Apani Dhani

Apani Dhani has been run by the same Rajasthani family since 1990, making it one of the earliest eco-lodges in India. Six mud-brick cottages, built in traditional Shekhawati style with thatched roofs, sit around a bougainvillea-covered courtyard on the family's own organic farm on the edge of Nawalgarh. Rooms are simple and solar-powered, and meals are cooked from vegetables grown on-site; the family lives on the property, and guests are asked to respect house rules that include no alcohol or meat. Five percent of every room rate goes to local development projects, and the family separately supports an association working to preserve the region's painted havelis. Guided visits take in Nawalgarh's nineteenth-century frescoed mansions and surrounding villages, alongside cooking classes, craft workshops and yoga sessions run with local teachers. Evenings are quiet, with little beyond birdsong and the call to prayer carrying from nearby mosques.