Category: Travel

Yesterday I said goodbye to the Golden City. It was just as enjoyable as the White City (Udaipur) and the Blue City (Jodhpur). The Pink City (Jaipur) of Rajasthan awaits! I loved the old sandstone buildings and was happy to see that they continue to build and sculpt new buildings using the same stone. Here … Continue reading / view photos Goodbye, Golden City

Earlier in the week, I visited the incredibly sumptuous Patwa-ki-Haveli (the first haveli built in Jaisalmer) and Nathmal-ki-Haveli. Both mansions are covered in intricate stonework. On Tuesday, when returning from Gadisar Lake, I came across a private haveli, the Salim Singh-ki-Haveli. The ticket seller, I learnt later, was a relative of the owner of the … Continue reading / view photos Beautiful Jaiselmer

After the festival in Kochi, I found myself again in the right place at the right time. My stay in Jaisalmer coincided with the 2018 annual Desert Festival. The Festival consisted of an inaugural parade through the centre of Jaisalmer. People dressed in traditional costumes. The parade ended in the stadium where the crowd, including … Continue reading / view photos 2018 Desert Festival, Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer is dominated by its fort. It’s often likened to a giant sandcastle rising from the precipitous rock face. When you see it, you can see why. The fort is part of the old city, walled in by nearly a hundred bastions. There are several Jain temples in there and a royal palace too. The … Continue reading / view photos Jaisalmer Fort – castles in the air

Like probably every other visitor to Jaisalmer, I did a camel safari. Mine was just over a day. There were five of us. A jeep took us first to Kuldhara, which looked in pretty good nick for an abandoned village. It was established by the Brahmins (the priestly caste) in the 13th century and abandoned … Continue reading / view photos Camel safari, Jaisalmer

Outside the centre of Jodhpur there are some fine places to visit. The first place I went to was Mandore Gardens, which the guesthouse owner told me about and isn’t mentioned at all in my guidebook. I’m glad I went: it was peaceful, had a surprisingly attractive temple and there were loads of monkeys! I … Continue reading / view photos Around Jodhpur

Monkeys in Mandore Gardens and other random non-buildings! View photos Mandore Gardens, Jodhpur

I ended up enjoying Jodhpur far more than I thought I would. It could be because of a couple I met who found it very dirty. I have noticed that several people’s view of places they’ve visited, and India generally, is often dictated by the hotel they stay in. If it’s good they tend to … Continue reading / view photos Jodhpur, the White City

I’m running out of superlatives to describe India’s treasures! The staggering Mehrangarh – Jodhpur’s mighty, muscular, magnificent fort – rises imperiously from a rocky hill, which is itself 125m above Jodhpur’s old town. The fort seems to have been chiselled out of the rock so that the line where the rock finishes and the fort … Continue reading / view photos Majestic Merahangarh

This one’s for trainspotters 🤓. The people at the retreat booked my train ticket. It was for class 2AC (second class, air-conditioning). This is often the best class available. When the ticket was booked for me, it was not “confirmed”. Therefore I went on the waiting list. If an existing confirmed ticket holder for a … Continue reading / view photos Krishna Prakash Heritage Haveli