Which self-respecting Indian has not travelled by train? All of us have memories of first class a/c and non-a/c, second class a/c sleeper, second class a/c chair car and second class non-a/c and the roof (not that anyone would recommend that)! Standing on railway platforms waiting for trains to leave or arrive, jostling with vendors, haggling (for the most part unsuccessfully) with the red coated coolies.

We look at the romance of train travel in India; from across India's length and width, from the posh to the pious, from the unusual to the commonplace, from the lumbering toy trains to the superfast Shatabdis.

The Indian Railways is the second largest railway system in the world. It's difficult to even conceive of the magnitude of area covered, let alone the masses of people transported from place to place. Over 11,000 locomotives with over 7000 stations covering almost 63,000 km of track make up India's vast railway network.

There are all kinds of train travel in India. But this time, with summer coming, we want to luxuriate on nothing but the best......

The Royal Orient

The Royal Orient wends its stately way through the desert states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The concept of the Royal Orient is very similar to that of The Palace- on- Wheels. Thirteen, gold embossed saloon cars provide a rich trip down nostalgia lane to a time when Kings and Queens ruled, played polo and enjoyed their holidays in Cannes.

The Royal Orient is equipped with central air conditioning to beat the heat of summer. There is a lounge to flop down in, entertainment in the form of video and television, a fairly decent library and piped music to further lull you into a somnolent bliss. To satisfy more base needs like eating and drinking, there is a bar- 'The Watering Hole'- and restaurant cars serving Indian and Continental cuisine. For even baser needs, there is a twenty four-hour supply of hot and cold water.

The duration of a trip on the Royal Orient is just over a week. It starts in Delhi every Wednesday night with dinner and tea being served on board. The train then winds its way past Chittor, Udaipur, Junagadh, Somnath, Sassan Gir (Gir National Park famous for its Asiatic lions), Mandvi, Palitana, Sarkhej, Ahmedabad and Jaipur before terminating its journey in Delhi cantonment.

The Royal Orient takes you to interesting off-the-beaten track areas. Mandvi with the Samudra Beach resort also provides one with an opportunity to explore the nearby town of Diu. Veraval Somnath, one of the very few temples dedicated to Lord Shiva is also one of the twelve most sacred shrines dedicated to him. Junagadh with its Asokan Rock edict, Palitana with its 863 Jain temples carved in marble and Sarkhej with its palaces are also well removed from the oft trod tourist track.

Fairly reasonable. About as much as you would pay for a five star hotel room. So, it's bread and water only for the next year or so........ The trick is to book off-season (April- September) when prices fall, although not considerably.

Two Berth Cabin (Sharing Basis)
US $ 200/night (October-March)
US $ 150/night (April- September)

Single Occupancy (Three Berth Cabin)
US $ 350/night (October- March)
US $ 263/night (April- September)

Sharing
US $ 175/night (October- March)
US $ 132/night (April- September)

* Half fare for children between the ages of 5 and 12 years. For children under the age of 5, travel is free.

* Tariff is payable in any currency equivalent to the above amounts. Payment by credit card is also accepted (American Express, Diners, MasterCard and Visa.)

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