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Rajasthan - The Road Less Travelled
On this journey, we go deep into the road less travelled uncovering Rajasthan in its full essence and following in the legacies of the Rajputs. An extraordinary sojourn witnessing some of the most spectacular forts to the tantalising splendours of the desert. This is the real Rajasthan.
HIGHLIGHTS
Stay in luxurious and boutique hotels
Discover the palaces & legacies of the Rajputs
Enjoy insiders' perspectives from our your local expert guide
ITINERARY
DAY 1: ARRIVE DELHI / JODHPUR
Arrive into Delhi Indira Gandhi Intl Airport and proceed to clear immigration and baggage collection. Thereafter, re check in for your short domestic flight to Jodhpur. On arrival, be met and begin your discovery with a visit to the spectacular Umaid Bhawan Palace, built between 1928 and 1943, the sprawling grandeur of Umaid Bhawan Palace can be seen for miles around and is the world's largest private residence. Part of the palace is a luxury hotel, part of it royal quarters and some of it is dedicated to the Umaid Bhawan Palace museum which charts the history and heritage and tells the story of how Maharaja Umaid Singh appointed a well-known Edwardian architect to design the palace in art-deco style. It also displays an archive of pictures taken of the palace over the years, as well as an antique clock collection. The museum also houses a whole range of historical artefacts that belonged to the royal family, including everything from trophies to weaponry and an impressive vintage car collection.
Overnight: Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
DAY 2: JODHPUR
An exceptional day begins with a visit to the majestic Mehrangarh Fort - with walls that soar like sheer cliffs above the skyline of Jodhpur boasting many palaces within, founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, the 15th Rathore ruler. Close to the fort is the 19th Century Jaswant Thada - a fascinating cenotaph creation in white marble built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. Later, we will take a tonga ride into the old town in appreciation of the Blue City of Jodhpur where walls and houses are painted in different shades of blue creating a sensory experience walking through the narrow lanes and alleys with bustling markets and interesting everyday life.
Overnight: Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 3: JODHPUR / POKHRAN / JAISALMER
We leave Jodhpur today as we enter into the heart of the Thar Desert. En route, we make a stop at the Fort of Pokhran, built in rare yellow sandstone by the Rathores clan dating back to the 14th Century and is now converted into a heritage hotel. Surrounded by rocky, sandy salt ranges, Fort Pokhran stands on an ancient trade route that carried salt, silk and spices to Persia and beyond. Thereafter, we continue our journey west to the "Golden City" of Jaisalmer which traces its inception to the 12th Century. We begin our orientation of Jaisalmer with a visit of some of the most beautiful havelis such as the Salim Singh Ki Haveli and the Patwon Ki Haveli - with intricate and elaborate carvings that tells the story of Jaisalmer's glorious past. Approaching sunset, we then enjoy the calm splendours of the man-made Gadisar Lake, created as a water conservation tank in the 14th Century that supplies water to the arid city of Jaisalmer. Finally, we will transfer to the opulent desert retreat, Suryagarh in between the fringing outskirts of the city and the Thar Desert.
Overnight: Suryagarh, Jaisalmer
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 4: JAISALMER
We begin the day with a visit of the imposing UNESCO-listed Jaisalmer Fort, one of the largest forts built by Bhati Rajput ruler, Rao Jaisal. Built on the top of the Trikuta Hill, the fort has witnessed many battles with a great blend of Islamic and Rajput architectural style. Boasting 99 bastions and 4 entrance gates around its circumference, we explore in depth and learn about its defence mechanisms, history, culture as well as visiting the Jain temples and palaces in the fort. Later, we journey just outside of the city to the Royal Cenotaphs of Bada Bagh, built by Maharawal Jai Singh II who commissioned a dam with a view to solving the water issues where later after his death, his son Lunakaran built a beautiful garden next to the lake and a cenotaph in honour and beloved memory of his father.
Overnight: Suryagarh, Jaisalmer
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 5: JAISALMER / BARMER
Enjoy a leisure morning and later, we leave Jaisalmer travelling south to explore the Kiradu Temples renowned for their Solanki style of architecture constructed between the 11th and 12th Centuries. Spend some time understanding its golden era under the Solanki Gujarat regime before continuing into the heart of less-visited Barmer where we arrive at the opulent Sanchal Fort, a heritage hotel located in the sand dunes of Magabar.
Overnight: Sanchal Fort, Barmer
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 6: BARMER / NAKODA / JALORE / JAWAI BANDH
Awake to a refreshed day as we leave this morning to continue our our expedition of Rajasthan less travelled. En route, we make a stop at the Shri Nakoda Bhairav Temple in the village of Nakoda, one of the most important Jain temples in India. Thereafter, continue our journey southeast to the city of Jalore where we visit the impeccable Jalore Fort, constructed between the 8th and 10th Centuries perched atop a steep hill overlooking the city. Thereafter, we visit the Topkhana, a Sanskrit school built by King Bhoj between the 7th and 8th Centuries and was once used as a artillery and ammunition storage facility. Our journey then culminates in our arrival at the Sujan Jawai Leopard Camp, nestled in the untamed wilderness of rocky granite kopjes, home to the elusive leopards and the best sightings of the Indian Leopard. We spend the next 2 nights here to embrace the fascinating nature of the bush.
Overnight: Sujan Jawai Leopard Camp, Jawai Bandh
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 7: JAWAI BANDH
Begin an immersive experience of the nature of Jawai as we hop onto your 4x4 jeep for a safari experience on the trails of the leopards, striped hyenas through a unique landscape where man and wild animals coexist in an embrace almost unimaginable in the 21st Century and perhaps the only place in the world where a high density of big cats and humans thrive harmoniously in close proximity. You will also enjoy a walk with the Rabari herdsman, traditional nomadic shepherds to understand life in the region. As night begins to fall, a sun-downer experience to capture the rural life and landscape before a boma-styled dinner to toast and reflect on the journey thus far.
Overnight: Sujan Jawai Leopard Camp, Jawai Bandh
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 8: JAWAI BANDH / RANAKPUR / UDAIPUR
Enjoy another morning game drive to catch the leopards and thereafter, we leave for a pleasant drive to the Ranakpur Temple - the biggest and most important Jain temple in India, beautiful and intriguing - one of the finest examples of complex and sustained levels of craftsmanship the Jains are renowned for. Thereafter, we continue to Udaipur, one of the most mesmerizing cities in Rajasthan. On arrival, enjoy a cruise on Lake Pichola admiring landmarks such as the famed Taj Lake Palace Hotel and the ghats surrounding the city and then a visit to the City Palace and the Jagdish Temple before finally arriving at the stunning Oberoi Udaivilas, one of the most photographed and luxurious hotels in India if not the world.
Overnight: Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 9: UDAIPUR (EXCURSION TO CHITTORGARH)
Today, we travel out of Udaipur for an excursion to the UNESCO-listed Chittogarh Fort - perhaps India's most stunning fort standing atop a 180m hill spreading across 700 acres and had witnessed many fierce battles and is a standing sentinel to the courage and valour of Chittorgarh - believed to be built by the Mauryans in the 7th Century and further structures were added by the successive Mewar rulers. We will also admire Padmini's Palace of which centres a beautiful yet tragic love story which inspired the building of the palace, surrounded by water.
Overnight: Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 10: UDAIPUR / DELHI DEPARTURE
Today, be transferred to Udaipur Maharana Pratap Airport for a short domestic flight to Delhi where we end our journey or continue your onward adventures in India and beyond.
Meals: Breakfast
HOTELS
Discover a fascinating past and an enchanting present at Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace, perched high above the desert capital of Jodhpur. Perched on Chittar Hill, the highest point in Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawan Palace inspires with exotic views of the historical Blue City, vast sand dunes and intimidating Mehrangarh Fort.
The Suryagarh is a passage into India's past, a haven of Rajasthani heritage. Within this colonnaded, sandstone stay, the spa offers pummelling and scrubbing with hot stones and sand and the hotel's Legend of Mewar restaurant serves tempting traditional fare amid the dunes while you watch the sun sink into the sand.
Sanchal Fort, Barmer Resort is a luxury hotel in Barmer, Rajasthan, located on the sand dunes of Magabar. The very essence of the culturally-rich state of Rajasthan is brought to life at Sanchal Fort where its atmosphere captures the vibrancy and complexities of the city that is India's largest producer of oil.
At the heart of an untrammeled wilderness, where leopards roam wild and free, is Sujan's Jawai. Designed by the owners, Anjali and Jaisal Singh, Jawai represents a style that combines subtle opulence with abundant adventure advocating goals for conservation without compromising comfort. The camp has 9 luxurious tents including one royal suite, each with oodles of space and privacy in a landscape of outstanding natural beauty.
Located on the banks of Lake Pichola, the award-winning Oberoi Udaivilas stands on the 200 year old hunting grounds of the Maharana of Mewar boasting an expansive sanctuary for discerning travellers with refined and exquisitely-designed rooms and suites reliving the era of emperors and princely kingdoms with ornate decorations and charming Mughal style architecture.
