Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
26 February 2014 09:13
The joys of Jodhpur: Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, also home to the award-winning Mihir Garh hotel
India's opulent Mihir Garh has been crowned the world's most extraordinary hotel.
Lonely Planet's expert authors chose the Rajasthan state venue because of its "mirage-like qualities".
Although officially in the city of Jodhpur, the hotel is an isolated fortress atop a sand mound at the edge of a desert.
Holidaymakers may be attracted to its remoteness.
But a stay in accommodation off the beaten track away from the metropolises' certainties makes the peace of mind gained from taking out travel insurance even more advisable.
Lonely Planet spokesman James Kay said: "Few hotels are created without compromise; Mihir Garh is a rare example."
This is not just a unique place to stay, he said. It is also a shrine to the area's artistic and architectural traditions.
Meerkats might have had a hand (or paw) in helping Planet Baobab to second place in the top 10 list.
The Botswana Kalahari desert venue sees guests sleep in distinctive African thatched huts sprinkled among the eponymous baobab trees.
Tourists can spot lions on the vista, together with groups of meerkats and elephants, who gather at the neighbouring waterhole.
Lonely Planet writer James Bainbridge said: "Seeing lions in that bleached-out landscape was certainly memorable."
Italy's romantic hideaway of The Torre Prendiparte B&B, with its 900-year-old tower and unrivalled views of Bologna, finished third. Guests can reserve the whole tower, which once served as a religious prison.
The top 10 list also features Free Spirit Spheres in Canada, where guests sleep in spherical pods suspended among the trees on British Columbia's Vancouver Island.
Intrepid tourists who enjoy monkeying around should visit The Gibbon Experience Treehouse in Laos. The resort's treehouses are suspended 100ft (30.5m) above the ground and can solely be accessed through an exciting zip line strung across the forest canopy.
Turkey's Taskonak Hotel in Turkey, a retreat that has been carved into the rock in Cappadocia's Göreme village, also features.
26 September 2018
Loneliness amongst over-50s is set to soar over the coming decades, a leading charity has warned.
[more...]
25 September 2018
Two leading charities have called for better mental health support to be made available for patients living with breast cancer.
22 September 2018
The NHS should switch to electric vehicles across its organisations, health officials have advised.
21 September 2018
UK holidaymakers could be missing out on more than 60 direct flight routes thanks to Air Passenger Duty (APD), a report suggests.
20 September 2018
Living in areas with high levels of air pollution could be linked to an increased risk of dementia, new research suggests.
19 September 2018
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are shelling out tens of thousands of pounds for care - and many are unable to cover the costs, a leading charity has warned.
18 September 2018
As much as £6 of every £10 spent on domestic flights in the UK goes on Air Passenger Duty (APD), new research suggests.
15 September 2018
UK driving licences might become invalid in certain European countries if the UK crashes out of the EU with no deal, the Government has warned.
14 September 2018
Online crowdfunding for cancer treatments is indirectly advancing the rise of alternative "quack" therapies, experts have warned.
13 September 2018
A "wee-stick" like those used in pregnancy testing could be employed to prevent thousands of deaths from ovarian cancer.
11 September 2018
As many as 1.3 million passengers endured severe flight delays in the last year, a new study reveals.
08 September 2018
British Airways customers are cancelling their credit cards after the carrier was hit by a 15-day data breach that compromised the details of around 380,000 people.