Two for the road

Secluded during their honeymoon at a desert camp inspired by the royal caravan sites of Rajputana, AKANKSHA KAMATH and her longtime beau uncovered a whole new perspective

- AKANKSHA KAMATH

Serai, to me, is a word that tumbles from the tongue and lands serenely into the Thar desertscape, where a tented establishment thrives in its heart. Borrowed from the word ‘caravanserai’, it means a temporary inn made for travellers to seek refuge for the night. It was at a similar, impermanent luxury lodging that my husband Luke and I chose to spend our mini-moon. SUJÁN’s The Serai is a beautiful fixture 40 minutes away from the city of Jaisalmer. True to its roots, the Relais & Châteaux hotel wraps up its makeshift canopy from March until September, reopening again for the winter. We made our way to this oasis that offers rest and rejuvenation from the exigencies of planning our nuptials. One turbulent propeller-plane flight later, we arrived at our desert home (note to readers: Jaisalmer is a defence airport and functions on limited flights due to its proximity to the border with Pakistan).

Upon arrival, we were greeted by two