Guide in places of interest

Hi

Is it necessary to have a guide when you are visiting places of interest in Rajasthan? For example, I heard that in Jaisalmer, the tourist police would not allow your driver to be with you when you are visiting the town of Jaisalmer and insist that you employ one of the local guides. But, what if you don't want to have a guide?

Thanks

That's utter nonsense, there's nothing called a compulsory guide anywhere in the state of Rajasthan (or for that matter anywhere in India that I've visited). Do not succumb to any pressure from anyone....

not specific to this location, but in general...

while it is correct that guide is not a mandatory requirement anywhere, the 'local' guides would object to an 'outside' guide, in the form of your 'driver'... they would see it as an external party taking away their business, which might seem legitimate from their perspective. of course, if the driver looks more like a friend, i don't think they would bother much, beyond the customary sales pitch.

besides this, there are some forest reserves, where you MUST take their guide, whether you want it or not & the fixed price is already part of entry conditions...

My driver told me that very thing when we were in Jaisalmer. He said the tourist police knew him from his previous trips, and he could not go anywhere in town with me or he would get in trouble. If he was not driving, he would stay wherever the car was parked.

As previously stated, you are not required to have a guide. Inside the fort, it's nice to have one if for no other reason than to keep the others who want to be your guide from pestering you to death while you're trying to enjoy yourself.

Wholeheartedly agree with vaibhav_arora's "nonsense," with paramiyer's codicil about some forest reserves. We've made something like eight six-week trips, always without guide.

Gypsy Moth is right that having a guide will protect you from others bothering you – but then of course you're stuck with a guide anyway. One member (I've forgotten whom) once sorted things out by hiring a guide from among a pestering crowd, choosing the one man who agreed to accompany him but never speak: this kept the other guides and touts at bay without the member's having to listen to an endless spiel.

Be aware that you will sometimes miss things without a guide - little nooks and crannies and special features. On the other hand, many of the guides we've eavesdropped upon are spouting nonsense just to appear to be doing their job (think of the kids in Slumdog M... ), and several IM members have complained of the same problem.

On balance, we find we discover things the guides never knew were there; and we have the great thrill of searching things out on our own, which is immensely satisfying. And when we discover we've missed this or that, well, it just gives us an excuse for another trip to India to seek it out.