"The honeypot sites of royal Rajasthan—spliced by the brown slopes of the Aravalli Range, the state emerged after Partition from a mosaic of 22 feudal kingdoms—are so many people’s taster to India. Which stands to reason—it’s near impossible not to fall in love with this place. Now love has more stars in its eyes, as the arid desert state is home to India’s first Six Senses outpost. Six Senses Fort Barwara arrived with a bang, with the A-list Bollywood wedding of Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif, rumored to be making its way to Netflix soon. It took almost a decade for this 700-year-old fort to be converted into a 48-suite hotel, but it’s been worth the slog. The spa, in the fort’s ancient temple, blends Ayurveda with Six Senses’ inimitable touch. Its small garden grows everything from cauliflowers and cabbages, guavas and jamuns to desi roses. A commitment to working with local communities is evident everywhere: local women brew hot masala chai and cook bajra and jowar rotis during the day; block-printers and bangle makers set up shop in little corners; fresh nimbu paani detox drink counters are dotted around the hotel. It is encouraging to see global brands arrive in India so conscious of local heritage and riches, and to strive to imbue their openings with as much of this as possible." - Divia Thani
