Samode Palace
near Jaipur, Rajasthan
Samode Palace is located in Samode village, about an hour’s drive northwest of Jaipur.
How to get there:
Access is by road, so taxi or self-drive are the only real options. Samode organize car transfers.
By air:
Jaipur’s airport is located to the south of the city and is well served by domestic Indian airlines from all the major cities such as Mumbai and Delhi.
It is the only international airport in Rajasthan, though the only real international flights are from destinations in the Middle East. Some flights do come in from Europe but these inevitably go via Delhi or Mumbai.
Catch a pre-pay cab from the airport or ask the hotel to collect you (chargeable).
By train:
Jaipur’s main railway station is well connected to the rest of Rajasthan as well as to Delhi and even Agra. The train from Delhi is quite good and takes 5 hours. The station is located in the centre of town, so again get a taxi or ask the hotel to collect you.
By road:
Driving to Jaipur is not a bad option if coming from Delhi, which is 260km away. Take the NH8 which runs directly between the two cities, it’s about a 5-hour journey and the road is good.
Likewise, there is a good bus service from Delhi to Jaipur, operated by the Rajasthan government (www.rsrtc.rajasthan.gov.in) with buses departing Delhi near to India Gate.
However, if you’re coming from Delhi, there is no need to go as far as Jaipur in order to reach Samode Palace. Instead, take a right in the direction of Chomu (about 35km out from Jaipur) and then after 3 or 4km take a right and head across country to Samode, via Samode Bagh.
If you’re driving from Jaipur, then head north on highway 11, skirt round to the east of Chomu and head towards Samode which is about 8km to the northeast.
Distances & travel times:
airport: Jaipur: 1 hour
railway stations: Jaipur: 1 hour
When to go:
All year round.
Off-season has great deals, but the weather then is either hot or wet/cloudy and during July, August and September, humidity, rainfall and thunderstorms are the norm. May can also be extremely hot and uncomfortable.
Peak season months (October to April) are the most rewarding, with the landscape becoming more barren the closer to monsoon (June-September) you go.
Getting around:
Samode is pretty isolated. Walking around the hills and village can be great fun, otherwise the hotel will organize transport.