Nestled in the heart of Thar Desert, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan evokes a rustic charm, princely feeling amidst its undulating golden sand dunes. The carpet of sand that gives the town its yellowish tint has earned it the nickname of the Golden City . After spending two days in Jodhpur, we headed to Jaisalmer by road by a private car. I’m not really a big fan of long inter-city drives but I have to admit this 5 hour drive was rather pleasant and scenic .
We had booked ourselves in a camp- Oasis India for our first night since we had heard so much about camping in the Thar desert .
Camping
Camping should definitely be on your to-do list if you’re visiting Jaisalmer. These camps are organized a few kilometres away from the bustling city. These tents are very comfortable with attached bathrooms and you are provided with clean towels and thick blankets to keep you warm during the night in winters.
They have a common sit out area like an open air stage for their special folk performances for their guests each evening and serve delicious snacks right at your seat and have a lavish buffet set up with traditional Rajasthani cuisine. They also have a bar available too. (P.S- most of the camps are vegetarian, so you need to check before you book). If you’re travelling during winters, make sure you have enough layering to keep yourself warm as the evenings can get pretty chilly & windy here .
They also organize various activities for kids & adults like camel safari, ATV bikes, parasailing, dune safari at additional costs. I think we would have enjoyed this experience better had we gone in October/November to avoid the extremely cold weather.
Post our camping day, we headed to the city to check in at our hotel.
Where we stayed: Boutique Helsinki
This charming boutique hotel has kept the traditional design of Jaisalmer's hand-carved sandstone facades with beautiful modern interiors featuring local Indian marble. The little detailing in the interiors reminds you of the culture and authenticity of the city.
Exploring the city
Jaisalmer fort
It is believed to be one of the very few "living forts" in the world, as nearly one fourth of the old city's population still resides within the fort. The fort premises is buzzing with rustic shops for jewelry, clothes, rugs and lot of cafes to explore within. If you really want to watch a beautiful sunset, then look for the café- Sunset view.
Patwon ki haveli
The Patwon ki Haveli is an interesting piece of Architecture and is the most important among the havelis in Jaisalmer. Its a cluster of 5 small havelis and is most famous for its fine wall paintings, beautiful balconies and archways.
We couldn’t stop taking some pictures against the beautiful archways and windows that gave us Bollywood feels from Jodha Akbar
Bada bagh
Bada Bagh meaning big gardens is a memorial with a series of cenotaphs or chhatris of royal family of Jaisalmer who have passed away . However, there is no garden in the vicinity now but just a desert land. Nevertheless, this place did impress us though. The cenotaphs are beautifully carved, with exquisite chiseled pillars and inscriptions made on yellow sandstone. We happened to visit this place during the day but we wish we had come here during sunset since this place is great for photography and to capture some breathtaking views.
Suryagarh
The one thing we missed visiting was the Suryagarh hotel. One of the few luxury hotels in the city known for its ancient craft, beautiful courtyards, grand Rajasthani architecture and their multi cuisine restaurants. We had planned to have one meal here but due to the peak season, their restaurants were packed and hence we suggest you book a table here much in advance.
Food tip:
Must eat at Trio restaurant , Gandhi nagar. We ate the Rajasthani thali as well as the Tandoor Thali here)
2. Hidden gem - Café +
How we brought in New years 2020!
We chose to celebrate our last night and to bring in new years on our hotel rooftop since we didn’t want to make it hectic and avoid being outdoors for long in the freezing temperatures. Our hotel staff had organized a special buffet (on additional cost) and a campfire on the rooftop to make the New years celebration special for all the guests staying in the property. We were glad with our decision since we had everything we could ask for. A spectacular view of the Jaisalmer fort with fireworks at midnight, mouth watering Rajasthani cuisine, our alcohol and the camp fire to keep us warm, great music and all the guests of the hotel of different origins Well we all had one reason to celebrate. To bid farewell to 2019 and welcome 2020 with the hope to be even better!
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