After more than a year and a half of planning to go on a holiday with the family, I finally managed one last week. We chose to go to Rajasthan as my wife hadn’t seen a real fort or a palace yet.  To make the most of our stay there, I even chose a heritage hotel that was once the residence of a Maharaja – Fort Chanwa.

The description and photographs posted on the website held the promise of an interesting time.  And, the reality was as memorable as one could ask for.   

Fort Chanwa is simply charming and, even though getting to and from Jodhpur city takes some doing, the service standards and the quality of stay at Fort Chanwa make it worth the while.  The central garden has a bird bath that is frequented with parrots and squirrels all morning, while every evening guests are treated to a performance of Rajasthani folk songs by the light of a camp fire. Each room is designed uniquely and boasts of tasteful antique furniture along with a generous helping of photographs and paintings of the Maharaja of Jodhpur.  The food is good too, and the kitchen is also happy to accomodate your requests. 

Our stay at Fort Chanwa was truly a delightful experience.  But the highlight of the trip was a chance encounter with a reel-life king. 

On the way back, we just happened to share a flight with one of the all-time greats of Hollywood.  At first, we thought he just resembles the famous actor.  So when he came and sat on the seat next to mine, I couldn’t help but ask : Has any one ever told you that you look a lot like so-and-so.  He replied : “Yes, they have”.  And then, he played with my daughter and let her grab his nose and pull off his specs.  He even made funny faces at her to keep her from crying.  And I said to my wife, “here’s a nice guy who likes kids”.  The truth only came to light when others started mustering up the courage to come and ask him for an autograph. 

That’s when we realized that he really is Omar Sharif, and that now we would have a story to tell my daughter when she grows up!