Aman i Khas

The latest Aman offering in India is a bit closer to nature than the norm — this hotel, in Rajasthan’s Ranthambore National Park, is little more than an encampment of tents, surrounded by acres of wilderness and wildlife as well as one of India's top tiger reserves.

It probably comes as no surprise, however, that the Aman-i-Khás experience is still very far from roughing it. Though tented they may be, the ten suites are heated and air conditioned, with ceiling fans, and are richly if minimally decorated in a combination Mughal/British colonial style, with simple, spare furnishings and a calming cream-and-wood color scheme. Bedrooms and sitting rooms are screened off by heavy cotton drapes, and the bathing area has a deep soaking tub and a separate shower.

The facilities are similarly modest in scale: a dining tent serves Indian and Western cuisine made largely from ingredients grown on the hotel’s grounds, and a spa tent offers massage treatments and body scrubs. Another tent holds the library and lounge, an outdoor fireplace serves as another social nexus, and there’s a traditional “stepwell” pool for cooling off post-excursion.

Of course the sense of secluded isolation is key to the appeal of Aman-i-Khás, but the local wildlife is the main attraction. Game is spotted from open-topped four-wheel-drive vehicles, and can include all manner of bird life, deer, antelope and gazelles, as well as crocodiles and, if you’re fortunate, tigers. Or for a slower pace, head out for a nature walk, a tour of the ancient Ranthambhore Fort, or even a camel safari through the park's grounds.

Please note: Aman i Khas is a small property with only 10 rooms. Book early as rooms sell out quick.

How to get there:
From Delhi, guests can travel to Aman-i-Khás by train, car, or helicopter. The train from Delhi takes just under four hours and drops guests off at Sawai Madhopur station, on the outskirts of the park. On arrival in Sawai Madhopur, guests are taken on the 15-minute journey to the camp itself in an open, jeep-style vehicle. The trip from Jaipur is approximately 3 1/2 hours by car and transfers are available for approximately $250 USD one way. The drive from Delhi by car is around 7 hours.