#ranthamborenationalpark #oberoivanyavilas #wildlife
00:00 Introduction
00:25 Mumbai Expressway
00:50 Arrival
01:35 Tents
03:20 Walk with Shaolin (Naturalist)
06:30 Birthday Celebration
06:50 Walk with Azad
09:25 Breakfast
09:50 Afternoon Safari
11:10 Arrowhead (Tiger) Sighting in Zone 2
12:42 Noorie Female Tiger Sighting in Zone 2
13:36 Sloth Bear
14:30 Early Morning Safari
14:50 Arrowhead (Male Tiger) Sighting in Zone 10
15:45 Leopards sighting in Zone 10
16:30 Swimming Pool
16:40 Spa
🐯The Oberoi Vanyavilas is located at the junction of the Aravali and Vindhya hill ranges and close to Sawai Madhopur.
🐯You may drive to Ranthambore on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. You can go to Dausa and then detour from Dausa to Ranthambore. The total time taken is around 4.30 hours from Gurugram.
🐯As we stepped through the ceremonious, imposing, dramatic doors that portrayed a metaphor and an analogous of the regality of Rajasthan, we were showered with rose petals and greeted by General Manager Ms Ratna Malhotra. The entourage of the smiling staff greeted us with tilak and diya, so synonymous with traditional Indian welcome, that echoes, "Atithi Devo Bhava".
🐯Ms Malhotra very graciously and personally accompanied us to our tent. The route to our tent was through a labyrinth of manicured gardens, water bodies, Lilly ponds, fountains, and tent mud boundary walls that appeared to be singing a song of the profusion of pretty pink bougainvillaeas. The Tent Rooms are opulent and draw inspiration from royal caravans,
echoing the past era of the Maharajas. An amalgamation of Luxury, regality and comfort. The wooden floored rooms have sophisticated and elegant interiors, a canopied four-poster bed, elegant furniture, and beautiful artwork. The en suite bathrooms are spacious and luxurious, featuring a separate shower, claw-footed standalone bathtub, double vanities, plush bathrobes, and high-quality toiletries. The gesture of placing chocolates, fruit baskets and birthday greetings was very endearing.
🐯 The Dining Experience offers
indoor and al fresco dining at the Inner Courtyard. The restaurant serves ethnic, authentic Rajasthani, Pan Asian, Pan Indian and International cuisine. It promises to satiate any stubborn palate.
The bonhomous and gracious Sous Chef, Shivang Narula, curated and customised a luxury experience at the al fresco beneath the star-spangled sky. The soulful music played by local Rajasthani musicians touched our hearts. The gastronomical delights served ranged from piquant to succulent; the delectable delish, need we say more, was ambrosian. The live folk music added to the superlative aura of an enthralling experience.
The next day, the salubrious, sunny breakfast was under the colourful canopy with the backdrop of sprout fountains in the bower of a mango orchard. Atul, who made terrific elaborate flower rangolis, decorated the table area and made our breakfast grand.
🐯Nature Walk
Post-siesta, a guided tour around the property with Shaolin the resident naturalist, was organised. It was an enriching experience. He apprised us and pointed out a plethora of flora and fauna as the Coppersmith Barbet, Blackbird, Little Cormorant, Red-vented Bulbul, an African giant Snail shell, Kadam ka tree, Greater Coucal Bhardwaj and atop the Observation tower showed us the expanse of Dry deciduous forest of the hills beyond.
🐯 The Oberoi Vanyavilas Spa.
The entrance to the spa is theatrical. You walk under Mughal archways into a courtyard with private therapy rooms overlooking a lily pond. The spa offers a range of holistic beauty rituals and treatments using natural and organic ingredients.
🐯 Amongst other facilities, the resort has a well-equipped Gym, a billiards room, Yoga sessions a strategically and scenically situated Swimming Pool heated in winter for guests' convenience.
🐯 An early morning stroll around the property called the ‘Trail of Wellbeing’ with the resident
Horticulturist Mr AZAD was very interesting and informative. He pointed out various trees such as Dhok, Banyan, Ber ( Indian jujubes), Jamun ( Indian blackberry or Java plum), Khajur, also known as the date palm, Palash (Butea monosperma):
Kadam (Neolamarckia cadamba), Amala (Indian gooseberry), Tamarind and the Mango Orchard. We visited the kitchen and flower gardens. Walked along the beds of roses, sunflowers, sweet peas, cosmos, poppy, and various vegetable rows of bok choy, cherry tomatoes, brinjal, broccoli, and purple cabbage. Mr Azad packed in some gooseberries for us to take back home.
A sincere thanks to GM. Ms Ratna Malhotra, a sanguine magician in disguise, as she made our stay momentous and magnificent. I shall exhaust most adjectives complementing the gracious, amiable, affable, polite jewel of Oberoi Ranthambore.
A note of appreciation and applause to the entire team at Oberoi Vanyavilas. Thank you, Oberoi Group, for exceptional hallmarked and haloed hospitality. Mr Vikram Oberoi, your hotels & resorts are parred exemplar nonpareil.