Rambagh Palace Hotel
The incredible
Rambagh Palace hotel, once home to the Maharajas of Jaipur (and the one-time home of the fabled Rajmata of Jaipur, Gayatri Devi, named by
Vogue magazine as one of the world’s 10 most beautiful women).
Amber Fort
My partner, John Loecke, and I strike a pose in front of Jaipur’s massive Amber Fort.
Chor Bazaar
John and I spent an afternoon in Mumbai wandering through the so-called Thieves’ Market, aka the Chor Bazaar. The assortment of goods to be had was astounding—there were an awful lot of phonographs and vintage records and antique furnishings and wrenches and hammers for sale. I asked if they had any Goldfrapp or Roxy Music and anything by Miss Peggy Lee, but they did not. Frank Sinatra, they did have. Phonographs and live goats seemed to be on special the day of our visit.
The Taj Mahal Palace
Here’s John in front of the fabulous
Taj Mahal Palace hotel, overlooking the Gateway of India monument and the Arabian Sea in downtown Mumbai. The hotel has only recently reopened after the terrible terrorism attacks that besieged the property in 2008. Book a room in the circa-1903 Palace Wing, and lap up the luxe.
Elephanta Caves
Here I am in the
caves on Elephanta Island, a wonderful, transporting day trip via ferry from Mumbai. Dedicated to the god Shiva, the caves are astonishing in their size and scale.
Dhobi Ghat
The Dhobi Ghat, the jaw-dropping, sprawling laundry in Mumbai. Some 5,000 workers head here every day to tackle the city’s washing. Note the slick high rises going up in the background.
Taj Lake Palace
The
Taj Lake Palace hotel, originally the summer palace of the Maharana of Udaipur, hovers in the center of otherworldly Lake Pichola like a far-flung white pearl.
City Palace
John and I head off via private launch from the sublime Taj Lake Palace hotel to dinner at
The Oberoi Udaivilas hotel. The Udaivilas property is very Dubai-ish—glitzy, glam and over the top. Note the lit-up City Palace—the home to the current Maharana of Udaipur—in the background.
Jodhpur
A glorious gaggle of ladies in fabulous, brightly hued saris hit the market in the divine Rajasthani city of Jodhpur. The colors in Jodhpur sent me reeling—the acid greens, punchy pinks, cerulean blues and tantalizing turquoises … I was literally drooling over the inhabitants’ amazing color sensibility.
Mihir Garh
Mihir Garh, a gorgeous boutique-styled hostelry with nine rooms situated an hour outside of Jodhpur. Smack in the stunning Thar Desert, Mihir Garh is especially spectacular at sunset (of course, I had a Bloody Mary Rajasthan-style in hand at sundown).
Bishnoi
A lovely gent of the Bishnoi sect whom we met during the cultural safari arranged by the Mihir Garh hotel. The Bishnoi are noted environmentalists who do not kill living things and are renowned for protecting trees and wildlife. This gentleman graciously invited me and John to visit his home, smack in the Thar Desert.
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is beyond incredible and evocative. I woke up at 5 a.m. to tour the renowned monument to love, and I was able to beat the crowds.
Khajuraho
The 11th-century Hindu temples at
Khajuraho are astonishing and so well preserved. It was worth the all-day train ride and drive from Agra to wake up the next day and tour these spectacular monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Marigolds
A flower seller in the sacred city of Varanasi, perched upon the Ganges River. Marigolds are ubiquitous in India.
Laundry in the Ganges
Laundry being hung up to dry in Varanasi after being washed in the sacred waters of Mother Ganges.
Cremation Ceremonies
Wood that will be used in the cremation ceremonies that have taken place since time immemorial along the banks of the Ganges. The cycle of life and death to be seen in Varanasi is incredible and so foreign to the western way of viewing death and dying.
Classic Vehicle
A fabulous Ambassador car parked outside the
Aman hotel in New Delhi. I am obsessed with these amazing cars, sort of the national vehicle of India, and want to start an import business to bring them State-side.
Chandni Chowk
I head into Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, the heaving market that sells everything under the sun. I wandered through the narrow lanes and alleys for five hours—it was a wonderful experience.
DLF Emporio
Delhi’s slick and chic
DLF Emporio, a brand-new mall housing such luxury good vendors as Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Paul Smith, Gucci and Dior. The juxtaposition in India between wealth and poverty is astonishing.