UPDATE: This post first published on October 2, 2020. As of February 4, 2021, this location does not exist. I don't know when it disappeared or why.
Lotus Palace floats on the lake
The owners of Kidaka, Ian Garret (formerly named Beric) and Nea Narstrom, recently opened a new resort sim, Lotus Palace. This region is a tribute to India, and they really outdid themselves. The resort is a gilt colonial palace in the middle of a lake, surrounded by a rainforest full of wildlife. The entire region is full of gorgeous detail, to the point of being almost overwhelming. And that may be the best approach to Lotus Palace: let yourself be overwhelmed by the place, slow down, and take it all in. One could easily spend days exploring each area and enjoying all Lotus Palace has to offer.
this dancer is seriously my favorite bot ever
There are many more kinds of rooms at Lotus Palace than are found at Kidaka, everything from glamping stilt huts to a lavishly super-fancy "royal suite." The huts, bhavans (houses on the lake), and some of the rooms are at ground level, but there are several special rooms in the sky, reachable by an elevator teleporter. Of note are the honeymoon suite and the family suite. I appreciate that the honeymoon suite can be reserved in advance, unlike the other rooms, because that is something a couple definitely wants to plan and not have to worry about! Also, the family suite is a terrific idea for people who enjoy family RP. (no no, that's not me suggesting all the kid avs be kept in skyboxes! nooooo that's not me at all! muahaha etc. cough)
inside a bhavan on the lake
There are a number of places to relax around the resort, including restaurants, gardens, a bar, library, club, pool, and an impressive skybox spa. Some areas are guests-only, but many can be enjoyed and explored by everyone. Whether you take a room at the resort or visit Lotus Palace briefly, I highly recommend the nature hike along the lake. You'll encounter animals, temples, waterfalls, rivers, pools, and a small village with a ghat. Make sure to take your shoes off in the holy places!
ghat and village
tiger! :-D
Back to the animals! I'm a sucker for animals in both lives, and I loved all the wildlife vignettes at Lotus Palace. Tigers, elephants, monkeys, snakes, lions, moongoose (moongooses? mongeese? mongoosen?), and all the different birds ... I smiled each time I found a new animal as I walked along the trail. As at Kidaka, I'm not entirely convinced all of the animals at Lotus Palace are native and in the wild in India (I'm looking at you, macaw and sloth), but just go with the spirit of the thing! UPDATE: I somehow missed the leopard, and I just learned that sloths are native in India! *themoreyouknowrainbow*
friend
And really, Ian and Nea did capture the spirit of India in SL. This month last year, I was traveling in (real life) southern India with friends. It was a glorious experience ... and sadly, with the pandemic, I have no idea when, or if, I'll be able to travel like that again. Still, I found a lot of truth in what I found at Lotus Palace, from the colonial luxury of the palace to the trash on the streets of the village. In talking with Ian, I learned he has worked in India, but had not been able to return there this year, for 2020 reasons. I don't know of any other regions in SL that attempt to replicate the "feeling" of India, other than the Zaara store sim, so I'm grateful that Lotus Palace exists, a place where I can relax and reflect on that RL trip.
another view into the bhavan
Full disclosure: Ian invited us to stay as guests at Lotus Palace for three days when it first opened. Unfortunately, RL got in the way of us fully taking advantage of our time there, and of me posting here about the experience in a timely way, but what can you do, and here we are now. :-)
Also, my pictures are terrible, so I really do encourage anyone reading this to visit Lotus Palace and see it for yourself!