rajasthan

Rajasthan:

a land beyond imagination

Jaipur: Hava Mahal

Here are some of the most famous towns or places you might want to see while touring Rajasthan. Of course, Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Udaipur are well-known but for those who have more time, we suggest them to try and visit the other places too. They are all jewels.

Jaipur: the Galta temples

Jaipur: the pink city, world famous for its Hava Mahal, but hides many other places of interest: the observatory (Jantar Mantar), the City Palace. The town is also well-known for its stones and its jewellers... Don't miss Amber Fort, some 11 kilometres from Jaipur. It is a 4-century old fortress built on a hill and it can be reached by elephant, if you want. There are some other forts perched on the surrounding hills that can be visited (Nahargarh, Jaigarh). The Galta temples are also interesting to see.

Alwar: a small town with a very nice museum housing some miniature paintings, old weapons, clothes, stuffed wildlife... and cuddling at the foot of a hill.

Shekhawti: a unique area where houses have turned into books telling stories from the past. The ideal thing is to try and see several towns (Jhunjhunu, Nawalgarh, Fatehpur...). A unique testimony of the arrival of progress!

Pushkar: once a hippie haven, with a rare Brahma temple, the town now sleeps lazily by its lake only to wake up for the Camel Fair which takes place there every year in the autumn. You will be able to have a pleasant walk around the ghats.

Bikaner: Don't miss Junagarh fort. Not only will you see marvellous paintings, marble carvings but also a nice collection of Rajput weapons and an old biplane dating back to World War I. The Sri Sadul Museum within the Lalgarh Palace (3 km from the town centre) houses old many photographs and objects that had belonged to Maharaja Lal Singh. In the garden, you will find a wagon from the maharaja's train. A few kilometres from Bikaner, you can visit to a camel farm, but there is another spectacular place to go to: the Karni Mata (also called the Rat Temple) in Deshnok.

Jodhpur: the blue city. It will charm you with its blue painted houses and breathtaking Majestic Fort perched on a hill dominating the town. Not far from the Fort, there are some impressive cenotaphs. In town, you will find delicious spices near the Clock Tower. The marketplace is nice too.

Jaisalmer: the yellow city blossoming in the Thar desert. Don't miss the opportunity to stroll along the narrow streets within the citadel, visit the beautiful havelis (rich merchants' houses with lace-like stone carved façades) and the Jain temples. You can even stay in hotels within the citadel and enjoy a beautiful view of the desert from the walls. Some hotels and restaurants propose good music from the desert at night. Before leaving, visit the royal cenotaphs (at Bada Bagh, for instance) and have a camel ride or safari in the sand dunes (at Sam or Khuri).

Ranakpur: lost in the Aravalli mountains, 60 kilometres from Udaipur, it hides a marble Jain temple with 1,444 colums, all carved in a different style.

Udaipur: the jewel of the Aravalli. It is a place full of magic with white palaces sleeping lazily on lakes or dominating them. You can reach those palaces by boat, which adds to the magic. The scenery around is beautiful and very green. Apart from the palaces, you can also have a stroll in some beautiful gardens.

Kumbhalgarh: the second most important fort of the Mewar. It dates back to the XVth century. You can still see its impressive 36-kilometre long wall.

Mount Abu: visit the almost 1,000-year-old Dilwara Jain temples wonderfully carved in marble. The fineness of their details will leave you breathless.You can also relax boating on lake Nakki.

Bundi: Some old paintings can still be seen on the walls in Taragarh Fort. Try not to miss the beautifully carved well (Raniji-ki-Baoli) in the town centre. Another attraction is the 84-pillar cenotaph nicely illuminated at night.

Wildlife in Rajasthan

Visit the Keoladea Ghana bird sanctuary in Bharatpur. You can either hire a bicycle and have a ride for yourself or hire a rickshaw with a guide that will help you spot the various birds. He will also provide you with many details on them.

Tigers and other protected species:

The Ranthambhore and Sariska National Park (Tiger Project) will give you the opportunity to spot some tigers (if you are very lucky). But even if you don't see a tiger, you will be able to spot many other animals like jackals, antilopes, different kinds of deer, peacocks...