Kanker Palace was our splurge hotel on a 3 week road trip thru Chattisgarh. And what a good decision that was ! An elegant palace reminiscent of a bygone era & a family so lovely & hospitable, they will bowl you over with their charm & leave you humbled. Huge rooms, well appointed & comfortable. Coffee, tea, electric kettles in the rooms. Big bathrooms & a lovely verandah outside, where one could just chill with a cup of tea. Amazing food served under a " panka"most memorable - and unusual were the fritters made with the petals of edible flowers , picked off the trees in the garden. Sepia photos of a time that was. And gracious family members, who invited us to join them in the evenings. Tina took us for a stroll around the beautiful grounds past the school & farmland. Babu was deputed to take us out ..his knowledge of the area, customs etc was interesting especially his explanation of the elaborate graves. After which we were taken to their farm house for a lovely lunch. The day ended with a visit to see the rock paintings. A beautiful stay..the Kanker palace / home, the family, and the ambience made for a wonderful 2 night stay. Would definately like to go back !

What a unique and truly wonderful experience to have stayed in Kanker Palace, tucked away in a rarely visited corner of India in pretty grounds, that even boast a former tiger house where a previous Maharajah rehabilitated injured tigers, and which is now used as a school office. Greeted by the Royal Family with pounding drums and garlands of flowers we were made exceptionally welcome in this wonderfully special place. Rooms were huge and well appointed and most, if not all, seemed to have four poster beds - particularly useful for mosquito nets. Bathrooms were bigger still with marble surfaces and plenty of hot water. We dined in style in a room full of family memorabilia and walls covered in photographs telling of a time so full of stories and history; and Tina treated us to a tour around the grounds sharing her knowledge of the gardens and where we also saw the school and the small farm. Jai, Tina and the rest of the family could not have made us feel more welcome in their home; a huge thank you to you all.

We were overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality of our Royal Family hosts at Kanker palace. We arrived and were greeted with garlands etc by Jai and Tina, two members of the family. They and other members of the family treated us with such warmth and generosity that soon we felt at home in this beautiful place. Despite the fact that the family were juggling a whole series of their extended family members dropping in on their way to another palace where there had been a death, they never forgot us or put us to one side. With Tina, we were shown the gorgeous school in the grounds of the palace and met the pupils of each class - what a treat! Our room was gorgeous and we were given the most delicious food at each meal, including an amazing trip to the Royal Farm. Overall, an unforgettable experience in this unique and somewhat hidden part of India. Despite the relative isolation of Kanker, try and get there if you are in Chhattisgarh - it’s the chance of a lifetime to be hosted by such gracious and interesting people.