TRAVEL PORSCHIST

A Journey Through The Indian Fields

As tempting as it is to spend a whole day at the resort, the invitation we find in our room for a 'Sunset Cow Dust Tour' tempts us. In an open jeep we explore the area outside the walls of the domain. We drive through endless valleys with beautiful landscapes. The many fields of mustard flowers turn deep yellow. Here and there, well-preserved Hindu temples appear as an exotic feature. If the temple is still in use, a flag is flown. If there is no flag, the temple has been deconsecrated and can be used for a pleasant picnic with friends and family, an amorous rendezvous or a wedding. Around four o'clock, when the sun slowly sets, the cows go home on their own. We meet them along the road, in large herds, trudging at a leisurely pace. No one is accompanying them. The trip is named after this phenomenon. 'Dust' refers to the dust the animals throw up when they walk on the dirt roads.

Bhangarh Is Haunted

Everywhere in Rajasthan, you can find relics of a rich past, but while many forts and palaces are celebrated for their sublime beauty and grandeur, there is one that is known for something quite different. The Bhangarh Fort is known as The most Haunted Fort in India. So a creepy fortress. Bhangarh is only a half hour drive from the Amanbagh resort. In the 17th century it was a prosperous town with alleys, market squares, temples, houses and a beautiful palace high on the hill. A fortress, three thick fortress walls and five massive gates protected the city against invaders. The 10,000 residents prospered, and the city flourished. This came to an abrupt end in 1720 when all the residents disappeared into thin air. How and why, no one knows. That is of course perfect fodder for a whole series of legends and stories, each one more gruesome and terrifying than the last. One thing is very clear to the locals: the area is cursed. At night, frightening noises can apparently be heard, strange shadows are said to appear, and bizarre accidents would occur. The Archaeological Survey of India even went so far as to decide that the Bhangarh Fort is off limits between 6pm and 6am and no one is allowed to enter the site.

But now it is day, and therefore we are in no danger. The complex is much bigger than we expected. The buildings may have fallen into disrepair after 400 years of neglect, but the whole still looks majestic and, especially in the temples, we can still see the traces of former craftsmanship. The many ruins are now inhabited by large groups of rhesus macaques who seem to be having a great time. Especially if they can occasionally steal a nut or a piece of fruit from a visitor. Immense banyan trees stretch their roots over the cracked stones, reminding us of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Among the visitors are many women of the Meena, a local tribe. They are beautifully decked out in a rainbow of colours and adorned with an abundance of jewellery. They are only too happy to be photographed. Their generous smiles are supplied for free. It is quite a climb to the palace itself, but at the top we have a phenomenal view of the entire site. Only now can we see how lushly green and wooded the area is. We try to imagine what it must have been like to look out at dawn as a raja and know that you are lord and master of a territory that stretches to the horizon. Cursed or not? Who's to say? To us, Bhangarh Fort is a wonderful, mysterious remnant of an enigmatic past.

On Safari In Ranthambore

Rajasthan can also boast of beautiful nature reserves with a varied animal population. You can even go on safari here, because elephants, wolves, rhinoceroses, panthers and tigers live here. Many of these animals are threatened with extinction, which prompted the Indian government to protect wildlife with a network of national parks and reserves. One of those reserves is the Ranthambore National Park where about 80 Bengal tigers live. Of the 40,000 specimens that lived in India at the beginning of the 20th century, only a mere 1,000 remain today. The park - once the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Jaipur - has been a game reserve since 1955 and is one of the best places in the world to see tigers in the wild. The park has a strict policy. You have to book a ticket in advance because the number of visitors per day is limited and you have to make use of a jeep, driver and ranger provided by the park.

We soon notice that it is not easy to spot animals. This is not a vast African savannah, but a hilly, densely wooded area with here and there an open plain or a water feature. We depend on the expertise of our guide. Fortunately, he knows the park and its inhabitants like the back of his hand and leads our gaze to the beauty that surrounds us. Sambhar deer, impalas, wild boars, macaques, meerkats and black bucks pass by. A crocodile is dozing on the water's edge. A large cormorant perches on the rock in front of it. His black feathers shine in the sun. A little further on lies a dead bull antelope with a large bite taken from the back of the body. “This is the work of a tiger”, our ranger declares with certainty. “Probably the tiger is now lying under a tree somewhere, digesting its meal.” Will it come back? we want to know. “Oh yes, it will definitely come back,” says the ranger, “the only question is when.” We decide to drive on in the hope of discovering the animal somewhere, but after two hours we still haven't seen a tiger. Just when we want to call it a day, the ranger raises his hand and calls us to silence. Could it be that time after all? And yes, as if entering a stage, the tiger walks towards us from the undergrowth. A streamlined silhouette with tan fur dotted with black rosettes, athletic and muscular, all grace and strength. Amber eyes gaze at us intently. The tiger is much bigger and more imposing than we imagined. Involuntarily, a primal fear grips us. One swipe would put a stop to us relating our encounter. We hope this predator remembers that the rest of his meal is waiting for him elsewhere in the park. After a few minutes, the animal disappears again. What an experience! The next day we drive straight back to the same place. A perfect idea, it turns out, because we arrive just as a group of five tigers are quenching their thirst. The ranger smiles at us: “You travel under a good star.”

AMAN-I-KHAS: ULTIMATE LUXURY IN FULL NATURE

When you go on safari, you pretty much expect to be sleeping in a tent. It just so happens that the Aman group has a second property in India: Aman-i-Khas, a three-hour drive from Amanbagh and perfectly located on the doorstep of the Ranthambore reserve. The tent enclave of Aman-i-Khas was built after the example of the imperial Mughal tents that were real mobile palaces. That already gives you an idea of what this resort looks like. There are only ten guest tents, but what tents they are! With an area of 120 m2 and a height of 6 metres, there is plenty of space. The tents are divided into sitting, living and sleeping areas separated by creamy white curtains that descend from the awning of the tent. An elegant interior with colonial furniture and exotic details provides every luxury. This is glamping in a superlative way. Inside the camp, a small courtyard leads to a raised terrace. This is where the dining and wellness tents are located. They overlook a sunken patio with fire pit, the ideal place to relax or admire the clear starry sky after dinner. To top it all off, a personal butler is waiting for us who is called 'batman' here, a term from the British cavalry (not to be confused with the fictional superhero). We can count on the services of Kuldeep. In no time the young man knows all about our habits and preferences. Actually, with Kuldeep by our side, we don't have to think about anything anymore.

Ancient Fortress

India would not be India if there wasn’t some historical heritage in this area as well. Located in the national park, Ranthambore Fort is one of the oldest forts in India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A wide path with 250 steps leads to the vast site at the top of Mount Thambore. On the side of the road, an old man with an impressive moustache sells home-made colognes made from roses, frangipani flowers, lemongrass and hibiscus. The soft aromas float towards us. The panorama at the top is breathtaking. We see ancient walls, massive gates and remnants of palaces and temples spread over large grassy plains against a backdrop of rugged mountains. The complex dates from the tenth century. The remains contain a millennium of history: capital of a Hindu empire, residence of a sultan, prison fortress of a mogul and palace of a maharaja… Ranthambore has a checkered past, has seen peoples and rulers come and go and was the scene of many battles and sieges.

MUMBAI: AN OVERWHELMING MEGAPOLIS

From the lovely Indian countryside to hectic Mumbai is a transition to remember. With nearly 23 million inhabitants, Mumbai is a city of superlatives, paradoxes and contrasts. Mumbai is full of energy and an attack on all our senses. We give ourselves some time to get used to the relentless rhythm of this mega city. The large immigration over the centuries has resulted in Mumbai having a very diverse population. Mumbai is almost India in a - albeit large - nutshell where nearly all population groups, languages and religions of the country are represented. It is remarkable how easily all those different cultures manage to get along with each other. But differences are the standard in the city. A small upper class of the super-rich lives next to an impoverished proletariat. Among the buildings we see modern skyscrapers with lots of glass and steel as well as Victorian buildings from the colonial era, beautiful temples and historic buildings as well as endless slums and tenements. The informal economy on the streets in Mumbai is just as big and important as the formal one inside the buildings.

TAJ MAHAL PALACE: HISTORIC GRANDEUR

One of the city's most iconic buildings is the prestigious Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The imposing, colonial-style hotel with the striking central red dome opened its doors in 1903. The construction of this legendary hotel was financed by the Tatas, a wealthy family that still holds a dominant position in the city and the country. It was one of the first so-called 'grand hotels' in the world and is an inseparable part of the city's history. In its early days, the Taj was probably the only place in the world where a British Viceroy and an Indian Maharaja could meet informally. As the decades passed and the hotel's good reputation spread, the list of eminent guests grew. Just about everyone who is anyone has slept (or sleeps) in this hotel when visiting India: all US presidents from the last fifty years, almost every royal family in the world, international movie stars, musicians, rock stars, you name it, have already put their name in the guestbook. A stay here is therefore more than just an overnight stay. It is an experience, a dive into a rich historical past. The hotel is as impressive inside as it is outside with vaulted alabaster ceilings, onyx columns, hand-woven silk carpets, crystal chandeliers and an eclectic collection of furnishings. On the occasion of its 100th anniversary, the hotel was refurbished and renovated with great care to ensure that it is ready for the next hundred years.

“WE DO NOT BOW TO TERROR.”

On 26 November 2008, Mumbai was hit by a series of simultaneous terrorist attacks. One of the targets was the Taj Mahal Palace where the attack resulted in a three-day hostage situation. About 450 people were imprisoned in the hotel for 68 hours. During that siege, 31 people were killed. The fact that there were not more victims is due to the heroic action of the hotel staff who, despite the ruthless actions of the terrorists, continued to put the safety of the guests first. Several fires destroyed parts of the historic wing. Yet the luxury hotel reopened barely a month after the drama. It was an obvious statement: terror will not get us down. All the employees who were present at the hotel during the attack thought exactly the same. Many of them still work in 'their Taj' today.

Gateway Of India As A Beautiful Backdrop

From our hotel room on the fourth floor of the Taj Mahal Palace we look straight out over the Arabian Sea and the Gateway of India . The 26-metre high majestic triumphal arch is one of the most famous landmarks in Mumbai, built in honour of the visit of King George V of England in 1911. On the spot where it stands, ships from all parts of the world arrived, making the Gateway literally the entrance to India. Together with the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, this was the first thing visitors saw. When the last British soldiers left India on 28 February 1948, they symbolically walked under the arch.

The large square in front of the gate seems to us to be the ideal place for some photos of the beautiful Taycan that Porsche Centre India has made available to us. One small problem: the square is only accessible to pedestrians. But we have already accomplished things like this before and turn to the Mumbai Police who guard the place. Before we realise it, we are hopelessly entangled in the web of slow Indian bureaucracy. We are sent from pillar to post and knock on the door of almost all port authorities, police stations and security services. After four hours of to-ing and fro-ing and a huge amount of patience, we finally get the green light. We are allowed to bring the Porsche onto the square for half an hour the next day. Hallelujah. At dawn we drive to the square. This early in the day it is still quiet. When the sun casts its first rays on the triumphal arch and bathes the façade of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in a golden glow, we let our cameras click.