Neemrana Fort-Palace

About 85 kms from Gurgaon, on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, is the Neemrana Fort - a 15^th century fort-palace, built in the Rajput architectural tradition, atop a plateau surrounded on three sides by the Aravalli ranges – its ten stepped levels commanding spectacular views of the Neemrana village below. Restored by architect/planner Aman Nath in 1992, from a state of utter ruin, for adaptive re-use as a heritage hotel, this former royal home with a series of courtyards on ten different levels now offers 37 rooms, 13 suites, a swimming pool, hanging gardens, banquet halls, amphitheatre and a museum.

Once you step into the fort through its heavy doors, you leave behind the fast-forward madness of 21^st century and enter a microcosm where time moves frame by frame, and almost invites you to sit on one of the countless terraces and balconies to just enjoy the sunsets and watch peacocks and swooping parrots. For the motion-oriented guests , there are treks to the watchtowers and the village stepwell (a well with steps for water collection), a 20-minute walk from the hotel, and for the adventure-seeking there is zipping - India’s first ever aerial zip-line tour, which flies you high in the sky along super-strong steel cables suspended between hill tops. The thrill of zipping and the sensational views of the Palace below can be a heady combination and cost around Rs 1500 for an adult, and Rs 1000 for a child.

The TVless and phoneless rooms come in different sizes and are tastefully furnished with ethnic and colonial elements. Some are air-conditioned and some are not. There are free yoga and meditation classes. The food is nothing to die for – but who cares in an ambience such as this! A word of caution – there are stairs and steep ramps throughout the fort – not an ideal place for those with back, hip, and knee worries.

Tariff – Suites from Rs 6,000 to Rs 21,000 per night; Rooms Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 per night; Rooftop tent for two Rs 3,000

Meals: Fixed menus. Per head charges for Breakfast (Rs 300), Lunch (Rs 600), Dinner (Rs 700)

Tel: (From Delhi 951494) (STD - 01494) 246006, 246007, 246008, 09414050068, 09414050044