Post on 29-Jun-2020
Exotic Rajasthan
14 day cultural experience
photo by alok sharma on unsplash
Journey overview
Delhi
Jaipur
Mandawa
Bikanare
Jaisalmer
Jodhpur
Ranakpur
Udaipur
Bundi
Pushkar
Delhi
Meal plan 14 Breakfasts and 2 Dinners
Transport Private Vehicle, Off road jeepand Flight
Accommodation Hotel 3 star (11 nights), Heritage
Stay (1 night) Camp tents
(1 Night) & Mud house (1 Night)
photo by alok sharma on unsplash
Included highlights
Welcome Dinner
3 hour camel safari
Gudes in Jaipur,
Jaisalmer, Jodhpur
Walking tour in Udaipur
Sight seeing
photo by abhishek koli on unsplash
Included highlights
Mandawa — Fort tower, Murmuria Haveli, Hanuman Prasad Goenka Haveli.
Bikanare — Junagadh fort, Rampura Haveli, lalgarh palace
Jaisalmer — Golden city fort, Patwon Ki Haveli, Gadisar lake, Salim Singh ki Haveli,
overnight desert safari in mud house
Jaipur — Amber palace, Hawa mahal, City palace, Jantar manter, Elephant jungle.
photo by abhishek koli on unsplash
Included highlights
Chittorgarh — Chittorgarh Fort Bundi — Stepwell, Bundi palace Udaipur — City Palace, lake pichola, Jagmandir, Jagdish temple
Pushkar — Pushkar lake, Brahmaji temple Jodhpur — Mehrangarh fort Ranakpur — Kumbhalgarg, Ranakpur temple, sun temple, Ranakpur dam
photo by abhishek koli on unsplash
Jaipur
Day 1 Delhi - Jaipur Travel by private vehicle to Jaipur (approx 5
Hours / 270km). On arrival, take a walk around
the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur and mingle with the
crowds of the city’s bazaars to shop for artisan
goods and semi-precious stones. Set out on a
hilltop overlooking Maota Lake, visit the Amber
Fort, an excellent example of Rajput
architecture. The Sheesh Mahal inside the fort
is a must-see. As the walls are completely
covered in little mirrors, the hall illuminates
with the light of a single match.
Day 2 & 3 - Jaipur Take an early morning hot air balloon ride to
view the stunning panorama. Floating across
the skyline of Jaipur in a hot air balloon would
most certainly be a highlight of the trip. Travel
to Hawa Mahal, also known as the 'Palace of
the Winds’. Alternatively, head to Jaipur's
Royal City Palace or the observatory of Jantar
Mantar to see a collection of astronomical
instruments. After a long day of exploration,
perhaps head to the Raj Mandir Cinema to
experience the glamour of a Bollywood film.photo by j-a-n-u-p-r-a-s-a-d on unsplash
Mandawa—Bikanare Day 4 Jaipur - Mandawa Today the journey takes you from Jaipur to the Shekhawati region
(approx. 5 hours). Mandawa is a remote town in the centre of the
region, an old trading outpost between the Middle East and
China. Lunch today will be in Nawalgarh, on the way to Mandawa.
Day 6 Bikanare - Jaisalmer Today you will wind along a remote desert road to the yellow sandstone citadel
of Jaisalmer (approximately 7 hours). Watch as it rears its head in the arid,
flat desert like a scene from 'One Thousand and One Nights'. Explore the
snaking alleyways of Jaisalmer, which are filled with markets and intricately
carved houses. Located on the banks of Garsisar Lake in the Mehar Bagh
Garden is the Jaisalmer Folklore Museum, which is well worth a visit.
Day 5 Mandawa - Bikanare Travel deeper into the Thar Desert to
the fortified town of Bikaner
(approximately 5 hours). Bikaner was an
important staging post on some of the
great caravan routes, and thus houses
a multitude of bazaars along with an
impressive fort and palace. This takes
us further, on to Junagarh Fort.
photo by ariel pilotto on unsplash
Jaisalmer—JodhpurDay 7 Jaisalmer No trip to Jaisalmer is complete without a desert safari, so today
you'll experience one of the main highlights of your adventure.
Your camel safari (approximately 1 hour) out to the pristine sand
dunes of the Thar Desert is an adventure you're not likely to
forget. Visiting some small villages (dhanis) along your travels,
your day culminates with a relaxing dinner by the campfire. Cap
it off by camping out under the stars, falling asleep to the desert
ambience in a comfortable permanent mud house.
Day 8 Jaisalmer - Jodhpur Today you drive across the desert to discover Rajasthan's second-largest city, the frenetic
Jodhpur (approx. 6 hours). Jodhpur abounds in antique shops and, according to many a
traveller, has the best lassi in India. It's also where the famous Jodhpur trousers
originated. While you are here you will explore the colossal Mehrangarh Fort. A highlight
of the fort is the expansive views from its ramparts. In your free time you can visit India's
last great palace, the Umaid Bhawan Palace. The palace was built in the years between
1929 and 1944 and named for Maharaja Umaid Singhji. His successors still reside there.photo by dan calderwood on unsplash
Ranakpur
Day 9 Jodhpur- Ranakpur From Jodhpur you will travel through the
beautiful hamlet of Ranakpur (approximately 3
hours). Ranakpur is the home of a host of
beautifully carved white marble Jain temples.
These staggering complex temples attract Jain
pilgrims from all over India, making Ranakpur one
of the most important pilgrim destinations for
Jains in India. We enjoy lunch at a temple today.
Day 10 Ranakpur-Udaipur Explore the vast Jain temple complex at Ranakpur as you visit one of the most
magnificent temples in India on a private tour. Stand awestruck by the grandeur of
the white marble façade, hear the history of an ancient religion, and reflect over
lunch in a delightful location. In the Aravalli Hills, north of Udaipur and within the
scenic Kumbhalgarh National Park, lies the village of Ranakpur, unassuming aside
from its resplendent white marble Jain Temple complex. The temple's 29 halls contain
more than 1,400 unique pillars arranged in a stunning geometric fashion. From here
you will continue on your journey to gorgeous Udaipur (approximately 5 hours).photo by fancycrave on unsplash
UdaipurDay 11 Udaipur Visit Udaipur's City Palace, one of the largest royal palaces in
India. Enjoy an optional boat ride on the famous Lake Pichola
(seasonal) and marvel at the island palaces off Jag Nivas and
Jag Mandir. In the evening, perhaps enjoy a traditional concert
that combines seven traditional Rajasthani folk dances.
Day 12 Udaipur-Bundi Bappa Rawal founded Chittorgarh, one of the
oldest cities of Rajasthan, in the mid-8th
century AD. Chittorgarh Fort is built over a
180 m high rocky hills of the Aravalli Ranges.
The fort provides great strategic importance
to Chittorgarh. The fort has seven gates:
Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol,
Ganesh Pol, Jorla Pol, Lakshman Pol and the
main gate Ram Pol. The major buildings
within the Chittorgarh Fort are the Vijay
Stambh (Tower of Victory), Kirti Stambh
(Tower of Fame) and Rana Kumbha Palace,
photo by ricardo frantz on unsplash
Bundi—PushkarDay 13 Bundi-Pushkar After breakfast head to Bundi palace, It is popularly believed
that Nobel laureate Rudyad Kipling penned part of this famous
novel KIM in Bundi. Bundi is a magnificent town located around
36 Km from Kota. Dotted with palace and forts, the place has a
fare tale quality about Bundi”s charm lies in this location.
Day 14 Pushkar & Ajmer After breakfast head to Pushkar, a town bordering the Thar Desert, set
on Pushkar Lake, a sacred Hindu site with 52 ghats (stone staircases)
where pilgrims bathe. The town has hundreds of temples, including 14th-
century Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, dedicated to the god of creation, which
has a distinctive red spire and walls inlaid with pilgrims’ silver coins.
Ajmer is a city known for Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the domed shrine of the
Muslim Sufi saint Garib Nawaz. Nearby, a 16th-century palace built by
the Mughal emperor Akbar now houses the Ajmer Government Museum,
displaying armour and stone sculptures. A museum at the Indo-
Saracenic‒style Mayo College exhibits art and taxidermied birds.
photo by mariam soliman on unsplash
Pushkar—Jaipur
Day 15 Neemrana-Delhi Head back to Delhi the next morning after breakfast.
photo by himanshu srivastav on unsplash
Don’t forget to take lots of photos and tag them #travelyogacafe