The journey to Raffles Udaipur is a voyage into the romance of Rajputana. From the shore of Udai Sagar, one of Udaipur’s seven great lakes, an electric boat transports me silently across still waters, accompanied by green bee-eaters and statuesque cormorants. On a 21-acre island in the centre of the lake, a grand palace appears, surrounded by the misty peaks of the Aravalli Ranges.

The formidable building marries the architectural styles of the Mewar and Mughal kingdoms, but the marble columns, Palladian gateways, sprawling gardens and many-tiered fountains reflect a medley of European styles; the imaginings, perhaps, of a well-travelled merchant returned home to build his country mansion. Imagined by Clive Gray of Bangkok-based studio Randolph Gray Design, it cuts a striking figure when admired from the top of the jetty as Raffles hosts greet with a friendly ‘khamma ghani’; even more so when the sky erupts in tangerine sunset later that evening.

Stepping through a flutter of rose petals, I enter the Great Hall, a sensory sea of marble floors, handwoven rugs, silk upholstery and fresh-cut flowers beneath a magnificent chandelier and towering paintings of Udaipur valley. With a fruity welcome cocktail in hand, I peek into the Writers’ Bar, all wooden panels and writing desks with snug seating and cosy corners below a spiral staircase leading up to a mezzanine lined with books.

My sunset-facing Raffles Oasis Suite on the western side of the island looks out onto a private tropical garden with a plunge pool and curtained sun pagoda, immediately overwhelming the desire to explore Udaipur in favour of a long afternoon lounging around the garden as parakeets screech overhead and mynas dart in and out of treetops. The sound of drums and chanting grows nearer, a procession from the hotel’s island temple. Udaipur can wait.

Inside the suite, wooden ceiling fans, mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture, brass lamps and woven rugs play into the country estate ambiance, while a bucolic jungle scene with two pink flamingos that covers an entire wall of the enormous bathroom plants the suite firmly in its lush tropical locale. Flamingos also appear on the amenities tray in the bathroom and the suite’s note paper, a nod to their abundance around Udai Sagar.

A stroll through the expansive gardens reveals an encyclopaedia of tropical plants and trees, dotted with private dining pavilions and intimate corners. Up in the treetops, busy weaver birds dart in and out of their distinct basket-like nests, and a veritable menagerie of birds flit through the air over fragrant frangipani, stately ficus and indigenous neem trees, the same species planted in the courtyard of Udaipur City Palace for their healing properties.

Perhaps the greatest asset of this island retreat is the butler team, led by Head Butler Nirmal Kumar Singh. Thoughtful suggestions for activities and refreshments are anticipated before they have a chance to surface. On their recommendation I take a trip to Raffles Spa, a domed marble sanctuary where a jaggery and turmeric detox drink cleanses and ayurveda-inspired treatments put me in a soporific state. The following day, I forgo the early morning yoga in favour of a sunrise hike to a 400-year-old temple overlooking Udai Sagar and Raffles Udaipur.

Back at the hotel, the day starts in a lordly fasion with breakfast in The Dining Room, a glorious outdoor patio where views of the Aravalli peaks are framed by marble columns and giant sphinxes adorned with Indian bindi. Ancient recipes from across Rajputana are reimagined in Sawai Kitchen and jars of spices are lined up in glass apothecary cabinets in Rasoi, where chef’s table dining experiences showcase culinary styles from across North India. It wouldn’t be Raffles without an Udaipur twist on the Singapore Sling in the signature Long Bar, where guava, rose, oleo-saccharum and laal-maas bitters give a punchy local edge to the legendary cocktail.

When the sun begins to set and the evening chorus strikes up from every treetop on the island, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than on the terrace of the suite, a stately sanctuary in this abundant corner of Rajasthan.

WHAT: Raffles Oasis Suite
WHERE: Raffles Udaipur
TEL: +91 294 277 9000
www.raffles.com