We are coming to the end of our time with Rob and Suzanne. We have to move on. But before we do, there were a couple of last minute trips to be had. Our hosts had arranged for Julie and I to have some days away on our own to a real special and spectacular destination.

She had booked us into the Neemrana Fort-Palace Hotel, on the arid plains of Rajasthan, half way between New Dehli and Jaipur. Built in 1464 it was a Royal Palace until it was abandoned in 1947 because it was falling apart. It was restored in the 1990s and is now a luxury boutique hotel. And what a treat that was. We were taken there by our driver Sashi and it was an amazing visit and I have to say, great to be away on our own for a few days.

Close to the hotel is one of the most famous and impressive stepwells in India. These are structures built into the ground that allow people to access water by going down flights of steps. This one is about 9 stories deep and has the look of a palace built upside down in the ground. They were built many 100s of years ago in the drier parts of the country (Rajasthan is basically a desert) where water was scarce.

Most of them, including this one, are pretty much in ruin. They are dangerous places to go into and are infested with massive beehives, hoards of bats and in the water at the bottom, clouds of mosquitos. 

We set off from the hotel on foot, just before sunset, with our hotel guide. The idea was to experience the exodus of the bats when they fly out of the place en masse to go about their nighttime feed.

On another day we took a hike up the hill behind the hotel. At the top was an old lookout from the fort. You could see for miles over the plains. It was 45 deg C and we did it in the heat of the afternoon. Most of the water I took with me to drink, was poured over my head, just try try and keep from overheating. But the view was worth it.

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