mopeds, but finally made it back to the hotel in time to catch up on some blogging. We then went out for lunch to a place Georgia found online - a little backpacker-themed coffee shop which did a mean tuna sandwich and fried eggs on toast (we've had curry every day for nearly a fortnight now; we figured a little luxury in the form of western food was allowed).
We realised, with a little surprise, that this was the first time we'd organised a day for ourselves in India - and we were pretty proud of it. We chose a tour that organised almost everything for us in India as a way of easing ourselves into travelling; something Georgia reminded Jon of as we sat in our room in Rathambhore. But in Udaipur, it seems, we've found the courage to take our first steps on our own - which is just as well, as we're not at all sure how structured Stray tours (the next stage of our Asia tour) are going to be! And on that note, we're off now for a stroll to a lake that H recommended us (lakes are the big thing to do in Udaipur).
Perhaps a casual walk to hang by the lake like the locals do will be as 'native' as it gets for now. But with all the interesting conversations and reflecting we've done in this stretch of the trip, it seems that on a tour like this one you can uncover some of the realities of the country you're travelling through - if you have open eyes to see them.
J&g
LINKS TO REVIEWS:
Living in luxury?
It all started in Ranthambhore, where Jon felt distinctly uncomfortable about the hotel we were staying in. The thought of porters carrying bags from the bus to our rooms, while we lazed around drinking complimentary Pepsi, felt wrong - compounded by the fact that the hotel, in a bid to capture the safari feeling, felt distinctly reminiscent of the British Raj. We came on holiday to understand the places we're visiting, and to get to know its people - not to sit around pampered while they toil away looking after us, right?
Georgia quickly took Jon in hand and pointed out that, really, there hadn't been any other kind of hotel we'd been in. They ALL had porters carrying bags to the rooms; they all placed a high value on hospitality and ensuring guests did as little as possible. By doing that, they keep travellers like us tipping, and providers like Intrepid coming back time and again, fuelling their economy and enabling them to grow as a community and a business. So far from being separate to the local lives of the people, we were in fact integral.
Could it be that staying in hotels and living in (what felt like) the lap of luxury wasn't quite as devoid of culture as he had thought? It certainly gave Jon something to think about on the trip.
Bijaipur - now, THIS is luxury
After Bundi (see our last post for details of what we got up to there) we headed out to Castle Bijaipur, another 'heritage stay'. This one was in fact the first place that Intrepid used for heritage stays, giving rise to all the other places they use and setting the standard for these types of places. To say it was magnificent is an understatement.
Like Fort Madhogarh, it is owned by a noble family - in this case, the Maharaja of the region himself (who is available to lead yoga classes at 6.30am each day). The place has a pool, spa, and is totally in the middle of nowhere. It was heavenly. Our stay there included a 'village safari', where we saw various small farming communities at work, and a meal at the Maharaja's lakeside property (when it's not monsoon season, Intrepid actually camps down there in air conditioned, en-suite tents!)
 |
| There were monkeys in that tree, as evinced by the occasional leaves and nuts dropping from the tree on us as we had our beer. |
And as the conversation moved on to what H's wedding would look like, and what life is like for Chris working in an international school in South Korea, Jon suddenly realised that despite his luxurious and touristical setting, he'd gained a real insight into India's culture and the everyday lives that Indians lead - exactly what he'd feared missing out on.
Udaipur - setting out on our own
After a wonderful two nights in Castle Bijaipur, we left in cars for Udaipur, our next stop. In Udaipur we've been staying in a small hotel, and have been left pretty much to our own devices other than a tour of the city palace (we must confess we're getting a bit palaced out) and a boat ride around one of Udaipur's beautiful lakes, followed up by a lovely meal in a lakeside restaurant. The heat has been punishing; Jon struggled particularly round the palace, revived only by a mixture of Fanta, water and Lays crisps.
 |
| When the palace consists of hundreds of rooms, multiple courtyards and plenty of spectacular views, it's hard to find a single photo that sums it all up! |
We realised, with a little surprise, that this was the first time we'd organised a day for ourselves in India - and we were pretty proud of it. We chose a tour that organised almost everything for us in India as a way of easing ourselves into travelling; something Georgia reminded Jon of as we sat in our room in Rathambhore. But in Udaipur, it seems, we've found the courage to take our first steps on our own - which is just as well, as we're not at all sure how structured Stray tours (the next stage of our Asia tour) are going to be! And on that note, we're off now for a stroll to a lake that H recommended us (lakes are the big thing to do in Udaipur).
Perhaps a casual walk to hang by the lake like the locals do will be as 'native' as it gets for now. But with all the interesting conversations and reflecting we've done in this stretch of the trip, it seems that on a tour like this one you can uncover some of the realities of the country you're travelling through - if you have open eyes to see them.
J&g
LINKS TO REVIEWS:
- Castle Bijaipur
- Pichola Haveli (hotel in Udaipur)
- Udaipur City Palace
- Rainbow restaurant (restaurant in Udaipur)
Is there a difference between 'travellers' and 'tourists'? I suspect not. People who think of themselves as travellers want to experience 'the real India' and maybe look down on the tourists who they dismiss as just wanting to see the interesting sights. But that is all anyone can do who is spending a short time in a country.
ReplyDeleteCompare your trip with the Americans who come to England. They see Stonehenge and London and possibly York. You would not say they are getting to see the real England but they are in a way. They are seeing the towns, cities and the countryside; they are experiencing the sounds, the smells, the light; they are hearing the voices of the people. It's no different to what you travellers are doing.
The only way to know a country is to live in it. Probably for a lifetime. And even then, your experience of it will differ from the next person's.
So, in conclusion, you don't need to feel a guilt trip because you get a decent bed and a shower. Just enjoy it!
Thanks! I think you're right - but I see a lot of people who don't pay attention to the country they're in, beyond the monuments they visit. Always wondered whether it was because of the type of holiday they'd booked or whether it was just them. I guess it's the latter!
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