I have been to some of the well known places in Rajasthan, many times, but this road trip gave an opportunity to witness the region from a wide perspective. The idea was to take a different route and visit smaller towns and villages on the way! The itinerary for 2 weeks included some of the offbeat places to visit in Rajasthan!
Delhi → Mandawa → Navalgarh → Bikaner → Gajner → Jaisalmer → Sam Dunes → Jodhpur → Udaipur → Chitorgarh → Ajmer → Pushkar → Sariska → Alwar → Delhi
Offbeat Places To Visit in Rajasthan
Decorative paintings on the walls of Mandawa Havelis in Shekhawati
Lal Garh Palace, part of the palace is converted into a heritage hotel
Entertainment room at Lalgarh Palace Hotel with display of Shikar by Maharajas
Gajner Palace is now converted into a heritage hotel http://rajasthantourismbuzz.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/gajner-palace-bikaner-gohoto.jpg
Jaisalmer Fort glowing under the setting sun http://cntcdn.cntraveller.in/sites/default/files/Jaisalmer-Fort-123rf.jpg
Evenings entertainment at Suryagarh Hotel in Jaisalmer
Imposing Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur
Zarokha (balconies) of Meherengarh Fort Jodhpur
Souvenir shop in Jaisalmer Jodhpur selling Papier Mache toys
Chitorgarh Fort http://axisleisures.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Chittorgarh-Fort-India1.jpg
Flower seller at Ajmer Sharif, Dargah of sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti
Lake Pushkar is famous for the camel fair in November
What we noticed about Rajasthan during this road trip:
- Rajasthan has good roads! Even remote villages in the desert, with 5-10 huts, are accessible by roads
- There are lots of schools in Rajasthan! It was heartening to see village kids didn’t have to travel for miles to get basic education.
- Colors and more colors! Remote the region, brighter the colors! It was a visual delight to see elderly men and women donning bright red and yellow paghris (head gear) and sarees.
- Most beautiful part of the road trip was a road between Bikaner and Jaisalmer, like straight line, with vast expanse of flat dry land and intermittent sand dunes.
- There are always religious melas in remote villages which are never included in places to visit in Rajasthan. There are millions of devotees visit these melas on bikes, rickshaws, tractors, buses, camels and bullock carts! There is never a dull moment on the road!
Tips:
- Start Early to avoid traffic.
- Avoid long weekend and festive timings when you consider Places to visit in Rajasthan
- Load up on sun screen, hats, scarves, water and juices. Long stretches between Jaisalmer and Bikaner has practically nothing. We do not travel without an electric car cooler, stuffed with best wines and cheeses for romantic evenings!
- Rajasthan Tourism: Always book a hotel with a pool. After a long stretch of traveling, soaking up in the pool is the most relaxing!
- Fill the tank whenever you see a gas station, especially in remote roads of Bikaner and Jaisalmer. It is hard to find them when you are desperate.
- Best time for a road trip in Rajasthan: September to February.
- If you during off season like in August, you can stay in some of the best heritage hotels run by Rajasthan Tourism without paying a fortune!
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Hello,Thanks for sharing such an nice blog. You have shared a good information about Rajasthan.nice blog….
Thank you Vaibhav. Keep checking ilovetripping.com for more posts on exotic destinations! Keep sharing. Happy Tripping! ILT
Hi Priti,
Thanks for sharing this article, I learned a lot 🙂
Your pics are awesome and tips are really helpful.
Keep up the great work,
Your Fan
Pankaj
Thanks Pankaj. Keep checking ilovetripping.com for more posts on unusual destinations! Cheers! ILT