Golden Chariot - the only Luxury Train in South India

Experiencing Golden Chariot, one of the 5 luxury trains of India was a dream come true while I explore new destinations. My childhood prayers were heard and I got a chance to board the Golden Chariot - the only luxury train of Southern India, awarded as the ‘Asia’s leading luxury train’ at the World Travel Awards. The excitement was really high as I had never thought I would make a train my home for a week, when I started living my nomadic life a year back. I have been living all by myself for years, taking care of every need on my own. There are times when I crave for being pampered with luxury where everything is taken care of, and all I need to do is sit back and relax. Golden Chariot happened just when I really needed it.
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Golden Chariot is named after 'Stone Chariot' The UNESCO World Heritage site in Hampi, Karnataka. Golden Chariot's exteriors shine with royal colours of purple and golden. The train is owned by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and is run by Mapple Hotels and Resorts as hospitality partner. Golden Chariot starts from Bangalore and runs on 2 different routes, showing the best heritage, wildlife and cultural destinations of the Southern India in 7 days:
1. Pride of South - Karnataka and Goa
2. Southern Splendour - Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala.

​Royal Welcome to a Royal Journey on the Golden Chariot

I had expected to be treated royally in the train. The team surprised me with a royal welcome to embark on a royal journey. Yeshwantpur Railway Station at Bangalore was ready to delight us with a red carpet spread. They welcomed us with live traditional south-indian music and garlands, elating our mood even before we saw the Golden Chariot.

​Bar in the Golden Chariot Luxury Train

"Madira" is the coach for the bar, and also the entry point to Golden Chariot. The bar is open till the last drink is served. The team amazed us with surprise "Happy Hours" and DJ nights in the bar. The interiors of the bar give a regal touch to the experience of drinking on a moving train that keeps you excited about the new destination you would visit the next day. The bar had a friendly ambiance where I got to unwind in the  evenings  with travellers from across the globe.

​Restaurants in the Golden Chariot Luxury Train

Golden Chariot has 2 coaches as restaurants, Nalapaka and Ruchi where breakfast and dinner are served. Lunch is usually organised at their partner resorts at the destination of the day. I got addicted to spending time in the restaurants in the morning over extended breakfasts. This was the time of the day where I could observe the diverse landscapes of Southern India, while I sipped my morning tea and relished lip-smacking dishes served fresh from the kitchen.

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​Coaches in the Golden Chariot Luxury Train

There are 11 accommodation coaches on the Golden Chariot. Each coach has 4 cabins with attached washrooms. The cabins can accommodate 2 people. There are a few cabins which can accommodate 3 people with a pull-down bed (exactly the way you pull down beds on a regular train). The coaches are carpeted and the windows are covered with rich linen. I was smitten by the entire decor of the Golden Chariot that gave a feeling of living in a palace, of course with the space constraints.

If you feel claustrophobic in the cabins, every coach has a lounge/sitting area. The Golden Chariot takes care  of every need. 

Each coach is differently designed as per the dynasties that have ruled Southern India. The coaches are named Hoysala, Sangama, Ganga, Kadamba, Shathavahana, Rashtrakuta, Chalukya, Vijayanagara, Yadukula, Adil Shahi and Bahamani. The lounge area has a brief history about the dynasties dedicated to each coach. You get to learn about the history and heritage of South India from every corner on this journey.

​Rooms in the Golden Chariot Luxury Train

The cabin style rooms in the Golden Chariot welcome you with your name written on the name plate outside the cabin. The cabins open with a sliding door and are equipped with option of twin bed and double bed. The interiors are decorated as per the dedicated dynasty of the coach. The huge window gives a clear view of the landscapes. There is only little space to walk around the beds to the washroom. The beds are very comfortable, but the train is shaky as any other train.

The washrooms in the Golden Chariot cabins are small, but neat. The bathrooms are equipped with all the required amenities like towels, bathroom slippers and toiletries as per 5-star standards.

​Spa in the Golden Chariot Luxury Train

Golden Chariot has one entire coach dedicated to the wellness, called Aarogya. There is a spa, steam room, mini gym and a business centre.
You will definitely crave for a spa on one of the days when you are traveling to new destinations everyday. Golden Chariot has taken care of that need too, with a fully functional spa with 2 massage rooms and 2 masseurs. They offer full body massages, neck and shoulder massages, foot massages, back massages and ayurvedic massages.

​​Gym in the Golden Chariot Luxury Train

There is a mini gym on Golden Chariot with basic equipments - treadmill, stepper and an air bike, just enough for your basic workout routines. Working out in a moving train was quite an experience. 

​​Food in the Golden Chariot Luxury Train

Food in the Golden Chariot is to die for. Mr. Deepak Kumar Chaubey, executive chef of Mapple Hotels and Resorts, also the first employee of Golden Chariot, makes sure that you keep craving for this food even after the journey ends. He has created some dishes of his own to blend into the taste of South Indian cuisine. I put on 3-4 kgs over eating the food, which I didn't realise while I was on the train. I was glad to meet him and his team in the kitchen and appreciate the way they delivered efficiently out of a cramped kitchen. There is no gas on in the kitchen, all the high-end equipment work on electricity. Mr. Deepak personally interacts with the guests on board to take feedback on the food and take care of any personal needs for food.

For all the meals, there's a choice of Indian or Continental menu furthermore with a choice of veg or non-veg. 
The menu is different every day for each of the meals.
Dinner Menu looks like:
Soup and breads - broccoli almond soup, tomato soup, carrot soup, mushroom soup, Mulligatawny soup..
Salads - grilled pineapple and prunes salad, apple walnut salad, crunchy russian salad, greek salad with feta cheese..
Indian Platter - a starter, South-Indian style curries, North-Indian style curries, Dal / Rasam, Different style of paratha/roti, papadum, salad, and pickle.
An example of Indian menu for a day: Manguluru Chicken/Paneer Masala,  Dharwadi Bendekai, Mysuru Brinjal Curry, Drunstick Ulli Sambar, Khojur Kele ka Raita accompanied with rice and paratha.
Desserts - 2 dessert dishes everyday - Tender coconut Souffle, Gulab Jamun, Walnut brownies, Chocolate mousse, baked cheese cake..

Continental - Shepherd's Pie, Roast Chicken, Fettuccine in creamy sauce, Pomodoro pasta, Grilled Fish, Bouqueterie of Vegetables and Herbed Potatoes, Lasagne..

Breakfast - The breakfast menu also had choices of continental, South Indian and North Indian dishes. Eggs to order, cereals, fruits, toasts, rawa idli, dosa, uttapam, poori bhaji, chole bhature, aloo paratha, choice of breads, muffins, choice of tea and coffee.
The bakes were some of the freshest and the best I've ever had.

​Luxury Service in the Golden Chariot Luxury Train

One of the best royal services given to passengers onboard Golden Chariot is the special permissions taken for the train to be brought onto some stations just to pick us up. The trains halted at stations which were of the most convenience to us. Our coaches (KSTDC volvo buses) for our day trips were brought in at the most convenient locations. I will talk about the destinations and the day trips in my next blog post.

Image credits : Raina Writes

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When we returned after a tiring day, the staff at Golden Chariot would welcome us with a smile, wet-napkins and juices. This gesture of theirs really cheered me up for the evening.

Each coach has a dedicated cabin attendant or a butler, available on call 24*7 for any need. He cleans the rooms while we are gone and also places some tea cakes and cookies in the room. He provides wake up alarms and bed teas on request. Towards the end of the journey, each one of us had build a rapport with the entire crew on board.

Mr. Abhijay Verma, General Manager of Mapple Hotels and Resorts, travels on each trip with Golden Chariot to co-ordinate the entire trip in the most efficient manner. Whether it is about rescheduling train arrival/departure timings on the stations, co-ordinating the timings with the coaches, the local guides, he is the man who perfects everything, to give us a smooth and a pleasant experience.
Mr. Mahendra Singh Rathore, F&B and Tour Manager of Mapple Resorts, has seen the Golden Chariot from the inception stage and treats the train as his baby. He has been on every journey on Golden Chariot since day one. He sets the right example of professionalism to the staff on the train and makes the passengers comfortable about all their needs on the journey.

​Journey of a lifetime on the Golden Chariot Luxury Train

Before I embarked on my journey with Golden Chariot, I was more fascinated about the destinations I was to visit. Eventually, the experience of living and traveling in the luxury train became more important. I enjoyed every moment I spent on the train whether it was the excitement of traveling on the luxury train, the overdose of luxury and pampering, the friends I made on the journey, the bakes I enjoyed, the interactions with professionals of Mapple Hotels and Resorts, the way I woke up to new destination every morning or the way I got oblivious while the train passed through diverse landscapes of India. On my last day, I didn't want to unboard the train, Golden Chariot had become a home in 8 days. 
​I had the journey of a lifetime on the Golden Chariot!

​Best time to travel on Golden Chariot Luxury Train

The train is seasonal and operates from October to March, which is the best time to travel in South.

​Tariff and Bookings for Golden Chariot Luxury Train

The train schedule and the latest tariff are published on the official website of Golden Chariot.
The best thing about Golden Chariot is that it is possible to experience the train even on per day basis if you don't want to spend 7 nights / 8 days on the train, though I highly recommend to spend all 7 nights / 8 days on the train to soak in the entire experience.

Full video of Golden Chariot - the only luxury train of Southern India. This video shows everything you wanted to know about the train.

P.S. I was invited by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation for this journey on Golden Chariot.