The Rawla Narlai - A Luxury Heritage Stay in Leopard Country

A beautiful site, and an excellent stay. Wonderful room (117), good service. Take the village tour (special thanks to Lala) to see the life of the locals. The trip to the elephant on top of the hill at sunrise (if you dare) is worth the early wake up. And absolutely don’t miss the step well dinner, an unforgettable experience of a dinner in the forest with 500 candles! Only concern, if you are in a tour with a guide, there is no affordable room for him, so he has to find another hotel far away.

My mother, brother and I have just had the most magical two night stay at Rawla Narlai. Everyone who works at the hotel is incredibly kind and welcoming, and they lit up our stay with their generosity and warmth! We highly recommend this exquisite heritage property - it is one of the most special places we have ever visited. We spent many peaceful hours relaxing by the beautiful pool, enjoying our comfortable room and sampling delicious food in the rooftop restaurant, but there is also so much to experience beyond the walls of the hotel. We were able to immerse ourselves in the gentle rhythms of rural life by going for an amazing bush walk with Lala, our Rabani guide, and it was a privilege to learn all about the landscape, animals and life in the village. We also loved our atmospheric high tea by a nearby lake with Ravindra and other members of the hotel team (whose names we did not catch - many apologies!). The lake itself teems with birdlife, and my mother was absolutely thrilled when Ravindra was able to show her Kumbhalgarh Fort (which she visited in 1992) looming on a hilltop through binoculars! Our huge thanks to Gargi and the rest of the lovely reception team for all of their kind help organising these activities, as well as to Mary and Elvis for their soothing deep tissue massages and to Bikram for all of his fantastic menu recommendations! Our stay ended with an incredible sunrise leopard safari with Ravindra, and we were fortunate enough to spot three majestic adult leopards lounging on the volcanic rocks, as well as a playful cub bounding behind its mother! Ravindra was full of deep knowledge and enthusiasm for these beautiful animals, and it is heartening to see a healthy leopard population and humans living harmoniously alongside each other. We will always treasure the memories of our stay at Rawla Narlai - we miss everyone there already and it is a place we would love to return to time and time again! Julia, Annabelle and Guy

My birthday celebration was truly unforgettable, thanks to the exceptional staff who went the extra mile to make it special! I was so surprised to find my room transformed into a festive oasis, complete with flowers, balloons, and towel sculptures. A special mention to Gargi, whose warmth and hospitality made us feel right at home. Every moment of our stay was pure bliss, from the refreshing pool to the comfortable bed and delectable food - a true oasis in the middle of nowhere!