Au Naturel

AINDRILA MITRA experiences the charm of a luxe farm stay amid wilderness at Mihir Garh, a boutique property near Jodhpur.

- AINDRILA MITRA

THERE’S A CERTAIN charm about Rajasthan that I can never quite pin down. Besides the fact that I’m married to a Rajput and Jaipur is my second home, the state itself has a charisma—in its history, culture, landscape, and simply its people—that draws me back often. So, when Luxury Escapes (luxuryescapes.com) curates a weekend itinerary to the iconic Relais & Châteaux boutique hotel Mihir Garh, I can hardly resist.

It’s a 50-minute flight from Delhi to Jodhpur, and Mihir Garh is about an hour’s drive from Jodhpur Airport. As we bypass the city and drive past Rohat, I get a glimpse of rural Rajasthan. We even get held up in a traffic jam of cattle near Khandi village. But as soon as we enter through the gates of Mihir Garh, I am enamoured. It’s nearly sunset, and this ‘sun fortress’—as its name suggests—looks like a picture postcard of Rajasthan.

Built over 25 hectares, the eight-suite property is manned by 40 staffers. That’s quite a generous staff-guest ratio, I observe. And Avijit Singh, the owner of House of Rohet, concurs. Over some G&T that evening, with Aneesh Bhasin, the man behind Svami Drinks, taking over the bar, Singh gets candid. “We like to keep our service personalised. Mihir Garh can accommodate up to 20 guests, and the staff can take care of their individual needs.” I have to agree with the hotelier. The service is immaculate and the housekeeping top-notch.