Rajasthan #2: The Desert

Rajasthan is a big state and the cities of tourist interest are far apart. Some of them do have airports, but that can be expensive. Or you may find that the time lost at the airport with its check-in and security checks wipes out any saving in commuting time. Fortunately though, the roads and highways are in very good shape, so travelling by car is an option.

 

On the drive to Jaisalmer, I was surprised to see that there were road signs to Pokran. Somehow, I always thought that the site of India’s nuclear tests was some point in the desert, not an actual place. Or maybe it was always a remote military base that shot to fame with the nuclear tests.

 

We went to Jaisalmer primarily to see the desert. And to spend a night in a tent in the desert. I hadn’t realized the place had tents of all kinds, including luxury ones with geyser and heater! There were so many groups of tents by different vendors, some for families-only. This arrangement meant that the groups of tents were about 5-10 driving distance by (open) jeep from the sand dunes.

 

The jeep ride was to make you enjoy the bumps and sharp swerves on the way there. Once in the desert, you can ride on an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) which will go at (what feels like) high speeds up and down the sand dunes; and yes, take a ride on the camels. There were also places nearby for paragliding, though we didn’t do that. Then it was just walking around the sand dunes and waiting to watch the sunset.

 

Back at the tent, they’d arranged a folk dance and entertainment before dinner. It was all a bit too comfortable – it didn’t feel like spending a night in a tent. I guess the setup we had chosen was among the more comfortable ones, meant for families with kids. Or maybe I am just kidding myself – a night in a real tent in the desert would probably have been freezing cold and not an enjoyable experience at all.

 

On the way back from Jaisalmer, we visited a dates farm. Turns out dates don’t grow in this desert naturally, so they’d set up a farm to cultivate dates of different varieties brought from different parts of the world. This dates farm too had a stay-in facility, though we didn’t spent time beyond the tour around the place. And it charged a princely fee for being driven around in a jeep around the place. Everything about this farm was another reminder that Rajasthan is designed for tourism.

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