Indulgence: Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi India

For all of my sleeping in hostels and trains, I do enjoy treating myself from time to time while I travel.

Sometimes its something small like gelato 3 times a day in Italy, having ham and brie baguette sandwiches in France (almost everyday). 

Or....

The hotel from the Courtyard.

Sometimes my treat is something like what I did on my trip to Nepal, I knew I had about a 9 hour layover in New Delhi, India at the end of my trip, so I decided to treat myself to an evening at the Taj Palace Hotel. I had the most luxurious 6 hours of my life, full of tea, food, chatting with the lovely staff. It helped to end one of the greatest experiences of my life.

*Note: I didn't book a room, since I knew I had to be out of there by 11:30pm to head back to the airport and check-in and go through security at the airport. 

So like my typical self, I rolled up to one of the fanciest hotels in the world looking like someone who had literally just received her first 3 hours of sleep in the last few days. 

I got in, took a stroll around the hotel, visited the business centre (which is open 24/7 and has a reasonable rate to use their computers and internet). I went to a boutique in the hotel, picked up some lovely bangles.

Then sat down for a tea at their Tea Lounge, it was hands down the best green tea I've had in forever, and the best service in the world. We are talking white gloved service here friends. The tea even comes with a sand timer that lets you gauge when your tea is done to your preferred taste. 

Best tea ever, and fave bangles !!

Tea Timer

After I had my tea, wrote in my journal, processed the last 48 hours of my life, then it was time for dinner.

For dinner I chose to eat like a Queen, and lucky for me the restaurant had a Gluten Free part of the menu. I went to the Kafe Fontana restaurant in the hotel. I was in heaven !! They had gluten free chicken risotto ! So I went to town on the menu, it was the first time I had a proper meal in days, as I had left Kathmandu in a wee bit of a rush. 

Deep thoughts.

So after savoring a lovely dinner, and being uncomfortably full, I decided some walking around the hotel grounds was in order. Hung out on the ground floor patio, took in the lovely rose water smell (which I will always associate with India), and pondered life, and my sushi order when I landed in Toronto.

Then more tea was in order, and again I order the classic green tea (its literally the only tea I drink). The chairs are so comfortable, i swear I almost fell asleep in them. Before I knew it, it was time to return to the airport, and start the long 2nd and 3rd leg of my trip back home.

I highly recommend popping in to the Taj Palace Hotel when you are in New Delhi, even just solely for the purpose of pampering yourself. The tea I had came up to $10 cdn, small price to pay to experience some luxury on your next trip.

The hotel was preparing for Diwali.