Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

This delightful boutique homestay, just outside Jaipur’s old city walls, often ranks among the highlights of our guests’ tours to Rajasthan. It’s housed in a wonderful old haveli that’s been added to over successive generations, with multi-storeyed apartments ranged around a courtyard that keeps the city’s racket at bay. Spread over two floors, the air-conditioned guest suites are stylish, yet homely – the whole place feels a lot more intimate than a palace hotel.

Hosts Thakur Durga Singh and family are on hand to guide you around the property – their pride and joy are the haveli’s rain-water-harvesting system and biogas plant. Meals are served al fresco in the candle-lit courtyard, while a troupe of traditional musicians provide the entertainment.

Our opinion

Old world charm and Rajput hospitality offer a refreshing alternative to a hotel stay at Dera Mandawa.