Impossibly romantic, the Chhatra Sagar is perfect for honeymooners but its laidback attitude and idyllic setting make it just as suitable for friends and families
Features
- Child Friendly
- Village & Cultural Tours
- Walking
- Bird watching
- Cooking lessons
- Jeep tours
| Chhatra Sagar - Rajasthan, India | |
Sustainability Scorecard
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From $320 USD p/dbl (full board)
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good for you
The beautiful Chhatra Sagar luxury camp sits on a 100 year old dam overlooking a lake amid fields of wheat, mustard, cotton and chillies. It's run by descendants of the royal Nimaj family who once used the dam as the hunting lodge for the family fort nearby.
Today the camp is an updated version of the 1920s lodge and features 11 hand-stitched tents with elaborate henna-painted floors. Each open-sided luxury tent has a private porch overlooking the lake that's teeming with bird life, and comes with a separate dressing room and ensuite bathrooms. Tents are beautifully furnished with Rajasthani furniture and textiles.
The camp is run in a very hands-on fashion; it's a family affair with brothers Harsh and Ninda Singh making sure your every need is attended to and the brothers' wives cooking all the food.
Impossibly romantic, it's perfect for honeymooners but its laidback attitude and idyllic setting make it just as suitable for friends and families.
good for india
Chhatra Sagar is set within a working farm and a stay here is an excellent way to experience rural Rajasthan. Locally owned, the family strives to help the local villagers through responsible tourism and as such, visitors get a unique opportunity to experience local life. Tours around the neighbouring villages are insightful without being intrusive. The farm village includes thriving craft, pottery and silver studios where you can buy works at fair (for all) prices.
All the camp workers are from the village, including the women who paint the spectacular henna designs on the tent floors, and the local shepherds double as waiters.
The surrounding fields supply all the vegetables and cooking gas comes from cow dung.
Highs
- The setting: The peaceful surroundings are the perfect antidote to the cacophony of urban Rajasthan.
- The tents: Luxury tents with antique Rajasthani furnishings and velvet textured carpets you won't want to leave!
- The family: Not only do the owners work hard to make sure you feel welcome, they strive to ensure that the local villagers benefit from the camp.
Lows
- The size: With only 11 tents on offer, the property gets sold out quickly.
- The (lack of) monsoons: If there is no monsoon then the lake dries up by late March which means there is little birdlife to be seen
Rooms
The 11 tents are the epitome of luxury camping. Elegantly decorated with traditional Rajasthani furnishings and velvet-textured carpets, each tent comes with a dressing room and extra comfy beds. All the tents have ensuite bathrooms with hot and cold running water and flush toilets.
The floors are hand-painted in striking henna designs and, if you stay in one after the monsoon season (when the tents are taken down), the pattern will be newly-painted.
It's worth remembering that the tents can get cold in winter although heaters and hot water bottles are provided.
Food
The food served here has a reputation for being some of the finest in Rajasthan. Experience the warm hospitality and traditional Indian and Rajasthani meals cooked with fresh, organic farm vegetables in the family kitchen.
Breakfast, for example, may consist of pomegranates with curd and wild honey, scrambled egg with chilli and coriander or corn bread with palm sugar.
Lunch and dinner is served in the open-air dining tent with views across the lake and feature organic vegetables and curries made from lotus seeds and the fruit of the khejri tree.
Many of the dishes are family recipes - such as the lotus seeds with cardamom, rosewater and rose petal pudding - and sisters Shrinidhi and Vasundhara are happy to offer cooking demonstrations to guests.
Features & Facilities
- Restaurant
- Luxury Tented accommodation
- Local discovery walks and excursions to the area available on request
- Heaters provided in winter, fans provided in summer
See Local Info for more on activities
Local Info & Activities
A stay at Chhatra Sagar is an excellent way to get a taste for rural Indian life.
village & cultural tours
Because the family aims to help local villagers through responsible tourism, Chhatra Sagar provides a unique opportunity to really learn about rural and farming life in Rajasthan. Your hosts will accompany you on visits to local villages and farmers' homes, and to local temples. They can also arrange tours to the local village silversmiths and a walk through the surrounding pastures.
bird watching
The lake is home to over 250 species of migratory bird and your hosts can take you on a guided bird watching tour.
Other activities include swimming in the lake, sailing on the lake, having a hilltop picnic, going for nature walks, sitting around the bonfire and listening to old folk tales or taking part in a cookery lesson. You can also take an ox cart ride around the countryside, take a jeep safari or participate in an excursion to Jodhpur, Pushkar and Nagaur.
insider tips
Best time to go is between October and April when it is dry and not too hot.
The camp is closed between April 1 and September 30 every year.
Malaria is prevalent in this area so you would be wise to take anti-malarial medication while here.
Sustainability
The family owned camp strives to help the local villagers through responsible tourism and as such visitors get a unique opportunity to experience local life.
Tours around the neighbouring villages are insightful without being intrusive. The farm village includes thriving craft, pottery and silver studios where you can buy works at fair (for all) prices.
All the camp workers are from the village, including the women who paint the spectacular henna designs on the tent floors, and the local shepherds double as waiters.
The camp is almost locally sufficient; all the vegetables come from the local fields and cooking gas comes from cow dung.
Getting There
Chhatra Sagar is located in Pali district on the Jaipur-Jodhpur highway at a distance of 95 kms from Ajmer and 110 kms from Jodhpur.
by train
You can get the train to Jodhpur from most Indian cities including Delhi, Bombay, Jaipur, Agra, Bikaner and Jaisalmer. From here it's a two-hour car journey or bus ride.
by road
Distances:
- Nimaj - Jodhpur 110 km
- Nimaj - Ajmer 95 km
- Nimaj - Nagour 135 km
- Nimaj - Bikaneer 250 km
- Nimaj - Jaipur 230 km
- Nimaj - Udaipur 260 km
by air
The nearest Airport is Jodhpur with flights connecting from Delhi, Bombay, Jaipur and Udaipur. The drive from Jodhpur airport to the hotel takes a bumpy two hours.
Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.
Rates & Bookings
Prices are in US Dollars ($) per tent. Rates are inclusive of all meals, bottled water, non-alcoholic beverages, village tour by jeep or a bird watching tour.
accommodation
Single occupancy $322.00
Double occupancy $372.00
terms & conditions
- These rates are valid from 01/10/07 - 31/03/08
- Rates include accommodation, all meals, soft drinks, tea and coffee, one village safari by jeep, bird watching excursion.
- Price excludes alcoholic beverages, transfer and government taxes (10%)
- High season supplement of IR1000 (US$25.00) per person if staying on 24, 25 or 31 December
- Children of all ages welcomed. One child may be accommodated in their parent's tent for an extra charge.
booking & cancellation policy
- A 35% deposit is required to confirm the reservation.
- The balance is payable at time of stay by Indian Rupees only. Credit cards are not accepted at Chhatra Sagar.
- Cancellations made at any time will incur a 10% cancellation fee. Cancellations made nearer the time of booking will incur further cancellation fee - full information will be provided before a booking is confirmed.
Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.
