Thar Desert Camel Safari - Rajasthan
Culture and History
India is a massive country and you need lots of time to take it in. Each region is so different from the South, to the Desserts of Rajasthan, to the bustling cities of Dehli and Mumbai. Do visit the smaller off the beaten places to get the most of your experience. There has been lots of talk about single women travelling and getting harassed as a woman. Take normal travel precautions and stay in well lit and busy areas. There are always scam artist here and you will always be hounded by them continuously esp in touristy areas. Just take it in and for the most part everyone else is always fascinated with foreigners esp children and school kids. |
AdventureCamel Safari thru the Thar Dessert in Rajasthan
Rajasthan area is the highlight with the famous Udaipur, Jaipur, Jaisalmier and Jodpur. Very colourful buildings and wears of the people. Photographer's dream Taj Mahal is massive and you won't know until you stand next to it. In Agra, it's a quick day trip from New Dehli. Go explore Elephant caves when in Bombay (Mumbai) Varanasi is a must. It's a pilgrimage for most Indians who go there to die or bring the dead there. The holy waters of the Ganges is a spectical to watch esp at sunrise with people washing, cleansing, brushing teeth, doing their business or burning dead bodies. The town is catered to travelers both for local and tourist. Just remember to take pictures out of respect. If you have time do go check out the exotic temples of Khajaraho. It's difficult to get to but worth the effort if you are into that type of art work |
Train Station - Jaisalmer
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Getting There & FoodTrain travelling is slow but an experience
Food is affordable. You can eat in fancy 5 star hotel buffets if you are afraid of local street foods. Kingfisher beer is expensive though If you are on a budget - Thali plates are dirt cheap with a few Chipattis thrown in. Remember if it's cooked fresh then it would be ok to eat unless plate is dripping with water before. |
Destinations
This is a huge country and one of my favorites too. You need lots of time and energy to see this country. Trains are slow but go everywhere. Flying is an option when short on time but it's when you are travelling by train or local bus where you will get the most satisfaction when meeting and interacting with locals.
My favorite is the Rajasthan region in the northwest. The Thar desert and a camel safari will leave you with sunstroke and a sore butt, but it will be the most memorable experience you can have. Just imagine being on a camel for 4 days for 8 hrs a day, then sleeping under the stars in the freezing desert.
First night you camp out on the Sam Sand Dunes sleeping. We were the only people so it was peaceful all day and bumping into the odd women in the middle of nowhere carrying water to their homes thru the desert. Sporadically you may hit a abandoned village or kids with nothing - begging for "1 Rupee" or candy. At night you just sit by the fire and sleep early as not much to do. After the trek your back will ache given the constant motion on the camel.
My favorite town was Jasailmer. It’s like going back in time to the Arabian Nights with Maharaja palaces and Sand buildings. Indescribable. In the middle of a desert!!! In ancient times this place was ahead of their times as the even had a sewage system!!
The triangle of Udaipur, Jodpur, Jaipur is very beautiful. Lots of Palaces and beautiful architecture. It is noted to be the most colorful part of India. The Lake palace in Udapur is so peaceful. It's set in the middle of the lake and has an excellent buffet dinner at nights. It was where Jame Bond was filmed in Octapussy! Jaipur’s pink Palace of the Wind is so art deco looking. Jodpur’s Amber Fort is majestic. Jodpurs city is called the blue city as many buildings are painted in sky blue color like a Greek island. Jaipur on the other hand is called the pink city as many buildings and palaces are pink.
The east is nice too. Delhi is endless with it's markets and palaces. Old Delhi is best. Safdar Jang’s Tomb is massive, The Red Fort is made of red sandstone and is impressive when the sun starts to set. Splurge and eat at 5 star Hotels. Tandoori is great as is Chicken Biriyani. Make sure you try some fresh Chipatti or naan from a local baker.
Agra is a must. The Taj Mahal is breathtaking. You can’t imagine the size of it until you are there for yourself. It’s huge in the middle of no where. This was built for to show the love of his beloved wife who died while giving birth.
Khajuraho has got to have the funkiest and must exotic temples in the world. The famous SEX/Orgie temples are there in the middle of the jungle. Kama Sutra eat your heart out. I guess the Indians knew how to experiment. The temples of Khajaraho are not to be missed. So detailed, so many diff positions even with animals. You can focus on a 10 feet part of the temple for hours. It’s hard to get to but worth the effort to reach the city as it’s in the middle of the jungle. Boy!, I never knew there were so many positions!!
Further east is Varanasi. Varanasi is the eternal city where people pilgrimage from all over the Hindi world to bathe or die in the sacred waters of the Ganges. It's gross how people pee, poo, throw dead ashes, wash, drink and brush their teeth in that same water of the Ganges. GROSSSSSSSS!! Get there early in the morning or you won't see the people bathing themselves in the sacred river. Remember no taking photos of burning bodies - unless you have a huge telephoto lens. The city itself is a mess - dirty and full of beggars and people waiting to die.
Bharatpur National park is an excellent bird and wildlife sanctuary. Rent a bike and then get ready to spot millions of birds. The kingfisher bird is also a brand of beer in India.
Bombay (Mumbai) is probably the most westernized of all cities. Bombay is a good place to gain your sanity after the tough travelling around India but there are lots of hawkers constantly bothering you. Go watch an Indian Bollywood film. It’s cheap and entertaining - lots of singing and dancing but the line ups are huge. If you’re in no rush have a nice buffet at the Hotel Intercontinental beside the Gateway to India.
Take a boat to Elephant caves to see some interesting caves.
I loved India and will return soon. I ran out of time when i went spending only 1 month there. I needed another 2 months
My favorite is the Rajasthan region in the northwest. The Thar desert and a camel safari will leave you with sunstroke and a sore butt, but it will be the most memorable experience you can have. Just imagine being on a camel for 4 days for 8 hrs a day, then sleeping under the stars in the freezing desert.
First night you camp out on the Sam Sand Dunes sleeping. We were the only people so it was peaceful all day and bumping into the odd women in the middle of nowhere carrying water to their homes thru the desert. Sporadically you may hit a abandoned village or kids with nothing - begging for "1 Rupee" or candy. At night you just sit by the fire and sleep early as not much to do. After the trek your back will ache given the constant motion on the camel.
My favorite town was Jasailmer. It’s like going back in time to the Arabian Nights with Maharaja palaces and Sand buildings. Indescribable. In the middle of a desert!!! In ancient times this place was ahead of their times as the even had a sewage system!!
The triangle of Udaipur, Jodpur, Jaipur is very beautiful. Lots of Palaces and beautiful architecture. It is noted to be the most colorful part of India. The Lake palace in Udapur is so peaceful. It's set in the middle of the lake and has an excellent buffet dinner at nights. It was where Jame Bond was filmed in Octapussy! Jaipur’s pink Palace of the Wind is so art deco looking. Jodpur’s Amber Fort is majestic. Jodpurs city is called the blue city as many buildings are painted in sky blue color like a Greek island. Jaipur on the other hand is called the pink city as many buildings and palaces are pink.
The east is nice too. Delhi is endless with it's markets and palaces. Old Delhi is best. Safdar Jang’s Tomb is massive, The Red Fort is made of red sandstone and is impressive when the sun starts to set. Splurge and eat at 5 star Hotels. Tandoori is great as is Chicken Biriyani. Make sure you try some fresh Chipatti or naan from a local baker.
Agra is a must. The Taj Mahal is breathtaking. You can’t imagine the size of it until you are there for yourself. It’s huge in the middle of no where. This was built for to show the love of his beloved wife who died while giving birth.
Khajuraho has got to have the funkiest and must exotic temples in the world. The famous SEX/Orgie temples are there in the middle of the jungle. Kama Sutra eat your heart out. I guess the Indians knew how to experiment. The temples of Khajaraho are not to be missed. So detailed, so many diff positions even with animals. You can focus on a 10 feet part of the temple for hours. It’s hard to get to but worth the effort to reach the city as it’s in the middle of the jungle. Boy!, I never knew there were so many positions!!
Further east is Varanasi. Varanasi is the eternal city where people pilgrimage from all over the Hindi world to bathe or die in the sacred waters of the Ganges. It's gross how people pee, poo, throw dead ashes, wash, drink and brush their teeth in that same water of the Ganges. GROSSSSSSSS!! Get there early in the morning or you won't see the people bathing themselves in the sacred river. Remember no taking photos of burning bodies - unless you have a huge telephoto lens. The city itself is a mess - dirty and full of beggars and people waiting to die.
Bharatpur National park is an excellent bird and wildlife sanctuary. Rent a bike and then get ready to spot millions of birds. The kingfisher bird is also a brand of beer in India.
Bombay (Mumbai) is probably the most westernized of all cities. Bombay is a good place to gain your sanity after the tough travelling around India but there are lots of hawkers constantly bothering you. Go watch an Indian Bollywood film. It’s cheap and entertaining - lots of singing and dancing but the line ups are huge. If you’re in no rush have a nice buffet at the Hotel Intercontinental beside the Gateway to India.
Take a boat to Elephant caves to see some interesting caves.
I loved India and will return soon. I ran out of time when i went spending only 1 month there. I needed another 2 months
PLACES VISITED
(1 month)
Dehli
Agra
Varanasi
Jodpur
Jaipur
Jasailmer
Udaipur
Khajuraho
Bharatpur
Bombay