Hotels in Jaisalmer

nyenyedzi

Trying to decide between the Desert Haveli and Hotel Suraj inside the fort - does anyone have any experiences with either of these that might help to tip the scales?!

Thanks for any help at all!

SitaParityaga

Only saw the places you named on the outside. They looked fine from that standpoint...but may-be someone can comment who has really been inside.

I stayed at

http://www.indiamike.com/reviews/sho...uct/360/cat/33

Which was unforgetably wonderful and worth every penny.

MarkoJ

I stayed at Hotel Suraj and it was basic, but fine. You're definitely right to stay inside the Fort.

jarman_ah

I am sure that the Suraj is nice enough, but I do NOT agree that you are wise to stay inside the Fort.

One of the things you will notice when you arrive in Jaisalmer is that the Fort is literally crumbling away in several places. A great deal of major damage has already been done -- irreversible damage -- and more is being done every day by the enormous pressure being placed on the inadequate plumbing in the Fort area by the thousands of tourists who insist on staying inside the Fort. A few years from now, Jaisalmer won't be on anyone's list of tourist destinationns, and it will be the tourists of the 21st century who will be responsible.

Anyway, the other disadvantage of staying inside the Fort is that the best view of Jaisalmer is surely the view OF the Fort.... and if you're IN it, you can't look AT it! All you will see is the vista looking down on the "new" part of town... which is nice, but only good for one or two photos... whereas the Fort wall in the afternoon sun is enough to drive a camera fiend crazy (that is, if you're not looking at some of the crumbled areas).

And, finally, remember that some of those very old hotels inside the Fort don't have windows at all in much of their rooms... so you may well not even get the vista view, unless you specify a room with a view.

I reckon the smart tourist stays outside the Fort, within a few minutes of the main gate, and walks in. It's not a large place, by any means, and there are fifty hotels which fill these requirements.

MarkoJ

The Fort is indeed crumbling in spots and there were some sections that have started to collapse or are being repaired. Not all of this can be blamed on tourists bowels, however, but of course much of it can be blamed on the influx of tourists which has led to the guest houses, restaurants, cars (at the entry) and motorcycles. Ideally, the government should kick everyone out and make a proper effort of conserving the fort as a historical site, but I sadly doubt that this will happen. As a tourist, the most fort-friendly thing that you can do is not to go there at all.

There are some great views inside the fort both of sections of the fort, the desert and some of the town below. You can easily catch these views from rooftop restaurants (where you can see the sunset over the desert, which you can't see from the town) or straight out the windows/balconies of your guest house. You just need to look through some of the guest houses first and pick a good one. There are also great views of the fort from the outside, as well as the havelis, the reservoir, etc but the real gem is the fort itself.

Since I'm guessing that you will probably spend your days sightseeing, the question is, would you rather stay in the intimacy of the fort, with the panoramic views, with the major sites a few minutes walk away, quiet nights with breezes or in the bustling town below? We stayed in the fort and enjoyed it, but there are pros and cons...

skinnylatte

I stayed at the Desert Boys guesthouse. It was lovely. Saw Suraj from the outside but heard (and thought) it seemed basic. I will highly recommend Desert Boys'.

killerwhale

Can someone recommend a nice hotel in Jaisalmer with pool Around
50-60 dollars a night?Thanks

desertrose

Hotel Gorbandh Palace has nice rooms ,nice pool, it is a little outside the center but calm and quite.