I
f ever you were to splurge on a hotel
suite, your honeymoon is the time, and
Taj Hotels offer the places — the
palaces, actually. Take the group’s flagship
hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on
Mumbai’s harbourfront overlooking the
Gate of India. The domed canopy ceiling of
the Rajput Suite glimmers with mirrored fish
scales above a swinging love seat, which
hovers over an intricately beautiful, surely
magical, carpet. A butler can be
summoned at the push of a button...
You could get used to ‘the culture, the
colour, the service,’ says Nicole Craig, public
relations manager for the group in Australia.
And the group’s friendly staff will help you
hop from Taj to Taj. From the grandeur of
Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, where 64
of the present Maharaja’s 347 rooms have
been given over to form the Taj hotel — a
desert residence amidst hectares of lush
gardens — to the Pierre in New York. Taj
does the Big Apple in luxurious residentialstyle: sumptuous furnishings meet Bose
home theatres, with a view of Central Park.
Nicole’s personal list of Taj honeymoon
favourites has barely begun. She suggests
exchanging your view of Central Park for a
Lagoon Villa on the edge of the Indian
Ocean at Taj Exotica Resort and Spa in the
Maldives. Arrive by private luxury speedboat
to find ... that your butler has laid the table
for dinner on your own little pontoon.
But perhaps, once your romance with
India has begun, you will just want to
ponder the love lives of its royalty while
playing a leisurely game of polo on elephant
back, at the Rambagh Palace in Jaipur;
there, in the evening you can feast under
the stars before retiring to the Maharani
suite, which was a surprise gift from the
Maharaja, to his wife Gayatri Devi. It features
intricate mirror-and-stonework, a
spectacular oval bathroom and French
doors that open onto a vision of the serene
Oriental Garden. Suite!EXPERT TIPS
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travelling, but don’t forget the luxe,’ says
Nicole. At least one full-length dress, your
most beautiful earrings, and gorgeous
heels won’t take up much space.
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indescribable’, says Nicole. Everyone
must see them through their own lens.
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India, but least affected areas include
Rajsthan (the Jodhpur and Jaipur
palaces) and Hyderabad, where Nicole’s
other favourite honeymoon hotel, Taj
Falaknuma Palace Hyderabad, is on a hill
600 metres above the city.TO-DO TIMELINE
SIX TO 12 MONTHS DONE
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agent and look at flight availability
for your chosen dates ....................n
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budget toward the honeymoon ......n
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date — a ‘red-eye’ overnight flight
isn’t the most romantic way to spend
your first day of married life! ...........n
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destination, you’ll need to pay a
deposit on fares and accommodation
plus organise travel insurance ........nTHREE MONTHS
t0SHBOJTFZPVSBOOVBMMFBWF .........n
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immunisations are current ..............n
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house-sitters, if required .................nTWO WEEKS
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the gear into two, packing half in
each suitcase in case one is lost ....n
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party to return any hired gear and
take the bride’s gown home ...........n
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accommodation and other details ..n
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you have travellers’ cheques and/or
a credit card to see you through ....n
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activity for the trip ..........................n
t1BDLZPVSQBTTQPSU ....................nFor more honeymoon ideas, see BRIDETOBE.COM.AU
honeymoon
Our expert: Nicole Craig from Taj Hotels
TAJHOTELS.COM318 | bridetobe.com.auPLANNING
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