A train journey for $5000 a day?

Young Joydip Mitra may not have travelled abroad even once, yet he is familiar with the quirks and preferences of people from a host of nationalities better than the most consummate tour guide.

Mitra is on board the Maharajas Express, a pan- Indian luxury train.

As a butler for the train's $ 5,000- a- night presidential suite Mitra knows his high- flying guests rather too well. " The Japanese want the water in the bath tub to be exactly between 55 and 60 degree Celsius. But an American guest will be offended if I maintain the same temperature, they want the water to be lukewarm," says Mitra, who doubles as housekeeping supervisor.

The presidential suite, which is under his charge, occupies an entire coach and comes with white marble flooring, rosewood wardrobes, handcrafted furniture with intricate ivory inlays and a panoramic window offering a glimpse of the hurtling world outside. The 20 deluxe cabins and 22 other suites also don't fall short in the departments of good looks and luxury. The crockery and cutlery are 24- carat gold- plated at the Mayur Mahal restaurant and water comes from a purification plant on the train.

" High- end luxury is a rarity and you cannot afford to make your guests unhappy," assures Arup Sen, Director, Royale India Tours, a joint venture between the IRCTC and tour operator Cox and Kings, which owns the train.

Maharajas Express offers four different packages for its high- end users: Royal India ( eight days; Delhi to Mumbai with halts at Agra, Ranthambore, Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Vadodara); Classical India ( seven days; from Delhi to Agra, Gwalior, Khajuraho, Bandhavgarh, Varnasi and Lucknow; Royal Sojourn (stops at Jaipur, Kota, Ranthambore and Agra; and Princely India (seven days; Mumbai to Delhi. If you have the money and the inclination, this could be the holiday of your lifetime.