Rajasthan Biking - Safari Routes

Jaipur to Ranthambore to Chittorgarh to Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh to Jawai to Jaipur

Route https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Jaipur,+Rajasthan/Ranthambore+National+Park,+Sawai+Madhopur,+Rajasthan/Chittorgarh,+Rajasthan/Udaipur,+Rajasthan/Kumbhalgarh,+Rajasthan/Jawai+Bandh,+Rajasthan/Jaipur,+Rajasthan/@25.7939307,73.6960694,8z/data=!4m44!4m43!1m5!1m1!1s0x396c4adf4c57e281:0xce1c63a0cf22e09!2m2!1d75.7872709!2d26.9124336!1m5!1m1!1s0x3971d8f668d65517:0x6eb9f78b60bac925!2m2!1d76.5025742!2d26.0173274!1m5!1m1!1s0x3968a0424d11a8d9:0x79f097c869345f8d!2m2!1d74.6229699!2d24.8829177!1m5!1m1!1s0x3967e56550a14411:0xdbd8c28455b868b0!2m2!1d73.712479!2d24.585445!1m5!1m1!1s0x39682248240b63df:0xaf6863208d6f66d8!2m2!1d73.583705!2d25.1495495!1m5!1m1!1s0x39429451e5c8b98d:0xe63fbd0579e8e80d!2m2!1d73.1438116!2d25.116988!1m5!1m1!1s0x396c4adf4c57e281:0xce1c63a0cf22e09!2m2!1d75.7872709!2d26.9124336!3e0

Day 1 – Late winter of this year, I left Bangalore by morning direct Indigo flight and by noon I was in Jaipur. I stayed at my cousins place that evening.

Day 2 – Jaipur to Bhangarh to Jaipur –

Next morning I took my pre booked bike Bullet Classic 350 (from AK travels). I do not take the bike from aggregators and do not suggest either. This is because they do not have clarity on the actual Bike as well as it’s health. I take from direct supplier because they better understand the requirement of the customer and provide the bike accordingly.

I took the Bullet and drove straight to Bhanghar. Jaipur to Bhangarh is approx 100 km so it was a total drive of 200 km for me. Bhangarh is one of the most haunted places on earth. Don’t know about Haunting but the place is beautiful. It is vast in spread and amazingly beautiful. Even if it in ruins, the ruins itself are beautiful. The only eerie feeling is when I was at a really ruined isolated place but I think it was more of thought. Be careful of Monkeys and Langoors.

One of the scenes of Karan Arjun was shot here inside the temple . “Mere Karan Arjun Aayenge” Pic below.

Carry a cap. I was done with the fort in few hours and drove back to Jaipur but stopped on the highway to eat my favourite Rajasthani food – the Sev bhaji and roti ending with the tea in earthen cup – The kullhadd.

Day 3 – Jaipur to Ranthanbore

Next day I left early from Jaipur to Ranthambore. It is a dry forest. The ride from Jaipur to Ranthambore is 200 km and road is smooth but too many cattle on the road. I had to reach by 12 O Clock because I had booked evening tiger safari to start from 2 O clock. Another reason was I had kept an hour for myself to eat food which I had pre booked full board in this days package. I was booked in 14k for full board hotel at Mount Valley Heritage with Safari. The food they prepared for me was amazingly tasty. I usually don’t stop in between. Max just 1 break regardless of the distance. The safari vehicle picked me from hotel at 2 O clock and in 4 hours of search on route 2, I did not see the tiger, however I happened to find a fresh pug mark. The entire trip inside the jungle looking for tiger is very scenic and mesmerizing just by the fact Tigers live here and probably they are watching. Evening there was a musician playing in the hotel a local instrument (forgot the name) and that local music and sound was very soothing and had power to calm the mind. Chef had prepared white sauce pasta for me and that was the best pasta I ever had. In general I am not a foodie but this hotel has some seriously good cooks preparing tasty food.

Found this camel pulling the cart on way to Ranthambore. I was riding so couldn’t click a good pic. sorry

This is the mount valley heritage hotel. I like the way in Rajasthan they create the wide sitting window. called JAROKHA in local language.

This is inside Ranthambore Jungle

Sunset at Ranthambore

This is that musician

Day 4 – First half

Next day I went to Ranthambore fort, which is on the periphery of the jungle. It’s a long climb with a wonderful Ganesh temple on the top. There was a guy who was going up lying down sliding and every one was saying “Jai Ganesh” to him. So I also said Jai Ganesh. He was a local as people knew Kamlesh’s name . It was early in the morning, so very few people driving through the jungle to fort, the surrounding was like from the movie “Kaal”. The mist over the lake was scary just by imagining the tiger drinks here and might be lurking somewhere. It took me 3 hours for fort and came back to hotel had sumptuous breakfast and left for “The Chittorgarh”.

“Jai Ganesh”

Second Half – Ranthambore to Chittorgarh

I biked from Ranthambore to Chittor is 300 kms and I reached by 4:30 PM. Drove continuously for 5 hours. Road is good but too many cattle on the road. I went for a movie in the evening. There is only 1 cinema hall in the entire city and only 20-25 people in the entire hall. I thought they will cancel the show

ChittorGarh fort entrance

Day 5 – Exploring Chittorgarh – Today I went to the fort. This is one of the biggest forts in India. Here the queen and other females jumped in the fire to save themselves from Khilji’s attack. Well, before I enter fort the guides bugged me like crazy but I don’t take guide service because I find them not so knowledgeable in most cases and I have also observed they give false information about many places – like a cooked up story and made up data. Anyways, remember, parking is just one time fee so keep the ticket safe at the fort. It is important to note down that there are around 15 places to see in Chittorgarh but all are in vicinity so it is good to know the sequence. I covered all by 3 O clock. Last was Jain Temple where I sat for around an hour, it was cool and calm – made of marble. In between I also ate a Samosa, fresh prepared right out of the hot oil .

Evening, I went to check the market, enjoyed one girl fighting like crazy shopkeeper and had dinner at a place that is known for Dal Bati and Ladoo. It is difficult to find this place though. Locals can help if you ask. My hotel was not so good today, wont write their name to avoid giving them free marketing and one tea was INR 80 and Indians need too many teas.

What I liked the most in Chittorgarh is the city’s pace, it is like 25 years behind time. Not in terms of development, it terms of the way people live, its still slow paced and relaxed

This is Vijay sthal at Chittorgarh

Day 6 – Chittorgarh to Udaipur

I left Chittorgarh to Udaipur, it is 115 km. It was easy smooth ride. I was at ***** hotel. Hotel is very nice and luxurious, its in the middle of the city. After checking in, I went to Udai palace also called monsoon palace. This is a wonderful palace made for the king to observe the monsoon cloud. The entire Udaipur is surrounded by the range of Aravali hills. Low height neither very rocky nor highly vegetative hills.

The hotel where I stayed had primitive style switches

Day 7 – Exploring Udaipur – After breakfast (not a great spread) I went to Lake Pichola. Lake is beautiful and so are the people how sometime s humbly and sometimes not so humbly pester to get the photo done, buy xyz…. Went to Chatri too. Its beautiful but sad to see such a beautiful construction not managed well. Cattle dung is all over. Went to watch a movie in the night.

Lake Pichola “Chunni tere Swag”.. not sure why this rhyming lines were playing in my head

this is that Chatri I mentioned above

Day 8 – Udaipur to Kumbhalghar

On way to Khumbhalgarh this was a dam I stoppped at .. just random sighting ( this was the place I saw while riding and steered down to spend some time here. this place was calm. I have realized the time I reach a calm place, I have another vibrant zeal to retire asap.)

Kumbhalghar is famous for the great wall of India. Well, its not that famous by the way. I drove from Udaipur to Kumbhalghar, it is 100 km tricky road, single lane and sometimes just enough wide. The road passes through the villages and this is where the real Rajasthan can be experienced. traditional garments, jewelries, kids playing traditional games, mud houses, drinking water pots hanging by the tree for birds, drinking water vessels for cattle. This was a multiple decades behind time. Amazing experience. Kumbhalgarh’s famous Great Wall that runs for 34 km is a top hill and runs and covers the province of the king. He wanted to safeguard the fertile land of this region from the enemy apart from the obvious. The top of Kumbhalgarh has breath taking view of Aravali hills and I spent 2 hours just enjoying the view from the top.

KumbhalGarh Fort

The resort where I was staying was wonderful, it was located on the banks of a big lake. Resort was 500 meters from an amusement park that played loud music, so loud that one can not sleep. I am sure Police too the bribe to turn deaf year on them because that area also falls under the jungle jurisdiction and there couldn’t be a way they could play such loud music without bribing.

Lake on the banks of which situated the hotel and from where I sat I overlooked a mechanical pulley

Day 9 – Kumbhalghar to Jawai

I drove from Kumbhalghar to Jawai, 100 km. Jawai has Leopard sanctuary and more importantly it offers Hills safari.

Jawai also has a Bandh (Dam). Reaching Jawai is riding back in time. Road is no road types and very tricky through the narrow villages, dead stretches. I finally reached the point from where I was suppose to get picked for Hill Safari. Well Hill Safari is more of solid rock hill Safari. It was spell bounding. In a gypsy we go up the big rocks till the top approx 500-600 ft up. and from one hill to anothe rhill and to another hill. There wasnt any path, the gypsy moves from rock to rock. At certain points the Gypsy was going up at 70-75 degree inclination and at one point it was vertically 75 degrees approx and tilted around 50-60 degrees on left side dangerously enough for me to hold the safety handle.

Finally we caught few glimpse of two leopard and one had a kill. Leopard and People live side by side in this village. The dam was also breath taking, reminding me of Vietnam. The sunset was as usual – Magical. I left this place after dark and had to ride over the muddy stretch for 22 km to hit the city road. The hotel I had taken had immensely big room and big bathroom. Pics below- I slept early.. had to bike to Jaipur next day.

#go_vertically_up https://youtu.be/DZCWDAL-bVM

Sun set at Jawai and my old specks on the deck

Jawai hotel (some silver sand or sunset sand.. something like that)

Day 11 – Jawai to Jaipur

I drove Jawai to Jaipur 400km. . I would have bike for 8 hours with just one stop. Amazing continuous ride with one mistake, I ate food at a wrong highway hotel. Reached Jaipur by 3 PM went shopping in the night.

Day 12 – to BLR before the flight at the airport I vomited, the yesterdays food I guess. Hmmm after vomit I was fine

Indigo Flight was 1 hour late as always. This was a perfect route sketched for trip, I wouldn’t change anything in route.