Rajasthan Tour

After months of dreaming and planning to make a visit to Rajasthan. Infact There was a due pending it was a visit to Ajmeer Rajasthan. I wanted to expand it to more, names like Udaipur the city of lakes , Jaisalmer ~ the name suggests desert to me (sand dunes, camel and sun ) Jodhpur , Jaipur the pink city and name in Golden triangle...

We had an intention to do it last year but kerala floods postponed it by a year. As with most things when you postpone it, it may get delayed indefinitely, some kind of initial inertia or starting threshold issue.

However this time it happened , although I am a budgeted traveller and rather someone on a shoestring budget it was done in the manner described below.

Flight tickets to Jaipur was booked well in advance thus it was a a available below 4k each for four of us. 6th sep 2:00 PM from cok to jai which had reached there by 6:00 PM , took an Auto to a nearby restaurant Food was good. Later by another auto to hotel which costed just Rs 500/- "  Vacation inn " it was enroute to Amer fortjoo

Early morning by 6:00 am we got ready and headed for Amer fort because usually

Early morning by 6:00 we got ready and headed to Amer fort as 10:00 to 16:00 hours is not a good time for hiking a fort as you would sweat to say everything is fine. We reached by 7:00 when it had presence of sufficient professional photographers. Since it was that early we didn't have to buy tickets and we walked out by 8:30 to have breakfast at the eatery opposite to the fort.

Enroute back to hotel we stopped by JAL Mahal which as by the road side. You could take a few photographs from the roadside and perhaps feed the fish by the rolled and sold by the women along the roadside.

Returned to hotel for a Nap and by evening went on another auto ride to Hawa Mahal , Albert hall in illumination and the nearby markets.

I did taste the kulfi , rabad , kachori, and more...

Boarded the morning train from Jaipur to Ajmeer , Our backpack went missing at the luggage scanner as it was picked up by a person at the luggage scanner instead of his, as there was a backpack unattended it was handed over to police and there was an Idendity card in it with which we traced him and got our backpack.

By afternoon we left for Jodhpur it was a 4 hours plus bus journey to jodhpur. We had a nice view of the Mehrangarh fort from the balcony. Room was for 1800 with checkout at 9:00 in the morning.

To repeat what was done in Jaipur headed  for Mehrangarh fort by 7:00 reached by 7:30 but stopped as it was open from 8:30

Tickets were at Rs 200 each it was a huge fort and there was lot to see and climb, there is a view point from which when you look you would find all buildings with blue shades, after all Jodhpur is Blue city. There were also musicians demonstrating variety music.

We visited Jaswant Tada also known as Taj of Rajasthan but a very quite and not so huge as Taj. Gardens were well maintained there is a pond or miniature lake by its side.

Umaid bhavan was huge and there was lot to see and photograph there is also a good collection of Vintage cars. About 3 hours can be spent there.

Rested for a few hours and then spent a few hours in waiting room of Railway station to board the train to Jaisalmer.
Which is scheduled to leave by 11:45 PM and reach by 7:00 AM.

Woke when train was dashing a semi desert like terrain there was lots of sand and spare bushes and trees there was dusty smog throughout and then it stopped at Pokhran railway station for a while and headed to Jaisalmer and finally it reached there.

I had to leave for Udaipur by evening.
So I had contacted a Agent based on a reference from a friend of mine.

I was offered a trip to desert and camel ride for Rs 1500/- while on call and based on what my friend told me I could keep my baggage at his office and collect it on return from zam sand dunes.

However when I called him on reaching Jaisalmer he in invited me to a place where I visited him. He took me to a hotel when was neat and tidy and asked me to take rest while he would arrange the rest.
We bathed and headed to rooftop restaurant for breakfast where we waited too long for Bread & Jam , Bread & Butter...

Tariff shot up to Rs 2000/- per head and thus it was 4K.

By around 10:00 a Air conditioned sedan was there waiting for us by which we went to a lake nearby and visited the beautiful Jaisalmer Fort.

Strangely there were no tickets there. There were lots of shops inside it. We headed to a Sunset view point which meant walking through narrow lanes with  shops and houses by the sides. Returned back and headed outside to walk some distance to visit the famous haveli's
Natwar ki haveli, Patwaron ki haveli , there are a few more but walking around with my wife and carrying 2 kids 2 year old makes walking in Jaisalmer sun a challenge.

Returned back to hotel as I was rushing to  Zam sand dunes with a lot of  imaginations  about desert safari camel ride and lot more jargons in my mind which could be the fantasy of a traveller wanting to visit Jaisalmer.

Again another sedan arrived and we started out journey stopped for lunch , 'Lunch was served at Rs350/- per thali
Zam sand dunes is around 40 km from Jaisalmer city.

Enroute I was asked to pay Rs 50/- for some parking fee and later I started to see some camping areas and other forms of tourist habitations. Car came to a halt and I was invited to a office where they told me that sedan wouldn't go to the place where camels were was suggested or persuaded to take a Jeep safari ( Gypsy ) through the dunes, which I declined and then talks went on and my agent told the Driver and his aides that no money is to be taken additional rest he would sort out.

We were taken on the jeep ride which was a ride to remember, my wife and I holding  a kid each trying to keep ourselves on the back of the open jeep, holding onto the frame was painful as the frame was very hot in the scorching desert sun. When the Jeep slides down the sand of the dunes we struggled to keep ourselves on the jeep   selfie on the jeep was the last thing on my mind. After sometime jeep came to a halt near a thatched shed. Where we waited for the camel to arrive. This was happening around 2:00 PM  we were trying to remain cool when the guys who run the show mentioned that camel is away.

  Finally camel arrived and we had a short ride, truth is we could handle no more in that scorching sun. Riding a camel is certainly not as comfortable as travelling in a Air conditioned Cab. When camel Rises up or Squats there is a chance of falling off the camel unless you plan to act accordingly to gain balance. This happens simply because its legs are very long and its front legs and hind legs don't act in unison. First the front legs then the hind legs and maybe the hind legs moves faster.

Returned back  and took a Sleeper bus to Udaipur by 6:30 PM  it cost us Rs 1800/- for 2 tickets.

An advice for Jaisalmer trip. Take Desert trips separately which is a available from Rs 1500/- per head for transportation , camel ride, jeep safari and night stay and return. Tariffs shoot up with additional addons.

Reached Udaipur early morning around 5:00 'am  and pushed myself into moustache hostel.

There are a few things about it which makes it memorable. I have only been to the one in udaipur. I really liked it. A travellers hangout. You don't experience that in a hotel. Best part is it cost lesser yet in a artist's  den.

Visited the palace and strolled around it.

By 3:00 PM we left for mount abu. Tickets  costed us Rs 350/- each reached mount Abu by 8:00 PM.

Room @

Took a stroll around nakki lake and finished dinner at domino's.

A walk around nakki lake and   shopping areas later went along with a day tour who charges you Rs 150/- per head for the transport.

Something worth mentioning is Dilwara temple.  It is a must visit. The work done on marble is mind blowing. Photography is strictly prohibited.There is enough to see and appreciate here.

We returned to hotel. We had to  checkout  early by 9:00 however they let you keep luggage in  cloak room. 

Boarded a bus to ahamedabad by 3:00  which reached ahamedabad by almost 9:30