Jaisalmer Review

sam371

Hello everyone,

As promised, here's some of the reviews from my Jaisalmer trip:

There is only one train from Delhi to Jaisalmer, leaves once a day (note: this train is cancelled sometimes without prior notice) from Sawai Rohilla train station in Delhi. Train classes available are: Sleeper Class, 2nd Class Unreserved, 2nd Class Reserved and AC 3 Tier. It is about a 20 hr train ride to Jaisalmer from Delhi. (Note: DO grab some breakfast from the train station at the Jodhpur stop in the morning (around 6am) otherwise you'll be left feeling really hungry for the next 6 hours.

Jaisalmer: Upon arrival, we noticed a lotta ppl were getting mobbed by touts, hotel owners, tour group operators, camel safari agents, etc. It can be too much to handle after a long and tiring train journey. So be prepared and decide on a hotel in advance. When you come out of the station, head straight to the guy holding your hotel sign. There should be a free autorickshaw waiting to take you to the hotel. (it's a 5 min. ride to the fort gates). Alternately, if you want to decide on a hotel after checking it out, you can pay an autorickshaw around Rs. 15 to take you to the fort.
We stayed at the Hotel Desert Boys which is inside the fort. Our room was pretty decent with great views, hot water buckets, shower and western styled toilets for around Rs. 300 a night. Ask the hotel guy to show you the rooms before you decide on them as they all look (and offer) different.

Food: Variety of options available inside and outside the fort. Stick to the places that look busy. If you have a few hrs to kill, sit at any of the rooftop restaurants and sip chai all day. Great way to relax.

Camel Safari: Almost all hotels offer camel safaris. We decided to go with Hotel Renuka as I had heard good things abt it from a friend. And boy, were we pleasantly surprised at this guy's honesty - he laid out everything for us before we made any promises, etc. Told us exactly what would be offered and where we'd be taken. Hotel Renuka is one of the few places in Jaisalmer that offers camel safaris to places where you won't find very many tourists. On our day and a half safari (which included jeep transfer) we didn't see a single other caravan. Neat stuff. The guides were great too. We did the camel safari for only a day and a half and it did a number on our bodies....i wouldn't recommend doing it for much longer than that.

Sightseeing: There are a few havelis (bungalows) to see in Jaisalmer - hire an auto rickshaw from the gates - it shouldn't cost more than Rs. 100 to see all 3 major havelis, the lake, sunset point, etc.

Shopping, etc: Tons to shop for in Jaisalmer, but bargain and bargain HARD! The shopowners WILL overstate the prices by 2 to 3 times.

Misc.: I got a shave from a barber in town - cost Rs. 15 and boy was that a great way to refresh myself. Definitely a MUST do!

That's all for now - I'm sure I have missed out on some things - so feel free to ask any questions.

Peace.

JeRiKo1

We booked through Shahi Palace, a nice place btw, and the only other tourists we saw on our 1 1/2 day safari where the folks that rode our camels before. Ok. It was a little bit off season that time (September iirc).


Damn. If thats true we paid too much.

sam371

Hey JeriKo -
My girlfriend really liked this one hand-made painting which the shopowner quoted at Rs. 1500 - i bargained him down to Rs. 750. I still know he was making a killing off of us.
On one hand, I know that my dollars go a long way in India....and I shouldn't be pinching for every last rupee...but it's not about saving pennies here and there....it's about getting ripped off.
For instance, I liberally tipped my jeep safari driver at Corbett because of his honesty and integrity.

Anywho, don't despair.

Alan D

I agree about Sonny at the Renuka hotel. We've stayed there a few times and found him to be a great guy - more a philosopher than a hotel owner.

Our son went on a camel safari from the Renuka and really enjoyed it, even though he was sick for some of the time. Not the Renuka's fault though - probably the cockroach he found in his chicken tikka masala in one of Jaisalmer's better restaurants!

sam371

One other thing:

Our return train from Jaisalmer was cancelled - No reason given! We heard from some of the locals that this is a common occurrence. We rushed to Jodhpur on a state transportation bus (5 hr ride - Rs. 60) and caught the same train from Jodhpur to Delhi which we were supposed to get on in Jaisalmer. (Apparently, the train just didn't come to Jaisalmer from Jodhpur and that's why it was cancelled).

flamingo2004

Talk about bargaining - we were quoted 5.400 rps. for 1 pashmina with embroidery and ended up getting 2 pashminas with embroidery AND a pair of good tailor made trousers for 5.000 rps.
We probably still paid too much, but it is very difficult to say if you get good quality pashminas - I think they are.

bitchou

Hi,

I have another nickname - jaisalmer - (I will not tell you the nicknames my indian friends gave me in Jaisalmer).

Just an idea for people who like indian food. In the fort you have a restaurant which name is Vyas* Meal . A very old couple there. Very healthy food. Better you go to the kitchen to take you meal (the are very old).

To find it : you have the Maharajh palace on your right (Maharane palace on your back). You have a small road between 8th of july and the small temple. Walk in 250m. On the left side of this street.

An idea if you have time : go to Bikaner (visit the market, camel farm, Deshnok temple..., very good food in Sagar hotel (hi Dinesh !) and in Amber restaurant)) by train from Sarai Rohilla (you have an hotel near the station if you want to rest and have a shower before leaving Delhi). You have trains in the morning and in the night. From Bikaner, you can have a bus or a taxi to Jaisalmer (325 km).

Betwwen Delhi and Bikaner you can stop and visit Shekhawati (nice painted havelis).

If you want to know the name of the cows in fort, I know only ADAP's cows name (Mody, barki, Pl, Cajol...). ADAP = adha dudh adha pani (half milk half water). A friendly nickname, his milk is a pure one.

* Vyas is a brahman's cast. Brahman's food is usualy very good and very healthy.

__________________
Bitchou

IVAN

A quote from Mark Moxon's great travelogue:
"There also seemed to be a fixation with sex in town, and of course it's a well-known fact that all westerners have constant sex, so I came across some very strange comments. As I was walking into the fort one day, a little girl of maybe seven or eight came up to me and said, 'You are very beautiful man, hello.' "

http://www.moxon.net/india/jaisalmer.html

I perfectly recognised the situation, as something similar happened to me.

__________________
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cum grano salis

bitchou

Now I am not afraid to write the names the local people of the fort gave to me :

Big Schapel and, much better

Krishna

What can I do when I spend 41 days alone in Jaisalmer, a city I know so much I have nothing to visit ? Try to have nice talks with women, especially when they are local.

Nice talks are very nice...

ShirleyD

My auto driver was obesssed about western women marrying the local men. I hired him for an afternoon, and his only topic of conversation was finding me a suitable husband....even though I told him I was already married (a small lie, but it does save a lot of questions). He then suggest I have 2 husbands(?), and to keep my Indian husband a secret. It got to the point, where it just wasn't funny anymore and I abandonded the sightseeing.

Have any other women come across this in Jaisalmer or was I just unlucky!!

bitchou

What happened to you is usual. There is more dangerous sometime.

I am used to spend a long time in Jaisalmer (41 days this summer). If I don't want to be always with indian men I have to find nice tourists (women...) to get a nice company.

Five years ago my wife arrived in Jaisalmer. We climbed to the fort and, in between, we met a boy from the fort. "She is my wife" - "which one" - he said.

Hopefully my wife want me happy when I am alone.

I hope you keep your indian husband secret