Appropriate because its a uniquely Indian way to take on the obvious potential of combining trains and a country with a chaotic road service. Long, slow distances are covered at night. Elsewhere luxury trains such as the modern Ghan train across Australia or the the luxury train to Machu Picchu are run by private operators specialised in luxury travel. Here the local government has put together a very attractive package which, in their own words, is:

“The latest Indian Maharaja Train Tour, “Golden Chariot” offers an insight into treasure trove of archaeological wealth, abundant bounty for wildlife seekers and a kaleidoscope of culture for it’s esteemed guests. It offers a mix of heritage, culture, eco-tourism and beach life. Recline & relax as the magnificent scenery unfolds outside your window with luxury on the inside, thus far reserved for royalty.
The Eight -days sojourn Departs from Bangalore every Monday evening & takes the travellers through Mysore (covering Srirangapatnam, Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary), Hassan (Belur, Halebid, Shravanabelagola), Hospet (Hampi), Gadag (Aihole, Badami, Pattadakkal) and Goa; before returning to Bangalore next Monday morning.”

The copy writing has the definite feel of Indian English and the journey certainly is a cultural experience. India is one of the few distinctly non-Western countries where there is no language barrier for the English speaker. Even taking a regular first-class rail journey means that you will be able to fluently speak to your local travelling companions. So there will be no language barriers on the Golden Chariot, which will make the cultural immersion even more interesting. Although marketed internationally you will certainly be travelling with locals as well as overseas visitors.

The journey begins in Bengaluru, which everyone still calls Bangalore. Bangalore is in the centre of India’s high tech boom and has business and luxury hotels to match Check in for the Golden Chariot is at the 5-star luxury Leela Palace Hotel where is well worth checking into a few days early to recover from the jet lag and the heat and humidity of southern India. We particularly like the sound of the Club Floor: an exclusive hotel within a hotel which includes a “propaha” English breakfast, a Cigar Room complete with Havana cigars and jazz and the Billiards and Sports Lounge. Sounds more English than most London Hotels!
However dragging yourself away from the delights of Bangalore is well worth effort particularly if you are interested in the 1600 years of culture, cuisine, history, religion, politics, architecture and wildlife. The Golden Chariot tour begins with Mysore famed for the Rajas who subscribed to the “more is more” style of over-the-top design especially when it came to palaces. Hampi on the other hand boasts the ancient city of Vinyanagar which flourished from the 1336 to 1655 and is now a UNESCO world heritage site. A coach follows the train, meeting it every day to take travellers to the sights. This means that visitors can experience sites off the main railway including the famous Bandipu National Park where there is an overnight stop and the chance to see elephants, spotted deer and wild peacocks. Even the elusive tiger if you are lucky.

The Golden Chariot’s package includes all excursions and meals except for alcohol. There are both Indian and Western options: but the Indian is probably better, and even an avid meat eater may be swayed to the other side by the remarkably varied and tasty southern Indian vegetarian thalis.

The last stop on the tour is Goa, the tiny beach town which for 500 years was a Portuguese outpost in India. Now known for its fantastic beach and seafood Goa is worth more than the 1/2 day given it on the tour. Instead of staying with the tour for the over-night journey back to Bangalore - break free and check into the Leela Kempinsiki Goa. Goa is only approximately 1 hour’s flight south of Bombay (Mumbai) which makes for an easy international connection to most of the world

In their own words:

Dotting the 75 acres of lush gardens and sparkling lagoons that we call The Leela Kempinski Goa are a 185 plush rooms and suites. All rooms are spacious, elegantly furnished and come with central air conditioning, colour TV with satellite channels, DVD players and CD players, wi-fi internet connectivity and private balconies so that you can enjoy a relaxing breakfast or a romantic dinner. All rooms also have a lagoon view except the Royal Villas and Presidential Suite, which face the ocean and overlook the golf course.

Golden Chariot luxury train to Taj Maha
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