[JASMEET MATTOO]

Really like your way of detailed writing abhinav . On top of it, its coupled with marvelous pictures . Read it at one go.

Waiting for next updates.

[Dry Ice]

Oct 3, 2014
Bishnoi Village

The property is good but the huts are showing their age. Maybe they could do some makeup to spice things up a little. There are some new cottages coming up as well in addition to the older ones.

We have lunch and relax. The weather is too hot for the village safaris right now. We start by 4:30pm with Amit, our host and now, guide.

Amit recalls the story of Salman Khan and black buck. Apparently it was here, the incident happened. He says, Salman should thank his stars (pun-not-intended) he was not manhandled by the local populace. The Bishnoi people are guardians of wildlife. I will not narrate everything here, but will just direct you to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khejarli. He escaped much before the people got to know. The gypsy driver who brought them here, though, is still missing. Whose behind it, no one knows, his family still lives a simple life hoping he will return some day.

It was not one of those safaris you do in a forest, with the sole intent of spotting wildlife. This was a ride, bone-jarring though, through the absolute wild - where people seem to be living harmoniously with nature - there was no conflict, no grudges. So peaceful, so pure. Accompanied with Amit's stories, it was as if we were reliving the past. There was an innocence

Some wildlife we spot in the trip

Black Buck - Of Salman Khan fame


A slightly cropped version




Total Wilderness










Siberian Crane?

Amit also takes us to a nearby pottery and artisan villages. Well, not villages exactly, but close. Fantastic initiatives by the youth. See this is what education does. You get to know the world and it's dirty ways. So now they don't meddle with the middle men and take the profits home directly. They know how to sell their craft and since the usual tourist doesn't go much deep into the hinterlands, they have brought their art to nearby villages - it still gives a feel of seeing the 'actual' thing and yet at the same time it also feels like a 'theme' shop. Anyway, ladies buy some stuff impressed by the demonstrations (how could they not!) and we head back to the camps.

Amit arranges for a folk singer to entertain while the dinner is prepared. The proper shows are held only during the peak season. Since we are the only family present, we have to be content with just a singer. But he was good - and the show lasted for close to an hour. The dinner was traditional affair - daal, baati, churma and the works. We enjoy it! Very different, but we love it.

Oct 4, 2014
Heading Home!

After having a sumptuous breakfast the camp we leave for Delhi. Enroute we decide to stop at the Brahma temple at Pushkar. Not many pictures here - it is super crowded and we barely manage a darshan. Rest of the journey is uneventful, and we reach back home, safe and sound by night.

Before the curtains draw, a special thanks to the trusty steed for taking us everywhere in comfort.

Take a bow, mate!

Until the next one..

[motomaverick]

Very nice travelogue. Chowki Dhani is a real nice place to chill out in the evenings. Were you able to try the roti and garlic chutney from the old lady in one of the huts? Its the most simplest meal I have tasted but totally out of this world taste.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Very nice travelogue. Chowki Dhani is a real nice place to chill out in the evenings. Were you able to try the roti and garlic chutney from the old lady in one of the huts? Its the most simplest meal I have tasted but totally out of this world taste.

Thanks! No we didn't try that. Maybe next time.
They are now opening branches in many more cities - but Jaipur one remains the top bet.

[indianv2]

Brilliant pics and loved the story-like approach.

I visited Rajasthan in 2009 which still seems so fresh in memory till date. The people, places and the surroundings in Rajasthan are all so hospitable. We also traveled via road and that is what made the journey even more worthwhile.

Thanks for posting this travelogue - it hits the right chords for me.

[nagarjun]

Thanks Dry Ice for an amazing travelogue with attention to details. I could not have come across this, at better time as I just booked the flight tickets for a trip to Rajasthan with friends and was looking for information to plan the remaining details. The pictures are amazing and I am now hoping that the next month will just fly away .

We are planning to rent a car and drive to make the trip more interesting. I was banking on google and now I need to be more prepared with the routes after your experience with it. We had a similar experience of driving into some remote villages with hardly any roads while on a trip to Kerala.

[jeetaman]

Excellent blog Dry_Ice. Last week I planned my vacation for the year end. I was looking for options to drive around for a week. I know where I am going It will be a drive from Pune - Rajasthan.

Thanks for the details and nice photographs.

Cheers

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by nagarjun

.. I was banking on google and now I need to be more prepared with the routes after your experience with it..

Use Google to plan your trip before hand. Stick to NHs, SHs. Read accounts of people who did the same route. Should give you pointers as to whether Google is off the mark or on the money.

I knew it will be off the mark for Ranakpur - Kumbhalgarh even before I started from Delhi. Hence asked the locals first before following it.

ATB for the upcoming trip!

[ADI_77]

Eventhough I've been through Rajasthan and the places that you've mentioned so many times, still you made me read through your entire travelogue in one go, that's how impressive your narration & the pics to back it are. They just bought back memories of my various trips to these places. You should have also included Jaisalmer which is a 3.5 zip drive from Jodhpur.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by ADI_77

Eventhough I've been through Rajasthan and the places that you've mentioned so many times, still you made me read through your entire travelogue in one go, that's how impressive your narration & the pics to back it are. They just bought back memories of my various trips to these places. You should have also included Jaisalmer which is a 3.5 zip drive from Jodhpur.

Glad you liked the log so much. Thanks a lot. About Jaisalmer, well, I have mentioned about it in the opening post. :-)

Maybe sometime in future.

[tanwaramit]

Nice travelogue. Summed up beautifully with pics.

I too am traveling to Jaipur, do you think it makes sense to go to Amer Fort even before reaching Jaipur? As you have done.

Also, how far one has to walk up at Amer fort from car parking? If its too long, then I might have to try elephant ride the next day.

[rx2389]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

I too am traveling to Jaipur, do you think it makes sense to go to Amer Fort even before reaching Jaipur? As you have done.

Also, how far one has to walk up at Amer fort from car parking? If its too long, then I might have to try elephant ride the next day.

Hi Amit,

Amer Fort is right at the entrance of Jaipur city thus it makes sense to visit it first. If you have ample time, you may plan a visit later. IIRC, the distance between the car parking area & Amer Fort is not much.

[tanwaramit]

Originally Posted by rx2389

Hi Amit,

Amer Fort is right at the entrance of Jaipur city thus it makes sense to visit it first. If you have ample time, you may plan a visit later. IIRC, the distance between the car parking area & Amer Fort is not much.

Thanks for your reply.

I can see another route suggested by Google for Jaipur (in blue color). So if one wants to go to Amer while going to Jaipur (from Delhi), one has to take different route. Hope, this route is also good.

Do see the screenshot.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Nice travelogue. Summed up beautifully with pics.

I too am traveling to Jaipur, do you think it makes sense to go to Amer Fort even before reaching Jaipur? As you have done.

Also, how far one has to walk up at Amer fort from car parking? If its too long, then I might have to try elephant ride the next day.

Thank you!

It's not too far. Infact much closer than what we experienced at some other forts. On a lean day, you could easily get parking near the main entrance. If not, you can always drop your family at the gate, park the vehicle and walk back alone. While going to the parking, you will cross the main entry gate.

Originally Posted by tanwaramit

Thanks for your reply.

I can see another route suggested by Google for Jaipur (in blue color). So if one wants to go to Amer while going to Jaipur (from Delhi), one has to take different route. Hope, this route is also good.

Do see the screenshot.

That is right. At Chandwaji, you have to continue straight for Amer fort (leave NH-8). If going directly to Jaipur you can take the right turn (continue on NH-8).

Visiting it before entering Jaipur is a good option if you want to save time. That way, you don't have to retrace your steps too much for visiting this palace at a later day. If, however, you have ample time in hand, you can always comeback later or even cover it on the return leg.

[tanwaramit]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

It's not too far.

Visiting it before entering Jaipur is a good option if you want to save time. That way, you don't have to retrace your steps too much for visiting this palace at a later day. If, however, you have ample time in hand, you can always comeback later or even cover it on the return leg.

Thanks to your travelogue and suggestions. I had been to Jaipur last weekend and made a trip to Amer fort before I went to Jaipur city. This helped me save time to not to make a return trip to Amer fort the next day.

This advice and suggestions are the exactly reasons, why I turn to team-bhp.