It was an awful start to our luxury weekend. We were on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Bangalore, and I was stuck in between my husband and son. Calvin, who is eight, was slumped against me the entire time, while my husband snored in my ear. But things got a lot better when we landed - a large sparkling car and a handsome chauffeur were waiting for us outside the airport. "Namaskara, I am your driver," said the white-gloved man. Forty minutes later, we had arrived at the Taj Residency, a discreet hotel sitting right in the heart of the noisy business district.
"Namaskara," said the turbaned doorman, bowing low as we entered the plush lobby. We had arrived six hours before our check-in time, but the smiling receptionist whisked us upstairs to our fourth-floor room right away. An attendant brought us fruit and biscuits. "Have a pleasant stay. Namaskara," he said. Why do they keep saying that?" asked Calvin, poking at the huge custard apples in the fruit bowl.
"It means 'hello and welcome'," explained my husband. So while Calvin grappled with this new addition to his vocabulary, we booked a car to the historic Mysore Palace the following day, and went for a dip in the pool, ordering grilled seafood and feasting our eyes on the lush greenery. Later, we headed to the spa for a massage. Calvin, who had wandered off to chat to the receptionist, reappeared with an armful of apples. ("They're a gift from the manager. She said I was cute. Mom, can we make this hotel our home?").
The next day, the gloved chauffeur turned up again and ferried us to Mysore Palace, where we decided to hire a guide, an old man bristling with fierce love for the beautiful monument. "Be respectful, and don't touch anything," he said. We left our shoes outside and went on a fantastic tour of the 19th-century building, marvelling at the carved iron pillars (from Scotland), the delicate glass chandeliers (from Italy), the elephant heads on the walls (apparently, the Raja couldn't bear to be parted from his favourite animals, even in death), the immense bronze leopards in the courtyard, and the glorious paintings in the magnificent main hall.
That night, still awestruck by our beautiful history lesson, we went shopping for books on Brigade Road, bought about a hundred, and returned to the hotel in time for a sumptuous five-course dinner and a late check-out. The doorman held open the glass doors for us as we left, but before he could say a word, Calvin was already bowing deeply. "Namaskara," he said, vigorously shaking the startled man's hand. "The next time we visit, I'll be staying on forever."
The spa package at the Taj Residency, Bangalore, costs from 11,000 Indian rupees (Dh900) per night, including one spa treatment per person and taxes (www.tajhotels.com; 00 91 80 666 04545 ).
