The Serai

Serene colonial-safari heaven of tented suites, an excellent spa and 6-star luxuries, an hour east of Jaisalmer

Created by high-class couple Anjali and Jaisal Singh in 2009, who are no slouches at creating superb tented camps, The Serai is an ode to peace, to open space, to old-fashioned comforts and elegant design. A luxury camp of 21 tented suites, set deep in the tranquil Thar desert but just an hour from Jaisalmer, it's an impossibly romantic set-up, and perfect for honeymooners. The white canvas tents are raised on honeyed sandstone, each with a terrace lounge, sitting room with writing desk, air-con bedroom and a stylish, double-sink bathroom. Six have private candlelit plunge pools, and there's also a Royal Tented Suite with its own pool, spa, lounge and dining tents, set in an exclusive, walled-off compound.

Loving care has been taken over every detail, most harking back to the Victorian days of the Raj. There are brass-plated service buttons beside your bed, glass-stoppered bottles, monogrammed notepaper, even modern novels rebound in classic vellum. Raised above the tents and silver scrub is an infinity swimming pool, circled by pagoda-shaded loungers. Behind, a huge pavilion holds a leather-and-tartan lounge, breezy reception and elegant dining room. To the left, within a walled garden, sits a 4-tent Sujan spa created by Raison d'Etre (whose products are blended from Indian plants and spices), and beyond, an organic garden for the herbs, salad and vegetables in the delicious cordon bleu menu. And the only sounds are trickling water, calls of kookaburra and wild peacocks and the whispering wind.

Highs

• Being transported back to the glory days of the Raj and fully-serviced colonial safaris
• Memorable excursions: camel safaris, guided tours of Jaisalmer Fort and soulful concerts by world-class local folk musicians
• Fine dining, under canvas or stars, and spontaneously-appearing shot glasses of homemade sorbet, or jugs of minted lemonade, while lazing by the pool
• Lovely Australian manager Cassandra and her discreetly attentive and vividly turbanned staff
• Sundowners in the desert dunes: languish in a leather chair and drink cocktails as the sky turns pink

Lows

• Lizards, birds and insects can colonise your tent if you inadvertently leave your flaps open and lights on - though press a button and staff will 'return them to the wild'
• The tall, freestanding air con units in your tent bedroom must guzzle a ton of electricity
• The 2 rows of identical tents need time to bed into the scrubland
• Massages in the Sujan spa can be a little fierce and boney-fingered - though they'll do you good
• Very pricey, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience