D#002: Lotus Palace Hotel & Retreat - The Sim (Closed)

If you love India or are attracted by exotic destinations, where beauty and comfort meets spirituality this is the place for you.

Lotus Palace Hotel & Retreat is a luxury resort built on an artificial island in the middle of a lake. The building itself is majestic, stunning, and inspired by a real life 5 stars hotel, one of India's most famous hotels, the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur on Lake Pichola.

Dirk Lemon (Ares Lemon), the SL Hotel Inspector, wrote a very interesting and detailed review on Lotus Palace Hotel & Retreat on his blog covering every aspect and services offered by this structure which I highly recommend you all read if you are interested in booking a stay here (https://virtualhotels.online/blog/review-lotus-palace).

What really left me speechless was the beauty of the sim surrounding the Resort, built by Nea Narstrom & Beric01 Resident, which is a very detailed reproduction of an Indian village and a beautiful and lustful rainforest with its hidden treasures.

From the Hotel, you can take a boat to reach the Village in just a few minutes. Once on land, you are immediately captured by the sounds of the nearby market and the beauty of the Ghat (a ceremonial and holy bathing site) and two small temples on both its sides - a reminder that this is also a place of spirituality. 






At both ends of the Village, left or right, a small path leads you into the forest and straight into the adventure! I have taken the path on the right side of the Village and the first thing I encountered was the beautiful temple ruins, territory of a few small monkeys who made this place their home.


From the temple ruins, the path goes deep into the beautiful rainforest and suddenly the remains of a small airplane propeller appears out of the vegetation. Further down the road, you find yourself at the base of a stone stairway on the sides of which there are two immense statues representing two elephants, a recurring symbol in the Indian spirituality. The stairway leads to a beautiful temple surrounded by the luscious forest: the Ganesha temple: remember to remove your shoes as a sign of respect and ring the bell before entering to announce your presence to the Hindu gods.




The view from the Temple hill left me speechless. Take your time exploring the areas around the Village. You will not be disappointed!

Back to our exploration! Leaving the temple, the path will lead you to an impressive waterfall and the nearby natural hot springs, pools of fresh water where you can take a bath and relax alone or with your loved one. Wetlands are next and you better be careful as this is the territory of the dangerous Bengala tiger and other animals. Take your camera out but mind your steps as you never know what might hide in the water or behind the many trees and bushes. There are also a few treehouses and huts that can be rented out if you wish to spend some time in the wetlands. 








Take some time also to explore the beach. There are some lovely open huts where you can relax, alone or with your loved one - even better - with a breathtaking view over the lake and the beautiful Resort at its centre. 


The Lotus Hotel & Resort and the surrounding sim is absolutely a place that deserves a visit at least once. The Village and the rainforest are open to everyone, while you need a group tag to access the treehouses/huts and other rentals on sim as well as the all the facilities the Resort offers.






SIM INFO:

Owners: Nea Narstrom & Beric01 Resident

Name: Lotus Palace Hotel & Retreat

URL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mumbai/134/107/21

Official website: https://secondescapes.wixsite.com/lotuspalace


SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Dirk Lemon, for making me discover this beautiful place.

Make sure to check his blog:  https://virtualhotels.online/

Follow him on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kirkusmaximus/


UPDATE (15/12/20): the sim unfortunately closed just recently and therefore it is no longer possible to visit it. Fingers crossed it will be back one day :) 






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