Fort Barli

Barli was founded in 1675 by Darbar Devi Das, of a Rathore line that traces its descent from Rao Maldeo of Marwar. His descendant Darbar Lal Singh made his name against the Marathas in the 18th century. The fort never left the family, and the sixteenth generation opened it as a heritage hotel, restored and refurnished with the original character kept.

Rooms come in two grades, Super Deluxe and Royal Suite. Between them are four poster beds, exposed timber ceilings, chequerboard marble floors and arched windows glazed with coloured glass, and several rooms have deep seats built into the wall thickness, painted with floral panels and looking out over the fields. An infinity pool sits on one of the bastions with sunbeds along the parapet, which is where the sunset is watched from.

The fort tour covers the Mardana and Zenana quarters, kept apart under purdah, along with the armoury, the treasury and the assembly halls. Dinner is a private candlelit sit down meal built on the old Barli recipes. Days out run to bullock cart safaris through the village, birding drives into the countryside, cooking demonstrations and sunrise yoga. Bijainagar station is 8km away, Kishangarh airport 95km.