Review of Umaid Bhawan Palace, by Caroline Major

Just Another Rajasthani Palace? Absolutely not! This one is a real living one. I met the Crown prince, and watched his mother, the Maharani, glide around in the hotel shop, helping a Japanese tourist (yes, they do make it to the Indian Desert) fit a Kaurta. The prince is just one of a few reasons to visit the Umaid Bharwan Palace - he is every bit the Bollywood movie star and educated to boot. His palace was finished in 1943, but designed between 1929 and 1932, and is an Art Deco museum, packed with history.

The history here is primarily about people. At the Umaid Bhawan, many of the people who began working here when the Maharajah moved in in 1942, shortly before Indian independence, are still working. You'll find the curly moustachioed Rajput doormen and waiters saluting you as they did their Kings when you take breakfast, or return from a mornings' sightseeing.

There is the privilege of 'Boochy' taking you on a guided tour. This elegant woman is heiress of a prominent Rajput family and custodian of the Palace history. Her grandfather, Regent to the Maharajah three times in his life (the royal family, head of the Rathorne clan of the Rajputs, have suffered 3 generations of untimely deaths) passed on to her many stories while in the family service. On her retirement as secretary to Prime Minister Nehru's sister, she returned to the palace to catalogue many of the artefacts, creating a museum and curating the collection of art and family portraits. An hour in her company is a fascinating view of the human side of Indian history.

Spend your time exploring the nooks and crannies of the palace, and enjoy the work the family has gone to in turning 2/3 of their family home into a 122 room hotel, while still preserving its historical integrity. Give yourself time to drink at the Pillars bar outdoors. At the back of the hotel, it overlooks the gardens. Beyond the garden, enjoy the Jodhpur panorama, a second palace to your left, and the spectacular 13th century Mehrangarh Fort. Even better, plan your trip to coincide with the full moon, and imagine yourself living, Gatsby-like, in the 1930s, with iced tea or a fresh lime soda.

If you can afford it, spring for a suite. The Vice Regal has a magnificent bathroom, and is a favourite of the current Exterior Minister (ex Foreign Minister), or the Maharani suite, which has one of Art Deco's most photographed bathrooms. This suite will only set you back USD 750 per night, but you'll have to remember to pack your evening gowns and your long tortoiseshell cigarette holder. You will be treated like a princess.

Don't forget your swim suit either. The experience continues in the basement with its masterly swimming pool. Covered in aquatic frescos in silver and blue, they offer a good massage at very affordable prices. The only thing that you'll need to get used to here is that constant mantra: 'Everything good sir?'

Yes thank you.