Varanasi
The city of gods doesn't wait for you
The bells, the boats, the smoke over the river all start before dawn. Here's how our guests spend their days.
The bells, the boats, the smoke over the river all start before dawn. Here's how our guests spend their days.
Safarnama Varanasi sits close enough to the ghats that most guests walk to the river before sunrise. Kaas, a short ride away in Mahmoorganj, trades that proximity for a quieter street — both put you within easy reach of the city's oldest quarter.
Boats leave the ghats before dawn, while the aarti lamps are still lit and the river is quiet. Ask at the house desk the evening before — boatmen fill up fast in season.
One of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples, and a short walk from Safarnama Varanasi. Mornings and evenings are calmer than midday.
The nightly fire ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat — come early for a spot on the steps, or watch from a boat on the water.
Narrow galis behind the ghats, full of small temples, sweet shops, and silk weavers. Easy to get lost in — that's rather the point.
You'll find it in the houses themselves — hand-painted doors, old prints, the odd bit of local craft tucked into a corner.
