Possibilities in Rajasthan?

Hi,

I have been travelling around South Asia for the last eight months, and now have about 7 weeks left in India before flying home. On the 15th of October I'll arrive in Rajasthan, where I plan to spend most of my remaining time.

For a long time now I have been entertaining a vague idea of buying a camel, finding a local guide, and trekking from one city to another. I was thinking of buying one in Jaisalmer if possible, after a 3-day safari in the Thar desert. I would then make my way to Pushkar via Jodhpur, and try to coordinate my arrival with the start of the camel mela - and there I would try to sell my camel, or failing that, make a donation of it to one of the charities which I have heard exist in Rajasthan.

But the reason I'm posting this is because I have no idea how realistic or stupid this idea is. I also need help in deciding in advance what the best course to take would be, regarding finding a knowledgeable independent guide, finding a camel, and of course covering the needs of the camel, food, equipment etc. Is it even possible to buy a camel in Jaisalmer, or do I have a false image in my head of Rajasthan generally? Where should I look for a guide who can help with looking after the camel and making sure we go where we need to go between the cities. What should I do with the camel overnight when I sleep? particularly in the big cities.

I know only basic Hindi as I have spent most of my time in non-Hindi areas so far, so the guide would need to speak decent English. Is there some kind of guides' union or organisation I could look into?

Most importantly, is all this possible or should I just do it the normal way and go for a couple of weeks in the Thar desert or something? In this case, are there organised safaris between Bikaner, Pushkar and Jaisalmer? I like the idea of going from x to z. How interesting is the terrain in these areas compared to the Thar?

Cheers,

Matt

I guess you can organise anything like that in Jaisalmer. How successful you are depends, perhaps, on how much of a rush you are in. If you have a few weeks there, then things will start to come together. go there for a week, ask around. Go trekking in the desert for a week, and you will learn more about your plan. Your guide will have some opinions too no doubt, and there is nothing else to do in the evenings but talk around the camp fire! I would think that rental with guide is a far better idea than purchase. That way, he has the problems if things go pear shaped. It is bound to cost less money too.

You might also chat to the Camel Guy, if he is still around:

http://www.indiamike.com/india/members/cameleer-u8980/

See this thread too:
Jodhpur to Jaisalmer by Camel?

I think it would be a good idea to do as you had said, which is to take a 3-day safari first. We went on a two-day safari, and it was a really memorable experience, but the second day on a camel got pretty painful, so we got off and walked for a while. That makes we wonder what a few weeks on a camel might be like.

Your plan does sound great, though. For a camel safari, I'd recommend checking out the Titanic Hotel in Jaisalmer. The manager there arranged it for us, and we were happier with our safari than some other people that we talked to were.