Red Carpets.
Garlands of Rajnigandha. Lezim dancers in gold-bordered sarees.
Worli-themed itinerary with our names printed on it. Rose petals falling on us as we enter the Laxmi Vilas Palace. Lip-smacking Marwar barbecue delicacies spread out in the royal courtyard of the Mehrangarh Fort.
These are but glimpses of the royal treatment that the Deccan Odyssey luxury train offered us.
Our journey was called the Indian Sojourn. It followed this itinerary:
Mumbai – Vadodara – Udaipur – Jodhpur – Sawai Madhopur – Agra – Jaipur – Delhi.
The places covered in the weeklong tour are carefully selected so that the tourists can witness the vividness of a particular region while traversing through the diverse landscapes.
Even before we entered the train, we had a short glimpse of the pampering and hospitality that we were to experience in the next few days. There was a red-carpet welcome with Lezim performers dancing as the beautiful train chugged in at a slow pace in platform no. 18 of Mumbai’s historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The dancers put a tilak on my forehead and garlanded me amidst beating of drums.
The impeccably dressed crew gave us our cabin keys and explained everything in the politest way possible. A trip in the Deccan Odyssey is a masterclass in hospitality!
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