Rajasthan is a vibrant and fascinating state based in the North West region of India. It offers a colourful and exciting adventure for all kinds of travellers. On my journey around Rajasthan I visited Pushkar, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Jaipur. Each of these towns offered different sights, experiences and cuisine which made for a really exciting trip.
Our first stop was the town of Pushkar which is set around a beautiful lake. Due to its position surrounded by desert, the lake is considered to be very holy as it is the life source of the area and on arrival it is likely that local people will send you to be blessed by the holy men at the river. They give you flowers to drop into the lake and a woven bracelet to show that you have been blessed and have been given good karma.
Whilst in Pushkar we also decided to go on a horse ride. The family run stables at the edge of the town were very friendly and provided us with Kathiawari horses that were excellent both for the novices and more experienced members of the group. The Kathiawari horses originate from Gujarat, the state below Rajasthan, and unusually have ears that point inwards often touching in the middle of their head. We rode over the local countryside for several hours and found this was a fantastic way to begin our exploration of the region.
From Pushkar we travelled to Udaipur, a laid back town spread across the banks of a large river which is an ideal place to relax into your holiday. Udaipur’s little winding backstreets are famous for featuring in the James Bond film Octopussy and each of the local hotels often screen the film of an evening for tourists.
After Udaipur we ventured further west to the fort town of Jaisalmer which is surrounded by the Thar Desert. From here we booked an overnight camel trek into the desert which all local tour operators and hotels offer so it is just a question of shopping around to get the best trip and price for what you want. Most of the camel riding is done in the early morning and late afternoon and the middle of the day is mainly spent resting under sporadic groups of small shrubs and trees to avoid the midday sun. During these rest hours we were very well fed and watered by our guides and at night we slept out under the stars which was a magnificent experience.
Although well slept out on ground the bedding we were given was more than comfortable. On the trek we also visited several remote villages and chatted to the locals which gave a great insight into the average day of the local people.Travelling back eastwards we moved on to Jodhpur, a town famous for its blue washed buildings. The royal palace was really worthwhile and if you take a tour, visitors are offered electronic talking guides that explain the history and many interesting stories about the building itself and the past inhabitants of the palace.
Our last stop in Rajasthan was Jaipur and here we found many great bargains on clothes, pashminas and bed linen. It really is the best place to stop off and buy presents to take back home. On the last leg of our trip we decided to travel out of Rajasthan to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. Agra is easily accessible by train and bus from Rajasthan or New Delhi and is well worth the detour. We arrived into the town in the early hours of the morning and went straight to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise which was roughly 5am. This is a perfect time to explore allowing you to avoid the heat and the crowds later in the day.
If you are looking for a real adventure Rajasthan is a great place to visit because not only are there many wonderful sites to see, but there is also great food and culture to discover. Although there are wonderful hotels throughout the region, I felt that as a backpacker I saw and understood much more of the country than you would from a resort. Rajasthan offers you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a totally different culture. This is not a relaxing holiday in the traditional sense but much more about experiencing something completely new.
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