Dera Mandawa

We were staying in a nearby hotel but visited for an interactive cookery demonstration, and more. We were warmly welcomed by the host, Durga Singh, who is a well known personality throughout India and beyond, having been invited to speak in many other countries. He has a beautiful home in which we would have been delighted to stay. From the rooftop terrace there are views of the old city wall and where we watched the sunset. Mr Singh, has a wealth of knowledge and is a skilled cooked. The purpose of our visit was to learn more about authentic Indian cooking, dabble a bit ourselves and enjoy what had been cooked and be able deepen our understanding of some Indian traditions. We arrived in the afternoon and our experience included getting dressed in a sari for me and a turban for my husband, having the opportunity to have a henna design on my hands, having traditional Indian afternoon tea, learning about, and having a go) at, kite flying which is extremely popular in India. This was all great fun and really entertaining, made even more so because it was the annual kite festival that day, so we joined thousands of others flying kites from their rooftops and when it started to get dark, we watched hundreds of Chinese lanterns across the sky. The main event was the cooking part - four of us shared some of the cooking - making different kinds of paratha and chapatis and preparing some of the dishes. Mr Singh made it all seem so easy, shared the recipes with us and then we sat down with him to a delicious meal, with drinks of our choice. It was a really relaxed experience. Mr Singh is a wonderful host and everyone chatted easily. We had expected to be finished by about 8.30pm but we all chatted on until about 9.30pm. His staff were delightful and helped to make the day. Overall this was a fantastic, memorable experience, we would thoroughly recommend.

Mr Durga Singh was able to rescue us at very short notice from an untenable situation from a nightmare hotel. He sprang into action, sent a car to fetch us and had been the most congenial, accommodating and hospitable host. Dera Mandawa is a small piece of paradise and a welcome reprieve from the hustle, bustle and noise of Jaipur. The staff are polite and helpful. The rooms are spacious, tastefully decorated whilst preserving the historic look and feel of an era lost in time. The food is plentiful and quite scrumptious. We were two friends traveling together to explore the ‘golden triangle’. I cannot recommend this ‘hotel’ highly enough.

The excellent tone of friendliness was set on early on with the unique owner and gentleman, Mr Singh. Unbelievable room - with a balcony (indoors) Spice walk, Puppet show, Hindu horoscope reading - Jaipur is a bonkers place but the hotel is an oasis. You soon get used to the call to prayer at 6am and the occasional fireworks at 4am for wedding celebrations!

In the heart of Jaipur city, lies the beautiful honestly of Dera Mandawa. The rooms are from a time gone by, palatial in their finish. Naturally cooling too which made resting pleasant. Use of ear plugs at night is a must if you are to get any sleep as unfortunately, as with any major city in India, the use of horns from the road will keep almost anyone awake! The food was astounding. From the moment we arrived, we couldn’t have been more warmly welcomed. The *** who owned the home stay sat with my family and explained that they were aware of my coeliacs disease and although they had people who were gluten intolerant staying with them, they understood the severity of coeliacs and had provided the chef with new utensils and cooking equipment ***** with a clear cooking area for my food prep during our stay. This put my mind at rest immediately. We were served some beautiful dishes whilst staying here and also partook in the cookery class (which I have detailed in a separate review). The beds were super comfy and the facilities were clean. We made use of the laundry service and our clothes were delivered clean and pressed within the day for a reasonable price. All in all we would stay here again without a moments hesitation

This Hotel is incredible! The service is outstanding, and the food is delightful. Our room felt like a palace! We will cherish the memories of this place for many years to come. Mr. Singh was an exemplary host, speaking excellent English and always having a story to share. It was enjoyable to dine in the courtyard amidst the bustling activity outside.