Jaisalmer (The Golden City) Reviews (Rajasthan, India)

Thar Desert Part II

Hamme, Belgium

January 11, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo (continued from part I)A good and easy way to explore the Thar Desert from Jaisalmer is by taking a tour. They are available for every budget and every taste, ranging from a few hours jeep safari over a few days travelling by camel to a tough two ...Read more (continued from part I)

A good and easy way to explore the Thar Desert from Jaisalmer is by taking a tour. They are available for every budget and every taste, ranging from a few hours jeep safari over a few days travelling by camel to a tough two weeks trek. Doing it by yourself e.g. in a rented jeep is possible but difficult due to the unavailability of good regional maps and the presence of military areas, off limits or only accessible with a special permit. If you go with a tour group, everything including transport, special permits and food is normally included, although make sure to check if this really is the case.

The best thing to do if you want to go into the desert is to ask to your hotel or guesthouse whatever tours they have available. As this is their main source of income, because room prices in Jaisalmer are very cheap, they may become unfriendly or even kick you out if they find out that you book with other persons (as I heard, not from my own experience).

The price may vary greatly depending on the form of transport, the destinations included and the duration. A 2-day camel safari to the nice but unclean and overcrowded Sam Sand Dunes, sleeping under the stars with a group of 10 persons is already possible for around Rs 250 per person per day, but it's wise to pay that little extra otherwise the food may be very basic and the camels may be uncared-for. If you want to visit other less-visited parts or you want to sleep at least in a tent or you want to go by jeep, prices will go up.

The 2-day tour we booked at our guesthouse Mehrangarh was the priciest they had at around Rs 1000 a day (€16), but we wanted to be sure that we had a unique experience. It was actually a 3-day camel tour, packed into 2 days, partly done by jeep. For this money it was only the three of us with 2 guides. We left Jaisalmer by jeep early in the morning, visiting the historical sights of Lodhruva and Bada Bagh. From here the jeep took us further in the desert, so around noon our camel tour started. We passed a few small villages and the landscape became more beautiful. In the evening we stayed in the Khuri Sand Dunes, and we were there only with 3 groups but far from each other (unlike in Sam Sand Dunes). The starry night sky was amazing. Due to the absence of artificial light, we were able to see stars, planets and even the Milky Way as we had never seen before. The next day we rode our camels again (even more painful than the first day) for more than a half day. In the evening the jeep brought us back to the city. Great experience! Close

From journal The Elegant Desert City

Thar Desert

by Koentje3000

Hamme, Belgium

January 11, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo The Thar Desert or Great Indian Desert occupies an area of 450.000 sq km in the border region of India and Pakistan, making it one of the world's largest deserts. In the east of the desert, near Udaipur, lie the Arravali hills. They block the rain ...Read more The Thar Desert or Great Indian Desert occupies an area of 450.000 sq km in the border region of India and Pakistan, making it one of the world's largest deserts. In the east of the desert, near Udaipur, lie the Arravali hills. They block the rain coming from the east, thus creating in fact the desert features. The south is bounded by the Rann of Kutchh salt marshes and to the north and west are the Indus and Sutlej river plains, where the soil was made fertile by many irrigation schemes. Average precipitation in the Indian Thar Desert is only 200mm annually, making it a real desert region. However, more than 80% of the rain falls in the summer months July and August, making the desert bloom for a short time but also creating possible landslides and floods in certain years. The Rajasthan or Indira Gandhi Canal was constructed in an attempt to grow crops and bring prosperity in the northern part of the desert.

Jaisalmer is the most important place for visiting the Thar Desert, but other cities can be used as a stepping stone, like Jodhpur, Bikaner or Barmer. The desert landscape just around Jaisalmer is quite dull. The flat sandy desert soil has a sparse vegetation of grass and shrub plants. More interesting sights are further away.

The most visited place in this part of the desert is definitely the Sam Sand Dunes, about 40km west of Jaisalmer. A few buses a day travel the roads to Sam for below Rs 50. The dunes are beautiful, but due to the visiting crowds annoying hawkers try to sell their stuff, the sand is unclean and full of litter and you may encounter unpleasant tour groups with gruff western tourists. There is one basic hotel near the dunes, Sam Dhani, without electricity or telephone, charging around Rs 500 for a room with attached bathroom or Rs 50 for a dorm bed. However, most people sleep under the starry sky, an experience not simply forgotten. If you come by yourself make sure to bring a good sleeping bag or heavy blankets as nights can be cool in the desert.

Another place where many tourists come is Khuri village, some 40km south of Jaisalmer. Despite the visiting crowds, the village is still relatively unspoilt and a much more quiet place than Sam. Near the village are the Khuri Sand Dunes that rival the ones at Sam. There are a few basic guesthouses in the village with rooms below Rs 300 or you may sleep in the 100 billion star hotel.

(continued in part II)
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From journal The Elegant Desert City

Jaisalmer

by Leesa

Brighton, United Kingdom

January 16, 2002

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Best of IgoUgo Despite being well and truly on the tourist trail, judging by the brochures back home, Jaisalmer was a sleepy little town. Wonderfully fortified, the town is a maze of narrow orange streets with buildings and balconies precariously leaning against ...Read more

From journal 3 Weeks in Rajasthan

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