Planning Your Trip

Flight

Flights from Overseas

Samode is accessible via Jaipur or Delhi. We recommend flying into either airport. For US travelers, plan to depart by Sunday, November 23rd, to arrive in time for the festivities starting Tuesday, November 25th. Since most of you will take the full week off, consider arriving earlier to adjust to the time zone and explore India. For departures, book flights leaving Jaipur no earlier than 10 PM on Thursday, November 27th, or from Delhi no earlier than late-night Thursday, November 27th/early morning Friday, November 28th. Flying into Jaipur: Jaipur primarily serves domestic flights but has a daily Etihad Airways connection from Abu Dhabi. If you’re in an Etihad hub, you may have a direct Jaipur option. Travelers from the US East Coast, UK, and Western Europe can often fly to Jaipur on Etihad at little to no extra cost, while those from the US West Coast and Asia may find Delhi more convenient and cost-effective. Flying into Delhi: There are tons of airlines that fly into Delhi and having flown most routes, they're all great. Non-stop flights from the US will cost a premium over those that involve a layover in Western Europe/the Middle East. Personally, I prefer flights with a layover given how long the non-stops are. If you're looking to use credit card points, Virgin Atlantic tends to offer particularly good value if you transfer your points to their Flying Club frequent flyer program and then book using points on their site (cards often have transfer bonuses to Virgin Atlantic, too). Here's a handy guide for how to do that: https://www.going.com/guides/virgin-atlantic-guide Traveling to Samode/Jaipur from Delhi: We’ll share more details on travel arrangements between Delhi and Samode for those flying through Delhi.

Hotel

Wedding: Samode Palace

Booking Link: http://liusingh.samode.co.in Password: sybbie We'll be hosting our wedding at Samode Palace and Samode Bagh, just outside Jaipur, and within driving distance of Delhi! The Palace and Bagh (Gardens) are gorgeous, centuries old properties that you can learn more about at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samode_Palace We'll be hosting two events at each property, and although the properties are a short drive apart, the hotels have an on-demand shuttle service to make sure you can move freely between the two. When booking your rooms through our reservation link, you'll have a few different options for each property. Here's a quick breakdown of the options to help you decide between them: Samode Palace: - The Palace has 43 rooms, and each room is unique. It will host the Sangeet festivities on the night of the 26th and the Wedding ceremony, followed by lunch, on the 27th. The Palace has two pools, a spa, gym, and a restaurant. - Deluxe Room: INR 30000/night (~$350/night) - Deluxe Suite: INR 34000/night (~$400/night) Samode Bagh: - The Bagh was landscaped over a century and a half ago in the style of the Mughal gardens (the gardens surrounding the Taj Mahal are a great example of Mughal gardens) and now have 44 cottages and 27 suite style rooms. The Bagh has a pool, spa, and restaurant of its own, and will also have shuttles ready to take guests to and from the Palace. - Luxury Cottage: INR 10500 (~$120)/night - Bagh Suite: INR 21000 (~$240)/night Notes: - If you have any requests (e.g. mobility/event sound considerations), please reach out to Hemraj on the Samode Reservations team at hemraj@samode.com. He'd be happy to help make sure we're accommodating you! - Both properties will have shuttles ready to ferry guests between the locations - All of the above rooms can accommodate extra beds for INR 5500 (~$60)/night so definitely don't hold back on sharing rooms! ***Please don't hesitate to reach out to Akshay if you have any questions!***

Discount Code - Link: http://liusingh.samode.co.in/ PW: sybbie

Travel Note

Travel E-Visas for India

Make sure to apply for a tourism e-visa at https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html no later than 4 days before your trip. It's a quick process and only costs $25. Over 150 countries are eligible for the e-visa program so you're almost certainly covered. If either you or your plus one is Pakistani or Bangladeshi, please contact me (Akshay: +1-503-329-8839) as soon as possible to discuss the visa application process.

Travel Note

Exploring North India

November is the perfect time of year to visit North India! Here are some ideas for how to make the most of your trip. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like help planning your trip! GOLDEN TRIANGLE The Golden Triangle is the triangular region between New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur (with each city located ~125 miles apart) and given the region's historical significance as the capital for multiple dynasties, it's the most popular tourist circuit in India. With Samode between Jaipur and Delhi, you're already well positioned to run the triangle which, among other attractions, includes the Taj Mahal in Agra. Helpful links: - https://www.neverendingfootsteps.com/golden-triangle-india-guide/ RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK & TIGER RESERVE About a 3 hour drive away from Jaipur, Ranthambore is a former royal hunting ground that is now a National Park and India's biggest tiger reserve with the highest concentration of Bengal tigers in the country. November's a great time of the year to visit as the dry season draws tigers out to water sources and sightings are more likely while on safari. The guides at the park are experts and lead the national conservation efforts for tigers. It's an amazing opportunity to do a memorable safari! Helpful links: - More about Ranthambore & Planning a Safari there: https://www.cntraveller.in/story/ranthambore-national-park-tiger-safari-guides-tips-best-time-to-visit-permits-zone-hotels/#besttime - Where to Stay: https://www.cntraveller.in/gallery/best-hotels-in-ranthambore/ RAJASTHAN BEYOND JAIPUR Alternatively, you could focus on traveling around Rajasthan. Beyond Jaipur, Rajasthan's full of incredible cities in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Udaipur. Explore Jodhpur's majestic Mehrangarh Fort, wander Jaisalmer's golden dunes, and float on Udaipur's serene lakes. Discover the Blue City's vibrant streets, the Golden City's ancient architecture, and the City of Lakes' regal heritage.

Travel Note

Where to stay in Delhi

Hotel Recommendations Delhi's got a ton of great options for stay. Here are some notes to help you pick somewhere to stay: - Hotels: Conde Nast Traveler does a great job of listing good options here - https://www.cntraveller.in/gallery/the-best-hotels-in-delhi-ncr-gurgaon-aerocity-lutyens-noida-south-delhi/ - Airbnb/Indian Alternatives: Although Delhi has Airbnbs, they're often unpredictable in quality, or on the outskirts of the city in people's second, "farm", houses. StayVista (https://www.stayvista.com/), an Indian alternative (founded by a classmate of ours) is more reliable in terms of quality, but is also often located on the outskirts and priced just as or more expensively as many great hotels. Notes on location: - We recommend staying in a hotel that's in South Delhi or in Lutyen's Delhi/the Diplomatic District. Either location is great! - Noida/Gurgaon/Gurugram: Avoid staying anywhere in Gurgaon/Gurugram (with the exception of Aerocity) and Noida. They are satellite cities outside Delhi and not where you want to be while visiting the city. - Aerocity: If you're looking for somewhere to stay for a night after/before your flights in/out, then consider some of the options in Aerocity - it houses really nice, brand new hotels right by the airport. It's also an option if you're looking to stay for only a couple of days. You won't be able to return to your hotel midday, but it's on the edge of Delhi and Gurgaon and Delhi's still relatively accessible from there. - Old Delhi: Do *not* stay in Old Delhi. You're wayy better off staying elsewhere and going in on a tour than staying within Old Delhi. - Where Erika & I will be: we'll be staying at home :) in South Delhi's Vasant Vihar colony. You can map how far away you'll be by looking up the South African High Commission which is next door to us. Feel free to reach out with any questions if we can help you plan!

Travel Note

Where to stay in Jaipur

Hotel Recommendations Jaipur's got a ton of great options for stay. Here are some notes to help you pick somewhere to stay: - Hotels: Conde Nast Traveler does a great job of listing good options here - https://www.cntraveller.in/gallery/the-best-hotels-in-and-around-jaipur-pink-city-hawa-mahal-city-palace/ - Airbnb/Indian Alternatives: Like Delhi, Jaipur has Airbnbs, but they're often unpredictable in quality, or on the outskirts of the city in people's second, "farm", houses. StayVista (https://www.stayvista.com/), an Indian alternative (founded by a classmate of ours) is more reliable in terms of quality, but is also often located on the outskirts and priced just as or more expensively as many great hotels. - Havelis: Havelis are traditional townhouses/mansions that were built in the 17th to 19th centuries, and a lot of them have been transformed into hotels/B&Bs by their owners over the last couple of decades. They're well located and often more affordable than hotels. An example of Haveli you could stay at in Rajasthan in the Mandawa Haveli (https://www.mandawahaveli.com/). Notes on location/what to do: Conde Nast Traveler has a great guide to Jaipur at https://www.cntraveller.in/story/the-big-fat-guide-to-jaipur/. I'd recommend making sure that wherever you choose to stay isn't too far away from the parts of the city that you're planning on exploring.

Travel Note

Food/Tour Recommendations

We'll update this over the next few weeks with details on where/what to eat, and some companies that do a great job of organizing day long tours in Delhi, Jaipur, or Agra!