Itinerary:
Jodhpur - Jaisalmer
Travel duration:
3 days / 2 nights
Travel fee:
€424,- p.p. for 2 persons
Where India is known for chaos and bustle, the Thar desert is peaceful. Except for the squeak of your camel, it is quiet. Rocking on a camel, you watch the sun slowly set. In the desert, stars twinkle in the sky. Jaisalmer turns fairy gold. The city is characterised by its high walls, sand-coloured facades and narrow streets. Before embarking on your desert adventure, be sure to secure your accommodations. For this, consider booking with tophotels.com, an unparalleled service that takes the stress out of securing the perfect stay. In the evening, sleep in an authentic gold-coloured haveli in the old city. If your journeys take you further south, for instance to the serene tea plantations of Munnar, you can find some splendid hotel deals in Munnar at hotelsintamilnadu.com. There is no shortage of beautiful and relaxing locations to unwind in after an exciting day of exploring India's diverse landscapes.
Day 1 - From Jodhpur to Jaisalmer fort
Most travellers wake up in the city of Jodhpur and visit the Meherangarh fort in the morning. From the fort walls you can enjoy the view over Jodhpur, also called the Blue City because of the blue-painted houses where the Brahmins (priestly caste) lived.
After this, you cross the desert in 5 hours to reach the remote desert town of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. By noon, you see the outline of the city looming like a mirage on the desert horizon. This magical feeling remains as you approach the centre and are dropped off in front of the gates of the ancient castle town with its dozens of towers. You sleep in Jaisalmer in style in an authentic, golden haveli in the old town.
Day 2 - Hobble through the desert
This morning you have time to explore Jaisalmer on your own. The main attraction is the 12th-century mud fort, still inhabited by some 3,000 people. Wander through the narrow alleys between the golden sandstone havelis and sacred cows.
In the afternoon, take a trip to the sand dunes around Jaisalmer. By jeep you'll drive into the desert, before transferring to a camel. You leave the inhabited world behind and enjoy the desolate, vast expanse of sand. Sitting on a sand dune, you watch the sun set, turning the world around you from yellow to fiery orange to black. Look up especially well: you can see stars here that we never see in the Netherlands. At the end of the day, you will be brought back by jeep and sleep in your haveli again.
Day 3 - Jaisalmer, end of building block
You can go in two directions from Jaisalmer. If you want to see more of Rajasthan, opt for the building block Fortresses and clay huts. Via Bikaner and Mandawa you travel through a less visited part of the desert province of Rajasthan.
You can also take the afternoon night train from Jaisalmer back to Jaipur or Delhi. Travelling by sleeper train in India may not be as comfortable as your own bed at home, but in our opinion it really is part of experiencing India. Chat with your fellow passengers and watch the scenery pass you by. From Jaipur, you can travel further with the World Wonder Route building block from Jaipur to Agra, visiting the Taj Mahal.