Bujera Fort, Udaipur

The atmosphere of Bujera Fort is relaxing with flowers all around. I loved the colorful bougainvillea’s everywhere as I drove in. When you walk in through the huge metal studded wooden double door, the first view is that of a large marble pool surrounded by a garden filled with frangipani, orange, lemon, Indian gooseberry and mango trees. I was taken around the property by Shakti Singh, the Manager who has been with the owners since the beginning. Just as you enter from the main gate on your left are five bedrooms and on your right there is a self-contained three bedroom house for guests to rent which has its own garden and plunge pool. There are two palatial suites on the first floor beneath the onion shaped domes. So in total there are 14 rooms- 2 suites, 3 cottage suites, 1 garden suite and 8 standard rooms. The interiors are rustic which gave an antique décor. One could see how everything is carefully selected and placed. The doors and windows are reclaimed, and not even painted which added to the charm. The roof is insulated by 76,000 terracotta pots from Jaipur. There is solar heating, rainwater harvesting and sewage filtration. On the ground floor there is a spa, a shop and spacious accommodation for the staff.

Between Richard & Trish, clients will always have the company of one. They live at the opposite corner of the property, down two steps from the courtyard in a private bungalow with a separate entrance. Richard accompanied me for the Bujera village walk. He first took me to their personal garden. This is Richard’s favorite place. They grow a lot of vegetables here. When we entered the village I realised everyone knows Richard. He explained how guests love being a part of village celebration on festive occasions. As we walked around, I interacted with people who were curious to know about my GoPro camera which seemed like a microphone to them. The village walk is something I would definitely recommend as it is a great sneak peek into the daily life of the locals, a very immersive experience indeed; particularly with Richard.