MAhout

11/09/2024

What fun to be back in Marrakech for the amazing and stunningly well organised PURE Life Experiences tradeshow. Always an amazing moment, connecting with the trade and old friends, along with stimulating meetings. The evenings are extraordinary feats of organisation and immense glamour and energy. We had the treat of staying at heavenly La Mamounia Marrakech again thanks to inimitable Pierre Jochem, one of the world's greatest hoteliers. La Mamounia has to be one of the world's iconic and most perfect hotels....the style, the comfort, the smell, the location, the grounds and gardens, the staff, the pool, the decor.....it's all faultless.

A year on from the tragic earthquake of last year, Marrakech is alive, kicking and thriving.

Another brilliant show. Thank you Serge.

12/08/2024

Happy World Elephant Day.

Come to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka to see these beasts in the wild!

01/05/2024

13/04/2024

Indian flora.......couldn't resist showing some of the magnificent and extraordinary flowers in bloom in India at this time of year. The Flame of the Forest flourishes in the Arravalli Hills in March.....my favourite sight. Colour, colour, colour....that's India for you. Uplifting and stunning. Flora that makes you smile and stare. Happy days. Will be back soon.

11/04/2024

Indian fauna......not wanting to mentally leave India, here are some of my favourite animal pics....India has it all....including edible Easter bunnies!

09/04/2024

Indian Scenes .............as our Indian Odyssey comes to an end, here are some favourite pics of colourful, memorable, happy, rural moments.

It's been a joy..as always! Thank you India and to all my wonderful friends, colleagues and brilliant team on the ground who make it all happen and who provide such special times.

08/04/2024

Indian Odyssey......our last stop and where better to end for a grand finale than at one of my 'happy places'....Ahilya By The Sea! A truly exquisite place, right on the sea, comprising a collection of beautiful Goan, red laterite villas which are home to 10 stunning rooms and suites. The epitome of a 'boutique hotel' in central Goa. Close to fab beaches, shops, restaurants, historic Goa.... it has it all! Dining al fresco with the waves lapping below; watching the fishing boats come in, and the fish eagles searching for a tasty morsel, is the stuff of dreams. Beautiful artefacts abound, smiling staff look after your every need, superb food, private spaces, views from heaven, gardens and pools....what more do you need. The new rooms and suites are utterly lovely..genius. One of the most sophisticated, peaceful, beautiful stays you can have in Goa.

Thank you to the dream team at Ahilya By The Sea

MAhout

07/04/2024

Indian Odyssey......from north to south Goa.....destination delightful Cabo Serai. Hidden away on a bluff above one of Goa's most beautiful, small beaches, close to Cabo de Rama, the crystal clear water urges you to immerse! Cabo Serai is a charming, rustic, comfy, sustainable eco lodge with superb environmental practices. Just 11 stilted tents and wooden cottages scramble up the hillside and have wonderful views out to sea. Each is spacious, private, and airy and treads very lightly on the planet. A pretty new infinity pool and a cilled out, breezy sitting / bar area, and organic veggie patch, are fab new additions. The food here is yummy...simple, fresh organic and hugely tasty. Glorious sundowner spots, dawn and dusk yoga platforms, lovely village and jungle walks, history, and boat trips down the coast provide plenty to do for the more active. A little gem of a place. This summer it's going in for a bit of a makeover and will emerge shiningly brilliant in October!

Thank you to all at Cabo Serai

MAhout

06/04/2024

THANK YOU JAMIE

05/04/2024

Indian Odyssey......And so we leave the dry, building heat of Rajasthan and head south to the humid fecundity of glorious Goa and exquisite Praya Villas. A collection of 4 bedroom villas just a few paces from the vast expanse of Morjim beach in North Goa, they have been designed, furnished, and decorated to perfection. With an almost Mediterranean feel to them, they are light, spacious, private, pretty, full of stunning artworks and feel appeal, and sublimely comfy.

The hotel cm villa idea works wonderfully as they are fully staffed if you want it but not if you don't....state of the art kitchens in each villa! Brilliant Chef George can create almost any nationality food you want, and it's scrumptious. The brilliant beach bar / restaurant - Barraca- (open to residents only) is the sort of chilled out place you could while away many hours, gazing out to sea.

Praya Villas is THE perfect place for a family holiday or a group of friends' get together. There are very few such perfect Villas in India. Only half an hour from the airport and direct flights to Goa! Start dreaming about your next moment in the sun.

Thank you to the wonderful team at Praya Villas
And to Neesha and Fritz D'Silva -inspired owners

MAhout

04/04/2024

Indian Odyssey......A great day, visiting dear friend Vipul Shah in his Aladdin's Cave of a shop. Ganesh Emporium really is a treasure trove of goodies. Spread over several floors, it is a joy to explore and a one stop shop for anything and everything you could want. Inspired designer Vipul, known for his flagship handbags and visited by the great and the good, has expanded his premises over the years and it's beautiful and exhaustive in its content. He even has a pretty, airy smoking room for those who still puff! Be prepared to spend hours here! Hats off!

Apart from seeking out new lakeside eateries, we also went out to delightful Chunda Shikar Oudi....a gorgeous small lodge on a lake in the forests outside Udaipur. Ideal for the airport, it's a peaceful oasis of calm and a lovely place to stay. 10 beautifully done rooms (2 in a separate building of their own) are light, fresh, soft, spacious and wonderfully comfortable. All have balconies and fab views of the lake or forest. Scrumptious food and run with quiet professionalism and passion by charming wildlife guru CV. A great place for admiring nature, walking, jeep safaris, chilling, or visiting Udaipur.



Chunda Shikar Oudi

MAhout

03/04/2024

Indian Odyssey......Oh the wonders of RAAS Devigarh! It's hard to beat the location, the views, the style and sophistication of this magical palace just 45 mins from Udaipur. Returning to this favourite haunt, seeing the welcoming smiles from long-serving staff, is always a treat and I just love it. It's all about space, light and comfort, discretion and privacy....big beautiful rooms, big beautiful pool, big beautiful building, big beautiful gardens and roof terraces. The club-like bar has to be one of my favourites whilst the dining areas have views of the surrounding hills and village that you want to fly off to. Immaculately run by the glorious RAAS team, who put attention to detail at the forefront, Devigarh is divine. As beautiful by day as it is by night...impossibly romantic! Stay here as a base away from crowded Udaipur, but also to walk in the hills and village, spend time in the dreamy spa, or just do nothing but chill out and relish the place. You are on holiday after all!

Thank you for a magical stay - all the fab team at RAAS Devigarh RAAS

MAhout

02/04/2024

Indian .....Another day on the road, revisiting country palaces and discovering a new dining / art based gem.

Gogunda Palace is a fascinating, restored true Mewari fort-palace with all the intrinsic (bright) colours of the Mewari style. Beautifully but brightly done, it's full of colour, grassy courtyards, rambling wings reached by ancient narrow staircases, has a small but pretty pool, and endless roof terraces. It sits on the edge of a bustling, colourful village and makes a great rural retreat just 50 mins from Udaipur.

Lilycourt Restaurant provides a fabulous new dining / art experience for those wanting to explore beyond Udaipur. It's pretty, has a great vibe, is modern, chic and calming; serves fab food, has an excellent gallery (modern art / sculpture) and is the brainchild of a trio of great artistic and forward thinking minds. An excellent new addition to the Udaipur 'moment' and lovely for lunch or dinner and lovers of modern art.

Thank you for lunch (x two!🤣)
Gogunda Palace


MAhout

01/04/2024

Indian Odyssey.......Oh wow! Returning to this beautiful area after a while, it was always going to be exciting! SUJAN Jawai was pretty perfect before and it was hard to think how it could be bettered. However, that is exactly what the inimitable SUJAN have done and their revamped Jawai camp is utterly breathtaking. It has to be up there with the best camps in India, if not the world. Not one detail is overlooked; the sheer style, elegance, romance, perfection and sophistication of everything they do is unsurpassed. Their jeeps are a joy to travel in; their drivers are genius; their rangers are so full of info and passion; the camp staff are tireless and make everything happen; their masseuses are at the top of their game. The immaculate stables are home to 14 Marwari horses and the riding opportunities here are boundless, along with so many other outdoor pursuits - walking, hiking, cycling, jeep safaris, leopard spotting, village life. Pioneers in conservation, regeneration, education, mobile health care, all things equine and wildlife, SUJAN have given this area...it's people AND it's flora and fauna....new life, hope and opportunity and are an example to the world.

SUJAN Jawai lies in an impossibly beautiful area of hundreds of acres of privately owned land. You won't see another jeep, let alone hotel. The granite hills, meadows, grasslands, farmlands, villages, and reservoir provide a constant visual feast! It is a veritable treat to stay here.

Thank you to all the amazing, attentive team at SUJÁN

01/04/2024

Indian Odyssey......we spent our Easter vigil observing this mighty chap for a couple of hours.....at times just a few feet away.....in the glorious granite hills of Jawai. Sunset also gave us the treat of a silhouetted pair of Eagle Owls.

Easter Monday had us on a sunrise hike up to Mt. Baliraja. We made it to the top, with a bit of a scramble, and were rewarded with views from heaven. A joy to be out in the countryside whilst staying in the outrageous comfort of unparalled Sujan Jawai.....what a place..more on that to come!

Thank you for a magical moment SUJÁN

MAhout

31/03/2024

Indian Odyssey.......Returning to treasured Dev Shree is always something to look forward to and arriving yesterday was as special as always. Having known, and grown, and laughed, and dreamt with the Dev Shree Deogarh family for over 30 years, they are very special to me. They have created the most beautiful home, run by the most beautiful family, in one of the most beautiful parts of rural Rajasthan. 10 huge, gorgeous rooms, croquet lawns, flower-filled gardens, peaceful shady verandahs, beautiful pool, scrumptious food, and mases to do - whatever your inclination. The friendliest of hosts - Shatrunjai, Bhavna, and their utterly charming sons, Mahadhriti and Bhagyaditya, welcome you into their home and really know about attention to detail, friendship and care. Dev Shree sits on the edge of a lake and on the edge of a village, in the heart of the Aravalli Hills - the perfect restful, immersive, gentle stop between Jodhpur / Jaipur and Udaipur. A true gem!

Thank you to all the wonderfully special, caring team Devshree - a Stately home at Deogarh, Rajasthan
Shatrunjai Singh Deogarh
Bhavna Kumari

MAhout