First & Last Stop, Delhi, India

Trip date: October 2024

My grand adventure on the Palace on Wheels started and ended in Delhi. As it was also a grand expense and a grand distance I was eager to make sure that I used points to fly business! I found a great price on Virgin from JFK connecting thru London for 85k + $1000 on one of the brand new A330neo. I bought a Premium class seat on Alaska Air from SEA to JFK for under $300 and that flight also earned me MVP status. Win win! 

In JFK I headed to the Amex Centurion Lounge where I then located the speakeasy 1850. The small menu of cocktails was created by Jim Meehan and my Southside was very good. Luckily it wasn't too busy when I was there so I was able to get a table, but there isn't a lot of space here so best if you are just 1 or 2.

My suite on Virgin's "Queen of the Skies" was fantastic! There is a privacy door which goes up to about chest-high, an XL lay-flat seat, a cubby with a mirror to stash belongings, a side table, a mattress & PJs (but no slippers?), and a good sized tv w/ bluetooth pairing. There is also a social area at the back of Biz class called "The Loft" which has self service fridges and a long couch. 

Sadly the food was not very good. I had ordered a lamb burger off their pre-flight menu and what arrived was a full size burger bun with a teeny lamb meatball & a similar size piece of haulumi. The flight attendant was visibly embarrassed.  

In Heathrow I had a 3+ hour layover and since my arrival and departure were in the same terminal there was no rushing through all the construction there. I did accidently go thru passport control, so I had to go thru security again, but I got to use the private Clubhouse Lounge elevator which has their own security so it was super fast!

I love the Clubhouse Lounge so it was no problem hanging out for a few hours. I took a shower in one of the private rooms, ordered breakfast in the lounge restaurant, then moved to the bar and drank champagne. 

My Virgin flight from LHR to DEL was an older A350. This also had a privacy door but the entire cabin was pretty worn and really needed an update. The lay-flat bed wasn't as comfy as others but it did have a mattress (but no PJs) and I was able to sleep most of the 8 hour flight. 

At midnight, 30 hours after I left my home in Seattle, I landed in Delhi and was met by a rep with Palace on Wheels. They greeted me with my first of many marigold garlands and not only drove me to the Oberoi Hotel but escorted me inside and made sure I was all checked in. Very nice as it was 1am by this time. 

I had booked the very elegant hotel, on the recommendation of friends who stay there often, thru my Amex Platinum Fine Hotels & Resorts program. This gave me a $200 Amex credit, $100 credit at the hotel, room upgrade, daily breakfast, and 4pm late check-out. 

My upgraded Premier King room was very large, as was the bathroom complete with stand-alone tub and huge double shower. My luggage was placed in the walk-in closet and the bellman pointed out the butler button and told me to ring if I needed anything. Lovely.

I slept for about 5 hours and then went down to the breakfast buffet. Holy cow! There was an amazing spread of just about anything you could want, plus a menu full of made-to-order options. I had no idea what to do with the selection of 8 or 9 chutneys but I tried them all! 

I spent the afternoon by the beautiful pool which was exactly what I needed after such a long trip! After the pool attendant set up my lounge chair he returned holding a tray with a cold washcloth, a bottle of cold water, frozen grapes, sunscreen, and a spritz bottle with refreshing scented water. Really a great touch!

My only option for lunch at the hotel was the Chinese restaurant Baoshuan and it ended up being a very good one. I ordered the thousand layer chicken roll, pork & prawn sui mai with XO sauce & pickles, and then the server brought me out an order of chung fun on the house, because he said its his favorite. Again, amazing service!

After lunch my friend's who I would be vacationing with arrived! We were all very excited!! 

That evening we had drinks at Lair which is billed as a speakeasy but was pretty easy to find since the name is right on the outside of the building! The drinks were interesting and very good, the service so-so. 

We had taken a private car, arranged through the hotel, so he was waiting when we finished. It's probably no surprise that traffic is even crazier than they say in this city of 33+ million and it took us 40 minutes to get to the restaurant! 

Dinner was at Indian Accent, inside the Lodi hotel, and was wonderful! The menu is filled with traditional sounding flavors and dishes but the chefs employ global & contemporary techniques to elevate them. All of our dishes were super tasty and again the service was exceptional! There is also a branch in NYC & in London. 

After dinner it was nice seeing the city buildings and memorials lit up as we headed back to the Oberoi for cocktails at the rooftop lounge. 

The next day, after another round at the awesome breakfast buffet, Rachel and I treated ourselves at the spa. My massage was excellent but what really stood out was the massage oil that my masseuse used! I loved the smell and feel of it and when I asked her about it she said she would bring me a sample to take home. She returned with a small water bottle filled with it! Again, I can't say enough about the service in India! 

I spent a bit more time relaxing by the pool before heading back to my room to finish packing. I had just been waiting on my laundry, which I had given to my butler, and it had been returned in style! 

We all checked out and met at the lobby bar for champagne and snacks before we were picked up by the Palace on Wheels and taken to the train station for our 8-day adventure around Rajasthan. 

As I mentioned in my post about the Palace on Wheels, when we returned to Delhi we did a ½ day tour mainly in Old Delhi. Even after all the forts and palaces we had seen, this was an excellent tour and I'd really encourage folks to not overlook the sights here!

Our first stop was the Red Fort built during the Mughal Empire and completed in April 1648. It was built as the palace fort in Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) when the 5th Emperor of India, Shah Jahan, decided to move the capital from Agra. This fort was the primary residence of Shah Jahan and subsequent emperors. It was also the residence of the British colonial government during their rule into 1947.

The walled palace had 14 gates, numerous roads, canals, gardens, etc. The entrance at Lahore Gate takes you over a moat that use to be the Yamuna River and is one of only two gates remaining. 

Inside the walls there is a market area with large arched bays, a performance hall for the drummers and musicians of the emperor, and a large public audience hall where the emperor sat on his throne and held court. 

The private quarters and boat house were built next to the then there river, making it quick and easy for the emperor to get away if needed. 

There were private hamamas and a mosque as well as gorgeous buildings just used for recreation.  Gardens and fountains make up much of the center of the fort. 

Some of the buildings look a little more modern as the British destroyed many buildings, including the kitchens and stables, and built barracks during their occupation. In 1947 the Indian Army was able to take back the fort and during the Partition the grounds were used as a Muslim refugee camp.  

We left the fort and made our way (carefully!) across the busy street and into the Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi. 

Built in 1650, this area is one of the oldest and biggest market areas in India! The main way to get around the maze of hectic and narrow streets is by rickshaw and our guide negotiated 2 of them for us. 

Spending time in this area was fascinating! I loved seeing all the different street vendors, temples, mosques, bakeries, and people going about their day to day business. Our guide explained that most of the shops in the area have been in business for 100 to 200 years! He stopped and bought us traditional chai tea served in small clay cups from a popular spot and then took us shopping for tea on my request.

Even though it was very early, and the main markets weren't even open yet, the streets were very busy! After buying tea and spices we ventured down a few side streets, they seemed to get narrower and narrower the deeper into the area we went. And the hanging electrical wires were crazy!!

Rachel had been looking for some particular jewelry so our guide also took us to a great little shop, hidden in a little dead-end alley. These tiny streets reminded me of being in the medinas in Morocco! So confusing! It was quite a thrill riding through here, I'd highly recommend a ride thru Old Delhi!

Our final stop of the day was at Humayun's Tomb. Humayun was the 2nd Mughal emperor and the tomb was commissioned by his first wife Empress Bega Begum. He was also the great grandfather of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. The similarities are obvious! 

The garden grounds of the complex are huge and a few other tombs are on the site as well. But we spent our time in the main one, walking around and admiring the beautiful architecture. There are actually over 150 family members and other Mughals and emperors buried here, but the odd thing is that none of the graves are marked, except with a symbol for male or female, so it's hard to know just who is who. Except for Humayun who has center stage.

Another great stop! 

We dropped my friends off back at the Oberoi while I headed to the Le Meridien where I had a comped room. My flight was later the same night so I would only be there for 5 hours, but since I'm a Marriott Gold member they upgraded my room to a 1-bedroom suite with living room, huge primary bathroom, guest bath, and lots of views of the city. I had lunch and took a quick swim in the pool, both were fine but this is definitely more of a business hotel than a resort. 

I checked out the Club Lounge, which kind of looked like a UFO to me, but they were not offering wine or cocktails until later so I went down to the main bar. It had a surprisingly long cocktail menu and the space & staff were nice. 

Palace on Wheels had the same guy pick me up to take me to the airport but this time we were really in the thick of rush hour traffic. It took us 1 ½ hours to get to there, just ~7 miles away! My driver was so worried, he even called me to make sure I got through security, but luckily I was flying business so it was a breeze. 

At DEL I hung out in the Encalm Prive Lounge, which is only available to business class passengers, vs credit card or pass holders. This lounge is HUGE! I didn't eat as I wasn't hungry yet and I was flying Singapore Air business class, thru Singapore to Seattle, and was very interested in trying their food.

I had booked my flight using my Biz Plat Amex & MR miles, and since I booked business class I was refunded 35% & there were no fees. My suite on Singapore's A380-800 was very nice! There was a side console, a footrest and a storage cubby under the footwell, also a little mirror and lots of usb plugs. Strangely though there were no pj’s/slippers, amenity bag or mattress on this 6 hour/overnight flight; that was a bit disappointing. The upper deck on these planes has a huge biz class section & I had chosen a seat in the smaller rear one thinking it would be more private. Wrong. All the families had chosen this section, so many noisy kids! The flight crew actually handed out earplugs! But the layflat was quite comfy, even though the flight attendants did not offer to make up the bed with the sheet and duvet like most do & there are no privacy door. First world problems, I know! 

Something that Singapore Air has, unlike any other biz class I have flown is, a pre flight menu option called Book The Cook. This is a special menu of Western, India, and Singapore dishes and these dishes are not available unless you pre book. Since this was a late flight I just chose some of their tandoori kebabs which were quite good! They also served some marinated prawns with cucumber as a starter which was tasty and I chose a scoop of ice cream for dessert. 

We arrived in Singapore at 6am and I had a 3 hour layover before my next flight. It's a huge airport and it took me a while to find the correct lounge. This one had some excellent food options including lots of dumplings, fried rice, and cucumber/cream cheese sandwiches. 

My next Singapore Air flight was on a A350-900 and the business class seat here was very good, even without privacy doors. This layflat pod also had great storage and a nice footrest. And the chair folds forward & down to reveal a bed and bedding. It was super comfy and the attendants will do it all for you as it really isn't automatic. The only issue with this is that you have to choose to either be in bed or be in your seat. 

I had forgotten to order my Book the Cook on this leg so I missed out on the lobster thermidor but I still had a delicious Beef Rendang! And for lunch I had prawn salad, dry style noodles Bok Chor Mee & an excellent mango passionfruit cake for dessert. 

The flight home was just under 15 hours! So it's really nice to have a comfy bed, some good movies, and lots of champagne to pass the time. 

All photos of Delhi here.

All photos of the Palace on Wheels tour here. 

Other post from this trip: Palace on Wheels; Exploring India Royally

Palace on Wheels; Exploring India Royally

Trip date: October 2024

When two of my friends, who live far away in Australia, and I decided to do a trip to India we were overwhelmed by the options for itineraries. India is quite a large country, about 1/3 of the size of the US, and each state has their own unique cultures. But perhaps the most famous of India's states is Rajasthan; it is here where there is an abundance of historical forts, palaces, and heritage sites. Rajasthan is also home to the Golden Triangle; a tourist hit list of the cities of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. 

In our research we came across The Palace on Wheels, a luxury train that travels throughout Rajasthan over 8 days and provides its guests with tours in each city. The train has been in operation since 1982 and the coaches were originally created for the rulers of Rajasthan. 

We were so excited! Here is a recap of our trip and if traveling like a royal through India sounds like something you want to do there is a special offer from Palace on Wheels at the end of this post!

We all met up in Delhi and were picked up at our hotel and taken to the station for boarding. Immediately, we were treated like royalty. After a ceremony on the platform, we were welcomed on board by our butler Sohan and his assistant, and shown to our rooms where our bags were waiting. My room was beautiful and the bathroom much larger than I had expected!

Once I was settled and unpacked, Sohan offered me a tour around the train. We went past some of the other rooms and into the first dining car, which is absolutely stunning! Pastel shades of blue and intricate mirror work resembling that at the Amber Fort, which we would see the next day, made for a beautiful setting. Red upholstered couches provided space to enjoy drinks before or after dinner from the car's bar. 

We continued on, past the kitchen where teams of chefs were preparing amazing smelling things, to the next dining car which is adorned in gold hues making it feel very regal. At the rear of the car is another bar and more couches, these with tufted seats and throne looking backrests. 

That first evening we were all invited for drinks and appetizers and then were greeted by Bhawani, the Director of Sales and Bhagat Singh Lohagarh, Director of The Palace on Wheels. Each of us were introduced and gifted traditional scarves for women and turbans for the men. 

The train accommodates 104 people but we were just 16! A few days later 16 more, who were on a Nat Geo tour, joined also. I think that because our group was a bit smaller we probably had a bit more personalized service, which was great. 

Each day we had breakfast on the train before disembarking at that day's station. Trays of fresh fruit were passed and then you could order from the breakfast menu; eggs, toast, juice, coffee, etc. It was all very good. One day I was offered an amazing Indian soup with puffy breads. I still have no idea what it was but I loved it so much that the chef offered it on the 2nd to the last day as well.

Sometimes lunch was onboard, other times we ate at places in the towns we were in. It was always included in our tour and always good. Dinners were always onboard and the menu, which changed daily, offered both Western and Indian cuisine. Waiters brought platters of everything on the menu to the table for you to choose, which made it really hard not to overeat! And after the first night we decided that we preferred the Indian food and started asking just for that. Soon the kitchen was sending out thali for us which was great! We drank mainly Indian whisky before dinner or champagne and Indian wines with dinner. I really enjoyed all the food onboard (and all the desserts!!!).

Generally the train traveled during the night to our next destination, and it moved fast! Personally I did find it a bit hard to sleep, as it really rocked from side to side, not everyone felt this way though. Some days we traveled during the day, giving us a chance to just relax and watch the countryside. I absolutely loved this and spent time in my cabin, which had huge windows along one full wall, with my book and the view. 

Our first full day was spent in Jaipur and as we stepped off the train we were greeted with musicians, dancers, and a painted up elephant. We were given a tilak (a dot of red dye placed on the forehead, similar to a bindi) and a garland of marigolds to welcome us. In fact this happened at pretty much every station! 

My friends had booked one of the two "Super Deluxe" cabins on the train which came with a private car and local guide at each destination. And since we were traveling together I was also the lucky recipient of this perk. The others were transported by very nice buses and also had a dedicated local guide and we all met up at group lunches. Whether in a private car or with the group bus, there were always representatives from the train along, and these guides went out of their way all the time to make sure everyone was taken care of!

We were taken to local places for shopping in each city also. This ranged from gemstones, to rugs, to local artwork, etc. Sometimes it was great, sometimes we were tired and just really were ready to get back to the train. At the end of each excursion we were greeted back at the train with cold refreshing towels and a smile. And sometimes a dance party!

Here's a brief layout of our itinerary: 

Day 2: Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan, and as its name "The Pink City" hints, most of the buildings are painted pink! It's the largest of the cities (besides Delhi) that we would be visiting. We saw a lot the first day! Highlights included our visit to Albert Hall, Hawa Mahal (a palace with an incredible number of windows for the ladies to look out on the street below), the almost 300 year-old observatory, City Palace, and the incredible Amber Fort.

Day 3: We woke up in Sawai Madhopur, which is home to Ranthambore National Park, where we did a jeep safari and saw a tiger in the wild! Amazing as there are only approximately 88 tigers in the park! We saw lots of other animals on the safari as well, like monkeys, crocodiles, and deer. Our train traveled another 5 hours during the day and we arrived in Chittorgarh in the early evening in order to tour the massive Chittorgarh Fort. The many buildings of the fort were stunning at sunset, and there were more monkeys which were great fun to watch!

Day 4: We woke up in beautiful Udaipur, which sits on multiple man-made lakes. Highlights included a visit to Saheliyon-ki-Bari, lush gardens with gorgeous pools and stunning fountains, that were specifically for the royal women of the nearby palace. Also touring the incredible City Palace, including the Crystal Room, and then a boat ride out to Jagmandir Island for lunch. That evening there was quite the karaoke/dance party onboard the train!

Day 5: Our train traveled for about 16 hours and after breakfast we arrived in Jaisalmer. The Golden City, as it is known, is in the Thar Desert. We spent the morning at Gadsisar Lake and then walked up and toured through Jaisalmer Fort. Our afternoon was spent relaxing onboard before heading out to the desert in the late afternoon for a camel ride on the sand dunes at sunset! The train's kitchen team also came out and served us dinner under the stars while local entertainers sang and danced. It was quite an evening!

Day 6: The city of Jodhpur is known for a few things; it's called the Blue City as many buildings are painted blue, jodhpur pants are an actual style of pant from the city, and the rare breed of horse called Marwari is from here. Highlights of our day included a tour of Jaswant Thada, which is the cremation ground for the royal Rajput family of Marwar and is stunning, a tour of Mehrangarh Fort, standing regally about 400 feet above the city, and the luxurious Umaid Bhawan Palace, which is one of the world's largest private residence as well as a 5-star hotel! 

Day 7: Most of the train rose early in Bharatpur and went on an excursion at a bird sanctuary, but 6am doesn't work for me so I slept in. My friend had a work call she needed to be on so afterwards we met everyone at the Director of The Palace on Wheels palace for breakfast! That was quite a treat and is not always on the itinerary! Then we were back on the train for a bit until we arrived at Agra. We toured Agra Fort before having lunch with everyone at a lovely 5-star hotel. And then we were off to the Taj Mahal! Words can not describe the beauty of this incredible site. We were lucky to be there for sunset as well- icing on the cake! Back onboard for our last night there was more karaoke as well as little gifts handed out by Director Bhagat Singh Lohagarh.

Day 8: We were so sad to leave our Palace on Wheels in Delhi but we weren't quite done just yet. We had arranged for our private ½ day tour to start right when we disembarked (this tour was included in our booking). You'd think we would be "forted-out" but our visit to the Red Fort was excellent and as it was quite early in the morning we were some of the only one's there. We then went on an absolutely awesome rickshaw ride through the Chandni Chowk area, stopping to shop for spices and tea, and whizzing through incredibly narrow lanes. Our last stop was Humayun's Tomb, who was the great-grandfather of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. Full circle! 

I still can't believe all the amazing things we saw; India is incredibly beautiful and has a complex and rich history. Everywhere we went felt very safe and people were so friendly! Many times I was approached by young school girls who were very curious about where I was from; it was super cute. 

As we know, India also has areas of extreme poverty and pollution and the class system still exists. With so many people, traffic, smells and sounds, it's a full assault of the senses and it spurred a lot of interesting conversations between my friends and I. India is truly not like anywhere I've been before and I'd love to go back and explore other parts of the country. 

Touring with Palace on Wheels was just wonderful and I would highly recommend them! The staff goes above and beyond to make sure your experience is excellent; they are all so incredibly kind, friendly, and hard working. This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and my friends and I had the best time. 

As this is a luxury train (basically The Orient Express of India) it's not an inexpensive excursion. However until April 2025 the fantastic folks at Palace on Wheels are offering a 25% discount on the tour when you book directly thru them and mention Luggage Tag or my name! 

Email Bhawani for upcoming dates and pricing at palaceonwheels.rtdc@rajasthan.gov.in (and tell him Wendy says hi!).

You can also see some great videos and photos on their Instagram here!

My other post from this trip: First & Last Stop, Delhi, India

First Class, All the Way!

Trip date: September 2023 

Thanks to my travel hacking hobby, I had read about something called "Fifth Freedom Flights" where airlines fly between two countries without stopping in the home country hub. I knew that Emirates had this type of route between Milan and JFK, so I started tracking the business class prices. I was ready when a sale hit, and so after spending a week in stunning Bellagio, Lake Como, I was flying back to the states on arguably one of the absolute best airlines in the world. And in business!

When you buy a business (or first) class ticket on Emirates they provide chauffeur service to and from the airports. And so even though I was 48 miles away from MXP, there was a very nice car waiting for me after I checked out of the hotel. 

The Lounge at MXP is the first I have been in where you board directly from the lounge! Knowing that I could just sit and relax, I settled in with a glass of wine and a salad from their awesome buffet offerings. And then I heard my name called. Nervously I went to the front desk and the agent asked if I was traveling alone. I said yes and she handed me a new boarding pass saying "we've upgraded you to first class". WHOA!!!! I had been lucky to fly their first class before but this was the A380 which has a shower!! I felt like I had won the lottery.

We boarded upstairs on the A380 and I settled into my private suite, was served a glass of 2013 Dom Pérignon, and made a reservation with the attendant for the shower. Most people book their shower for after they wake up (this is a 9+ hour flight) but I chose mine for before dinner. This meant I was the first to use it and also that I was all freshened up for dinner.

So about 2 hours into the flight, after a few glasses of Dom, I took my cozy Emirates pjs and made my way to the shower spa as they call it. It was explained to me that I had 25 minutes, but only 5 minutes of water. But you can turn it on and off which was great. The room was huge and towels had been laid out for me. There was a selection of nice VOYA products in difference scents, drawers with razors, combs, etc., a tv showing the flight map, hairdryer, etc. It was lovely! And the water pressure was good too!

The rest of my flight was a lot of caviar and bougie wines and cognac, much like my first time flying Emirates first class. You can read about that here.

I arrived at JFK at 7pm, which was past the time for the last Alaska Air flight to Seattle, so I had booked a room at the TWA Hotel for the night. I've spent some time here before so I knew it was a quick walk to the hotel. I was a little surprised when I entered my room that I was right on the pickup/drop off road. Luckily the windows kept out the noise but you are on full view of everyone!

I was looking forward to having a drink at "Connie the Cocktail Lounge" inside one of TWA's 1958 Lockheed Constellations. The last time I visited it was too early and the bar wasn't open yet. Unfortunately on my visit it was really dirty and there was only the bartender working so nothing was getting cleaned up. My drink, a Paper Plane, was good but was served in a plastic cup on ice... for $18! I left after one.

It was very convenient staying at the TWA but it was expensive, everything was served in plastic, and the quality wasn't what it should have been. I wouldn't choose to stay again unless things changed. 

When I got up the next morning I had a message from Alaska Air that I had been upgraded to first class for my 6 hour flight home! That is absolutely the first time I've ever had back to back upgrades! 

I headed to the lounge for a glass of champagne but was told that they don't serve alcohol until 10am on Sundays in New York. Oh well, I just had to wait until onboard.

All photos of Emirates and the TWA Hotel here. 

Other posts from this trip:

Beautiful Bellagio, Lake Como

Boating Around Lake Como