Tree of Life Resort & Spa

Rooms

You don’t just get a room at Tree of Life, you get your own villa with a garden and spa area outside (2 massage beds and a foot bath, plus a plunge pool in some), and inside, a vast sitting/dining room, master bedroom, walk-in closet and jaw-dropping bathroom. While the exterior, built from salmon-pink sandstone and lime, looks a bit clunky, inside all is light and airy. Sitting room ceilings soar to 13 feet, and a cushioned bay window offers a perfect spot to while away the afternoon with a book. Best of all are the dramatic domed ceilings in the master bedroom and bathroom, which are painted rich, vibrant colours and inlaid with mirrors - the handiwork of a local artisan.

Villas are arranged in a horseshoe shape around the main pool and restaurant, and each is named after a tree native to the region (the trees are planted outside the villa's front doors), and colour-coded accordingly. We stayed in the Jacaranda Villa and every decorative detail echoed the tree’s brilliant purple flowers: silk throw pillows, cotton durries, marble floor inlays.

Top-quality Indian and Western amenities complete the deluxe experience: flatscreen TVs with surround sound, espresso makers, pillow-top mattresses, a pillow and towel menu, bathrobes and cotton kurtas, Grohe bathroom fixtures, rain showers and Kama Ayurveda toiletries. Who could ask for more?

There are 14 villas in total. The most reasonable are the Garden & Spa Villas - and though you may be sacrificing a private plunge pool, you'll still be cocooned in luxury, comfort and space, so they are by no means a dud option. If, however, you want that plunge pool, upgrade to a Pool & Spa Villa. For families and groups there are 2-Bedroom Villas, with 2 ensuite double bedrooms. Again, you choose between a Garden or a Pool version.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Minibar/fridge
• WiFi

Eating

Tree of Life is about customised luxury, and the food is no exception. Each evening, the chef visits your villa to discuss what you'd like for your 4-course menu, and later dinner is served in your private living area or garden. He suggests wonderful Indian and Western choices for each course, and while we appreciated the freshness and sophistication of his Western dishes - Pommery-crusted sea bass with creamy polenta, charred vegetables and orange butter sauce was a particular favourite - we found his tandoor-cooked Rajasthani dishes to be the most mouthwatering. The homemade touches were a delight, too: a luscious banana jam, a pungent garlic pickle, and the creamiest maple and cinnamon ice cream - by far the best ice cream we’ve tasted in India.

If a 4-course dinner is too much, you can always order off the all-day à la carte menu or ask the chef to come up with something - pretty much anything! - to your liking. You can be sure that the ingredients, many of which are sourced from local farms and the hotel’s garden, will be fresh and the taste combinations tantalising.

In-room breakfasts won't disappoint either; we loved our fresh-pressed juices, creamy cappuccinos, fluffy omelettes and delicious Indian fare.

Tree of Life does have an on-site restaurant, Ashtam, which you can eat in if you prefer, but the sparse décor and spread-out tables left us feeling a little cold. We never saw any guests at the restaurant’s bar, either - really just a seating nook off the dining room. But who could blame them? It’s hard to leave your own private villa behind.

Features include:

• Minibar/fridge
• Restaurant

Activities

• Indulge in one of the many spa offerings, from a couples' massage in your villa spa area, to a full treatment session (body polish, wrap, massage, steam, sauna, Jacuzzi - even champagne!) at Ekam, the resort’s gorgeous couples’ spa
  
  
• Head to Jaipur’s premiere attraction, the awesome Amber Fort, and explore its opulent palace complex. Duck into Hot Pink, too, a fabulous textiles shop tucked behind the fort’s coffee shop
  
  
• Spend a day sightseeing and shopping in the 'Pink City' of Jaipur: there are multiple monuments, palaces, museums and bustling bazaars - and don't forget to stop for a melt-in-your-mouth kulfi ice cream
  
  
• Sign up for one of the resort’s outdoor ‘experiences’: a tractor or mountain bike ride through the countryside; a gentle trek in the Aravalli Hills; an Indian cookery lesson and visit to the market; a session of teaching at the neighbouring school; or a visit to the local temple and village
  
  
• Or borrow a mountain bike and cycle into the village. The locals are incredibly friendly and the little farm fields are beautiful
  
  
• Back at the resort, visit the Ganesh statue gallery, request a yoga lesson or claim a lounger by the peaceful infinity pool

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Hiking
• Shopping / markets

Kids

While children are treated warmly by staff, this is really a couples’ resort and you might feel uncomfortable with your noisy toddler disrupting the careful calm of the infinity pool. If you're happy to shut yourselves away though, families will be delighted with the vast and private 2-bedroom Villas. There are no rollaway beds, but staff can transform the daybeds in each villa into cosy sleeping nooks. The resort has baby cots and highchairs too. Babysitting is available. While there is no specific kids’ menu, the chef is happy to cook up chicken nuggets at a moment’s notice.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The 2-bedroom Pool & Spa Villa is the only one in which children have a whole floor to themselves, complete with twin beds and a flat-screen TV. The 2-bedroom Garden & Spa villa has its second bedroom on the terraced rooftops, accessible via an exterior staircase. This might be a teenager's dream come true, but would make parents of younger children nervous.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Tree of Life is in Kukas village, approximately 40 minutes’ drive from Jaipur (1 hour from the airport), in Rajasthan, northern India.

By Air
Jaipur Sanganer (33km away) is the closest airport and is served by most domestic airlines. Delhi Indira Ghandi (245km away) is the nearest international airport. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
Tree of Life can arrange comfortable car transfers from the airport, with an English-speaking driver - see Rates. Alternatively you can take a taxi.

By Train
Jaipur railway station is well connected to many other major Indian cities. It takes 5-6 hours to reach Jaipur from Jodhpur or Delhi. The car ride from the station to the resort is approximately 45-50 minutes. Again, the resort can provide a transfer.

By Car
Situated north of Jaipur, just off the National Highway 8, Tree of Life can be reached in less than 5 hours from Delhi. Highway traffic is unpredictable, however, and the drive often takes much longer. Any sightseeing trips off-resort will require a car and driver, which the resort is happy to arrange with advanced notice.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Rajasthan and getting around