Balaram Palace

Balaram Palace, perched on the quiet bend of the Balaram River in the dust‑caked village of Chitrasani, is the sort of neo‑Rajasthani pastiche that looks impressive in a glossy travel brochure but feels oddly out of place amid the arid scrub of Banaskantha. The palace‑turned‑heritage hotel – rooms are tastefully refurbished but still echo the candelabra‑laden chandeliers of a 1970s film set – is best booked for a single night if you’re only after the novelty of “sleeping by a river”; any longer and you’ll be staring at the same ornamental columns and the same garden of half‑grown neem trees. The real draw is the sunrise boat ride from the modest jetty at 6 am, when the river catches the first light and the surrounding hills turn a soft amber, and the evening thali at the in‑house restaurant, where dal‑bafla and gathiya are served on copper plates that still look like they belong in a museum. Skip the guided “royal history” tour – the palace has no authentic lineage, just a 20th‑century princely veneer – and instead wander the nearby Balaram Wildlife Sanctuary for a glimpse of Indian wolves and dry‑deciduous forest. Visit between November and February; the winter cool keeps the riverbank tolerable, whereas May‑June turns the whole site into a steaming mirage. Nearest transport is the modest bus depot at Patan, 20 km away, but hiring a driver from Ahmedabad is the only sane way to reach the remote setting without spending the day on a rickety road.

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