Everywhere we went in India, we did it in "luxury". This page highlights two moments of superlative luxury...

• The Imperial Hotel, Delhi
• Wildflower Hall, near Shimla, the "other" Oberoi Hotels property there.

Before I talk about these two moments when, as Jim would have said, "There was opulence, Batesie" (Bonus points if you can identify that reference!), I would like to put them in context.

We did not suffer on our trip. We traveled in comfort.

There were two hotels which might be characterized as "comfortable modern", and three that had superb, very eager to please, staff... staff capable of pleasing, as well as willing... but some "loose ends" in the mostly high-end physical plant. (Wiring light switches logically seems to be a work in progress... trip participants may smile when they see that! And eco-lodges seem to thing we'll admire their eco-creds if we can't see our hands in front of our faces in our rooms. (Although, to be fair, I worked for a bit in the office of one, and it was less ill-lit than my room.) Also, carpenters where I come from don't have to put roof tiles on in a way that will defeat monkeys seeking the insect larvae whose parents thought that under a tile was a superb "nursery", and their journey to "Home Depot" is much more fraught....

And I don't mean to confine my "we traveled in luxury" to the hotels. In particular, the people who looked after us, and the cars which carried us on long journeys, were first class.

Now... those of you who know a bit about the Tropical Ice experience may say, "But! I thought you were out in the wilderness?" Well, yes, at times we were. And frequently, I'm pleased to say, we ate in restaurants local middle class people would have used. (Why go to India, if you want to live in a "western" bubble?) Perhaps "luxury" isn't the word for tramping through the sal or deodar forest, or for bouncing around in the back of a 4x4 on rough roads... but, for what we were doing, we did it in luxury. And, at least at the Imperial and Wildflower Hall, we were in Luxury, no qualifications needed.

But! The two hotels below were in a class above and beyond "five star". I've stayed in nice hotels in lots of places. These two were among the best I've stayed in anywhere. (If you'll excuse that misuse of "best".) A real pleasure.

The Imperial Hotel, Delhi

Legendary. I sometimes think the uber-editors at Wikipedia can be a bit... well, you know. But I do appreciate the fact that they won't tolerate Wikipedia being used for advertising. But they allow The Imperial a Wikipedia page! (The photos there do not do it justice... the Imperial's own site does a good job, of course... if my photos fail(!)) Perhaps, among other things, because the document setting the course of the partition of India was negotiated and signed there... I visited the room... among other things? (Partition of India: A shameful, rushed, botched job... though it must be said that it would have been impossible to get it "right", perhaps it could have been got "less wrong". A millon or more people died. Millions had to flee from their traditional homelands.

I hope the Imperial will forgive me quoting from their webpage... for once, someone has something to say that isn't empty MarketingSpeak...

Presently... owned by Sardar Hardev Singh Akoi and Sardar Jasdev Singh Akoi , grandsons of the Late Sardar Bahadur Ranjit Singh who built the hotel. Conceptualised in 1934 by Blomfield and inaugurated by Lord Willingdon in 1936, The Imperial is a fine confluence of a rich historical past and a slick international appeal. The 24 king palms that lead up to the porch are an integral part of and witness to the very creation of New Delhi. The Hotel was designed to be one of the finest monuments of Lutyens' grand vision of the Capital City's original master plan presenting a unique blend of Victorian, Old colonial and Art Deco styles.

I hope it won't be long before I can return to this, expand it.

My room at Imperial/ View from my room. (Imperial's private grounds.)

Wildflower Hall, near Shimla, Oberoi Hotels

(Oberoi Hotels have two hotels in the Shimla/ Simla area... the other is "in town", and, I suspect, also first class. I only know about Wildflower Hall).

The Wildflower is a new building on an old site... it was where Lord Kitchener, him of the moustache in the WW I British recruitment poster, had his Shimla home.

You should know that it is a little way (35 minutes by car) outside of Shimla, if you are reading this in connection with planning a trip.

Again... I have to say, for now, I hope I can return to this soon.

I will, even at this early stage, mention that I have swum many laps up and down many pools over the years... but never before had the pleasure of three nice chandeliers to enjoy the sight of (and use for turning reference points!) while doing the backstroke.

Left: The front, faces roughly west. Right: first room you encounter, Wildflower Hall

On right: View out my room's window... totally inadequately photographed... sorry. You'll have to go there, see for yourself. And yes, that's snow you see.

Quote from friend who travelled in India in a different era, on work....

"In 1964 the Oberoi Grand in Calcutta was a once-imposing up-market hotel built by the British but, at that time, tired beyond imagination- nothing like your Swiss/German style Oberoi of today. It was dirty and worn out.

"In Ranchi, our hotel was simple but more up to date. A business associate and I shared a simple room: two beds with mosquito netting, a desk, some chairs and a bathroom. When we wanted added warmth an electrician brought a dish-shaped radiant heater with the cone-like heating element with spring-like heating wires wrapped around it. There was no plug on the wire; he just inserted the bare wires into the socket to get the right sequence for the 220 volt power- getting sparks several times until he got the right combination. Then all we just turned the heater on or off with the wall switch.

"And we were assigned a driver who spoke no English.

"You were in luxury compared to our time there. Glad you had such a great trip!!"

Ah yes.... I am blessed to be able to indulge myself with the Good Life for some travel destinations. Happily, they don't cost the arm and a leg they would cost in "more developed" places.

May you use photos from this site? Want to contact me?

If you find yourself wanting to use a photo on this site, please see my page about using web-published material which is copyright TK Boyd. If you want to contact me, here's my eddress, or you can use the contact form. (Email best, as the contact form is often abused, and I don't read all messages arriving that way.) Corrections to bad information on the pages very welcome... don't be shy!

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