How to Reach Amanbagh
New Delhi, with its broad boulevards and tree-lined avenues, is the primary gateway to Amanresorts’ stays in Northern India. The international airport is located approximately 35 kilometres from the city centre.
Given that most international flights arrive in the late evening or early morning, Amanresorts recommends that guests stay overnight in New Delhi at The Manor hotel before travelling on to Jaipur. Amanresorts provides operational assistance to The Manor hotel, located in the Friends Colony neighbourhood and set within one-and-a-half acres of landscaped gardens. This intimate 10-suite hotel is a comfortable overnight retreat. For guests en-route to Amanbagh, The Manor provides a complimentary car transfer to and from Delhi International Airport.
Jaipur is a 30 minute flight from Delhi. There are approximately six daily flights between Delhi and Jaipur during high season, operated by Sahara Airlines, Jet Airways and Indian Airlines. Amanbagh provides complimentary return car transfers between the resort and Jaipur, a 90-minute drive away. Aman-i-Khás is approximately three hours’ complimentary drive away. Guests travelling to
Amanbagh between the months of October and April can enjoy a pre- or post-visit stay at tented Aman-i-Khás, a wildlife camp on the apron of Rajasthan’s Ranthamborne National Park.
The secondary international gateway to Alwar is Jaipur, which offers international flights to and from Dubai (the return leg passes via New Delhi) and Bangkok.
Dining at Amanbagh The Restaurant is positioned on the lower floor of the main building and provides an intimate atmosphere beneath its double-height ceiling. Seating is either banquette-style or at tables which flow onto the outside terrace. The food is simple home-style Indian cuisine with a choice of Western dishes also available.
An alternative dining venue is located next to the swimming pool and provides a more informal environment. Here, the dining is alfresco beneath a covered colonnade and lunchtime fare includes sandwiches, salads and simple traditional Indian snacks.
The Roof Terrace is ideal for informal dining in the evening, particularly during the hotter months when a cool breeze may be enjoyed under a starlit sky.
The Lounge is located opposite the Restaurant and offers a place to relax and unwind.
The Library and reading terrace are located on the upper floor of the main building. There are a variety of reference books on the history, arts, culture and wildlife of India as well as a selection of novels, magazines, newspapers, audio CDs and board games. Cultural lectures on Hindu and Moghul culture, art, philosophy, religion, Ayurvedic, as well as traditional medicine and cuisine will be given in the Library by renowned experts. Internet access is available via two laptop computers.
Alwar and Jaipur are world-famous for the production of arts and crafts. The Boutique, housed on two levels, offers the region’s finest selection of silverware, jewellery, textiles and fashion. A variety of convenience items are also available.
Sightseeing Once a princely state, Alwar now forms part of the larger present-day state of Rajasthan. Today it is rarely travelled, hidden between the more popular destinations of Agra and Jaipur. Alwar and the surrounding Shekhawati region provide the opportunity to witness and experience first hand a traditional Indian lifestyle.
The countryside is interspersed with small rural hamlets, narrow streets, simple dwellings, active markets, and subsistence agriculture. At almost every turn lies a ruin or relic from a lost empire and resort activities include visits to rural villages, the Ajabgarh Fort and the town of Alwar. All excursions are within a 30 kilometre radius of Amanbagh and provide an opportunity to travel through breathtaking scenery year-round.
Ajabgarh and Surrounds
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 through February are also available. Of particular interest are village tours to traditional Meena villages. Unique to the region, the Meena are a minority 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.
The Ajabgarh Fort
Ajabgarh, meaning ‘the place of mysteries,’ is named after its founder Ajab Singh Rajawat, a grandson of the prominent ruler, Madho Singh, of Bhangarh. The great Moghul Emperor Akbar is said to have stayed in Ajabgarh during one of his military campaigns against the Hindu Rajputs. In the 10th century it became the favourite hunting ground of the infamous Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar. Today, Ajabgarh’s finest attraction is its marble-fronted temple, Shri Rahunathi, with its 24-pillared open courtyard.
The Bhangarh:
Of great archaeological importance is the Bhangarh, located 10 kilometres from Amanbagh. Magnificently preserved, this Moghul-Hindu princely city was built in 1631, by Madho Singh, brother of Emperor Akbar’s general, Man Singh. A generation following its completion, it was deserted overnight after being cursed by a court magician, who unsuccessfully attempted to seduce Bhangarh’s beautiful Queen.Still uninhabited today, this city of magnificent bazaars, palaces, gardens, temples and bathing pools stands as a perfect memento to 17th century princely India.
