The desert and camel safaris are a huge draw in Jaisalmer, perhaps being the single largest attraction cum activity after the Golden Fortress itself, sometimes even preceding it in popularity.
Carried out throughout the Thar desert, which I “discovered” does not resemble the popular image of deserts that I had in mind. Instead of being filled with long stretches of romantic sand dunes, the Thar desert is largely flat, slightly rocky with intermittent shrubs of growth, although to be fair there are small patches of sandy dunes scattered within its borders.
There are several types of tours and safaris, which I’ve detailed out here. In this post I will attempt to share the magical experience of spending a night in the desert.
When I arrived in Jaisalmer, desert safari was a must –do activity on my list. I was staying at the Mystic Jaisalmer Hotel, which runs its own desert safari under the same brand. I was fortunate to be part of one of the largest groups Mystic has ever handled, with 14 travellers and 5 guides. The average group ranges from 4-7 travelers. Interestingly, amongst my 13 travel companions, I was the only Indian that night in the middle of the Rajasthani desert.
We left our hotel a little after two in the afternoon. Our first stop was the Kuldhara village. This historic village is on the way to Barna and usually serves as a stop for all desert safaris along the route. Legend has it that around 200 to 250 years ago all 1200 inhabitants of this village (figure may not be accurate, but essentially all inhabitants of the village) disappeared overnight without trace. Many speculate that it might have been on account of a threat from the King of the time, although no one is certain. The village stands in ruins with most of the houses and buildings being totally bare, empty, roofless, with the walls crumbling along with time. The site served well to build up the excitement for the desert safari although it might appear fairly ordinary if not aware of the history.
