Excellent in the monsoon! There may well be tens of palaces all around Odisha but none - absolutely none - with a 360° view of lush greenery. The monsoon is an excellent time to visit Gajlaxmi with an unparalleled view of the Eastern Ghats, from within a forest. Add to that JP's stories of Odisha's royal past and architecture - which are fascinating to comb through with unique reading material in the living area. The food is plentiful and homely, and the staff are very kind. Wholly recommended!

Experiential stay in odisha This is on of the most beautiful home stay heritage in the jungle of odisha I have spent 2 days & felt like home The food was good The host was good Love the arena Waking up in a nature paradise which rejuvenate your mind Highly suggest everyone to experience this

Very nice experience This was our first homes stay.The location is inside the jungle.This is the one of the rarest of its kind that is palace stay in the jungle.The royal hosts were very friendly and helpful. The food is the best part of the stay. The royal hosts also spend time with the guests to talk about their history, culture. Overall a very good experience

Gajlaxmi Palace, a place and a feeling The most beautiful hotel in the world always has something impersonal. Whereas when you are at someone's house, you evolve in a more personal universe. At Gajlaxmi Palace, the family that welcomes you integrates you into its lifestyle as much as into its culture as well as into nature. Its large historic residence is all the more unique as it was built on what is also the territory of elephants. No one hunts tigers there anymore, everyone is instead working to fight against poaching and protect nature. We come to discover the fauna and flora, in a course whose infrastructure, the road or the bird observation tower has been patiently built to allow discovery without harm. The place is the perfect place for a sort of detoxification. Far and close to the city, Gajlaxmi Palace also gives the opportunity to meet without disturbing the inhabitants of one of the three surrounding villages. From sunrise to sunset, from waking up to dinner, the program is entirely à la carte. The owners of the house are the best possible company while ensuring your privacy. Excellent table. My only regret? Not having stayed longer.

A rare gem of outstanding hospitality in a unique natural setting - don't miss it! This was our second trip to the magnificently unique Gajlaxmi Palace and it did not disappoint. Navneeta, JP and Mridvika‘s warmth and hospitality is quite honestly second to none. From the moment we arrived, to the morning we left, we were wholeheartedly welcomed into their remarkable home, full of antiques and fascinating photos and relics from the past. Our delightful and relaxing room, designed by the very talented Mridvika, ensured we had a blissfully restful stay. When it came to satisfying our ravenous appetites, this wonderful heritage homestay was easily up for the job. We enjoyed three delicious (and healthy!) meals a day, each consisting of several dishes, and although we stayed for six nights, the variety meant there was no chance of getting bored. A big thanks to Navneeta and her amazing team for reuniting us with some of our old Indian favourites - and for Introducing us to some wonderful new delights! Peacefulness is not always easy to find in India, but Gajlaxmi offers it from dawn till dusk. Its unique natural setting within the family’s extensive forest and lake area is a rare gem, and provides many opportunities for birdwatching, plant and tree spotting, and other encounters with wildlife. Beyond Gajlaxmi itself, JP couldn’t have been more helpful and informative when it came to exploring places of interest in the area and further afield. We thoroughly enjoyed our trips to two temples and three tribal villages, two of which were home to fascinating and highly skilled metalwork and weaving crafts people. We also had several truly amazing trips to other forest areas (Kapilash and Debrigarh) and wildlife destinations (Satkosia and the Gharial crocodile breeding sanctuary at Tirkapada). All in all, we were lucky enough to have yet another fabulous trip to India, in no small part thanks to our fantastic hosts at Gajlaxmi Palace. Without a doubt, we’ll be back again as soon as we can. If you’re thinking of staying for a night or two, try to make it a little longer so you can fully enjoy the utter tranquility and exceptional hospitality that you will undoubtedly find there - it really is like nowhere else! Helen Sheffield, UK

Perfect get away While Odisha is India's best kept secret, Gajalakshmi Palace, Dhenkanal is Odisha's best kept secret.Nestled in the middle of a forest, this home stay is one of its kind where nature unfolds it's beauty.Abode to trumpeting elephants, chirping exotic birds and various wildlife,tranquility and serenity are way of life here .The clean air, sweet scent of the forest, lush greenery simply rejuvenates your heart and soul. The hosts at this palatial homestay greet and treat you with utmost care and warmth ensuring your holiday is a perfect get away.

A PALACE IN THE WILDS A PALACE IN THE WILDS A close friend of my son introduced me to this Palace in the woods. I have seen almost all the important wild life sanctuaries in India and also in Kenya and South Africa. At a few places we had the fortune to stay inside the game park. In those days while working in the divisions there were few restrictions and hence the forest officers being fellow colleagues at times obliged us. In Masai mara and Tanzania/ Serengeti we had the good fortune to stay inside the park. But the idea of staying in a Palace and that too a Heritage palace,inside a forest was surely a novelty. The Gaja Laxmi palace is just a few kilometres from Dhenkanal town but nicely tucked up within the forest. This palace belongs to the Gadjat era and grandeur. More than staying inside a forest, the idea of sharing a home -stay with a royal family was an exciting idea . This is a small but complete palace with all regalia in place. The rooms have been neatly done up with modern amenities and provide full comfort. The sitting hall and the dining hall are on the first floor where one can see the old artifacts nicely displayed and reminding one of the old times. Jeetendra Prasad Singh deo and his wife Navnita along with their charming daughter Mridwika are wonderful hosts and take care of every aspect to see that your stay is comfortable . Their personal touch and care makes it an unforgettable experience.The food that is served is beautifully prepared as per the local cuisine in earthen pots and leaves you with a craving for more. The laal maansh preparation in the typical Rajasthani style was savoured by all of us. We spent a lot of time talking about some old friends whom they also knew. Since we belong to Odisha we could share a lot of old memories of friends and talk about our state. As this palace is located inside the forest, there is pristine silence but for the sound of the birds and the wild chatter of the monkeys jumping in the trees. Jeetuji took us on an early morning jungle walk through the forest and finally took us to a watch tower overlooking a pretty big water hole. There were a lot of birds including Teals. I am sure for people who can sit patiently in total silence will be rewarded with a view of animals as they come to drink water. You can expect barking deer , wild boar , chital and at times elephants. We could see the damage made by the elephants as they trampled the under growth and leaving behind their dung. There is arrangement for a Jungle Safari in the Kapilas forest. But since we were there for a day we could not find time. Jeetuji guided us to visit the Dokra village and the Nuapatna textile village . It was a great experience to see the heritage artistry unfolding before your eyes. This is a must visit. Gaja Laxmi palace provides you with an old world charm clubbed with the excitement of a Jungle. I understand that Jitu ji can take you on a Night Safari in his safari land rover. Our one day stay was perhaps too brief to enjoy and appreciate the romance of nature. The call of the wild and the comfort of royalty will perhaps soon bring us back to enjoy the hospitality of the Singh deos

Enjoyed a relaxing week there It was a fantastic stay! Nice, calm, surrounded by nature. Perfect place to spend some relaxing time amidst nature. We were so astonished by the hospitality. JP and Navnita are exceptional hosts. It was so wonderful visiting and staying in a heritage palace! The food was scrumptiously delicious! I gained definitely! Worth it!

A hidden Gem !! I had an unplanned trip to Gajlaxmi Palace and when I look back, I feel glad that I did!! Located deep inside a dense forest flanked by hilly terrain, its with awe that one gets greeted by the imposing Palace. For a trigger-happy wild life enthusiast, the first glance made me ask myself why did I not have it in my itinerary all these days. Odisha has 5 heritage palaces which have their doors open for guests and Gajlaxmi Palace at Dhenkanal stands out. It is a wonderfully well-maintained palace with huge rooms for use of guests. I stayed in the rear room at the ground floor with a sit out which opens to the forest. In fact, I spend more time gazing at the greens from the sit out with my Z5 & 150-600 clicking on every now and then. Mrs. Navneeta Singh Deo and Mr. Jeetendra Pratap Singh Deo are excellent hosts and they are always more than eager to walk the extra mile to make your stay comfortable and memorable. Thanks to Mrs. Singh Deo who personally oversees the kitchen, you have mouthwatering food waiting for you when you are back from a jungle trail or from a stroll at the nearby artisan villages. I fondly remember the ‘Laal maash’ Mrs. Singh Deo served at dinner one night which, cooked in an earthen pot with home made spices, tasted just divine. It was straight from the select cuisine of the royals of Mewar of which Mrs. Singh Deo is a part of. On a wintery January night Jeetendra ji arranged a bon fire for his guests in front of the palace and we were thrilled by the rich stories that he let out on the history of the place and the royal families of Odissa & Rajasthan which dates back centuries. The bar-b-que was simply awesome under a star-studded sky with cool breeze blowing and Jagjit playing away in the background!! On the backside of the palace within a 5 minutes walking distance there is a watch tower overlooking a large pond under the shadow of a solitary hillock. There are a lot of elephants in the forest alongwith many other small animals like spotted deer, barking deer, jungle fowl, wild boars and so on and off course, the lovely birds who never stop chirping!! Jeetendra ji took me to the watchtower and in the wee hours of the evening the scene from the watch tower was majestic. He is building few guest rooms on the watch tower itself and once completed it will be heaven for soul seekers and wild life lovers. In the two mornings that I spent at Gajlaxmi palace, Jeetendra ji took me walking around the private estate of the family which is now reduced to 100 acres from about 900 acres because of the land ceiling laws. The icing on the cake for me was to get to taste the fresh juice from the Date palm trees which are at abundance in his estate amongst others like mango, cashew, oranges all planted by his ancestors. It was then I learnt that a few movies have been shot at Gajlaxmi palace including one of the legendary Satyajit Ray called ‘Royal Bengal Rahashya’ directed by his son Sandeep Ray!! Soon after returning I could not wait but had a rescreening of the movie on youtube and could relate each and every shot taken at the palace!! Thrilling indeed!! Am a dog lover and was delighted to find that the Singh Deos’ have not one, but two lovely labs at his place!! One of them was about the same age of mine and spending time with them every now and then was something that I always longed for during my stay. The 5 guest rooms at Gajlaxmi palace are very well maintained and decorated with royal taste and has huge ceiling heights as one can expect to have in a palace. The beds are huge and comfortable with all regular amenities. The toilets are equally large and clean with the one I stayed having a huge bathtub. The staff at Gajlaxmi palace are from the surrounding villages and are always available to help one with every need anytime. I carried back fond memories chiseled to my heart vowing to come back again…. and again!! Thank you Mrs. Singh Deo and Jeetendra ji for everything!!

Gajlaxmi Feb 24 Absolutely fantastic stay! Can’t speak highly enough about JP and Navneeta’s hospitality. JPs obvious passion and dedication to the local landscape and culture was an ever present. Some real eye openers for us, including Mahima Gadi at Joranda, and his walk with us round the area. Navneeta’s food is just awesome and the accommodation is just different class. Plenty of bird life, haven’t loaded my photos as they don’t do it justice. Coming back to see the elephants!