Blog 1: Rajao Ka Rajasthan

Day 1 & Day 2 – Jodhpur

This goes back to January ‘19, We were a group of seven people, who had planned a trip to the Land of Folk; Rajasthan. Trust me it’s the best time to be in a hot place like Rajasthan. The prime locations that we made sure to cover were Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Since it’s a short trip and there were acres to explore, we chose to stick to these two locations only. There were a lot of things on our bucket list, and we ticked them all. To start with visiting the authentic attractions of the two beautiful cities, followed by trying the mouth-watering food and at last concluding with living the Rajasthani way.

The Journey started from the Sarai Rohilla Railway Station. The vibe was crazy as this was the first time we’re traveling to any region other than ‘Pyare Pahaad’. So we decided to take an overnight journey to the Jodhpur Junction Railway Station, Jodhpur. It was a tiring journey which lasted for almost 14h.

Prior bookings were made by the TripEase team and we stayed at a beautiful and affordable place. We had bunk beds to sleep on and it’s a wonderful experience since all of my friends were in a single room and it felt like home. This lovely stay was located at a place with a wide and scenic view of the beautiful Mehrangarh Fort. The atmosphere was so welcoming and traditional that it felt like we were not just tourists, but were born here. The weather was warm in the morning and chilly at night, and trust me it was blissful.

We toured the city in the morning and visited the must-visit places in Jodhpur, namingly; Kaylana Lake, Mandore Garden & Mehrangarh Fort. We also tried mouth watering cuisine from restaurants like On the Rocks, Wonder View Rooftop Restaurant and more. After returning to our accomodation we took some amazing food and drinks to the rooftop of our accommodation and enjoyed the view with melancholic music. Jodhpur was full of surprises and was rich in culture.

Things To Do and Remember While In Jodhpur

Attractions : Mehrangarh Fort, Kaylana Lake, Mandore Garden, Ghanta Ghar etc. Commute: Auto Rickshaw and Cabs

Restaurants to Visit: On the rocks

Must Have Dishes : Rajasthani Lal Maas and Biriyani Things to Shop For : Leather Items and Traditional Dresses

  Day 3 & Day 4 – Jaisalmer

The very next day we took a bus to Jaisalmer from Jodhpur. This is the fastest way to reach Jaisalmer if you don’t feel like taking a flight or travel via a car. It was a new experience for us as we met a lot of foreigners and locals who shared their experiences and taught us a thing or two.

Surprisingly the foreigners were staying at the same accommodation as ours.

As per the itinerary prepared by the amazing people at TripEase we were supposed to spend one night in a hotel and the other in a desert camping site. After they showed us the pictures of the camping site, our minds were blown and we were intrigued to unveil what’s next. We reached the hotel, freshened up and went out to grab a bite. We thought Jaisalmer to be a secluded and slow paced city, but to our surprise, it turned out to be so mesmerizing. We took a walk to the local market and found a Juice Shop, and we’re glad we did.

While we slurped on that fresh glass of juice, the owner started to have a conversation with us. He was quite generous and was eager to show us around, but we had plans of our own. Later we continued with our plans and went in the market to grab a bite. Hang on you’ll love this part! I encountered a small shop surrounded by a mob, waiting to get their hands on the mouth watering ‘Pyaz ki Kachoris and Bread Pakode’. Intrigued, we had to try that kachori, and boy my taste buds still crave that monster of a kachori. We went on to look for a restaurant and found a gem of a place called Trio. This place is a traditional & lavish five star restaurant(Economical) in the Mandir Palace Hotel of Jaisalmer. They serve authentic Rajasthani as well as North Indian Food. We ordered a lot of things, one amongst them was Biriyani, I can’t describe how scrumptious it was. Make sure to devour other delicacies like Murg makhni, Lal Maas & Rajasthani Thali, to name a few. Later on, we left with happy souls and filled stomachs to visit a few attractions. At some point of time, you might feel like Rajasthan is all about forts and lakes,

but in the end you’ll love the heritage and the culture. The Jaisalmer fort, Gadisar lake and a few museums is what we saw after our meal.

After a tiring day we went on to take some rest at our accommodation. As if we were already not fortunate enough to be in Rajasthan, we again got a rooftop with an amazing view. Since, we’re supposed to leave early the next day for desert camping, we went to bed a little early. Desert camping comes with a complete package, which includes Camel ride, desert safari, meals, bonfire, folk performances and an one of a kind experience. We’re escorted to the site by cabs, and our cabbie was generous enough to guide us throughout the journey. You get two options when it comes to desert camping; The travelers’ kind and the tourist’s kind. If you choose to be a traveler, you get to enjoy the raw experience of desert camping by living in the middle of the desert at a secluded site, but in solitude. If you choose to be a tourist, you get to set foot onto a commercial, family like atmosphere. We chose to be Travelers, and stayed in the middle of nowhere, but in solitude.

Post having lunch, we went for a Camel ride and took a bunch of great photos, and silhouettes, which I’m going to share with you guys. While everyone else left for their commercial accommodation, we stayed till dawn to witness the most beautiful sunset ever. Also, we took it to another level by exercising our WWE moves on the sand dunes, while the desert rose to zero visibility. We then returned to our accommodation and ate traditional, home cooked Rajasthani meal.

Now it all comes to the very last day of this lovely trip. We were woken up early, as we had a Jeep ride scheduled. After putting upto a five layered clothing, we went for a chilly yet adventurous ride. Watching the Sun rise, almost felt like we’ve attained Nirvana. We then took the liberty to extend the ride a bit and stopped for cup of tea and maggi, in the middle of nowhere. JUST IMAGINE! We bid our goodbyes to the Mighty Sam Sand Dunes and left for the Jaisalmer city, from where we had to catch a train to Delhi at night. Later on we met our Juice Shop friend who then showed us around, took us to another great restaurant and introduced us to his friends. Such a warm welcome by the locals is what every traveler would want, and Rajasthan stood up to their beautiful culture and values. Indeed, Athithi Devo Bhava!

Things To Do and Remember While In Jaisalmer

Attractions : Jaisalmer Fort, Sam Sand Dunes, Desert Camping, Kuldhara Haunted Village etc.

Commute: Auto Rickshaw, cabs and On Foot

Restaurants to Visit: The Trio, Café the Kaku & Kachori shop

Must Have Dishes : Pyaaz ki kachori, Murg makhni, Biriyani and Laal Maas

Things to Shop For : Bandhni, Dupattas and Traditional Dresses

Experiences like these keeps a traveler keep coming back to places. If you have a such a story to tell, do share with us at hello@tripease.in

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