Jaisalmer is an unique destination because of two things. One, it’s proximity to the famous thar sand dunes and another, probably, the only living fort in India. That’s why I titled this review, "History not deserted". The Golden Fort in Jaisalmer still houses about 600 families within its compound walls and comprises of hotels, restaurants, markets and whatever one can imagine in a small touristy town. I was told that during emergency, king thought that entire fort could be nationalized and so he gave ownership of their residences to those 600 families who used to stay inside the fort and therefore, it remained occupied. Ofcourse, the town currently extends well beyond the fort walls.
It’s also very popular with the foreign tourists and so, lot of hotels and restaurants cater to them. One can find Italian/continental food more easily than proper Rajasthani food in Rajasthani heartland. Also, unlike Jodhpur and Mount Abu, the food is not good in cheaper eateries.
There are many camps which run in winter season only near the sand dunes. One can have a camel ride to the dunes in the evening and stay in these camps at night with dinner and cultural programs as value adds. After much research, I zeroed in on Desert Safari Camp and booked a tent. It was expensive and it was heartbreaking. At that price, we got a breakfast buffet really wanting in variety and a dinner buffet, which was heavily crowded because of day visitors. Talk about cultural programs. I am very sorry to say it’s a ploy to just fool and loot foreign visitors. The quality of these programs is one of the very worst, the dancers are untrained and they are performed very unprofessionally. The better option, as far as I could guess later, one can stay in one of the most expensive hotels in Jaisalmer and just visit the sand dunes in the evening and come back. Probably, the cultural programs there would be better, though, I didn’t get time to check that. Also, don’t get lured by the fact that you will stay near to the dunes at night. Whichever camps I saw including the one I stayed in, were at least a few kms away from dunes and the landscape resembled any village in plains.
Sand dunes are an attraction in itself. However, more often than not, tourists are dumped on a particular sand dune, whichever happens to be nearest, in numbers. So, you find all over camel or human foot marks over the sand. We took a camel safari for 2 hours and went for a sand dune further down and there we could shoot the way they are naturally with wrinkles.
Those who think they will be rewarded with a view of sand all around till horizon will get disappointed like me. Actually, sand dunes are followed by some barren land and then some other dune follows. Though, their length is adequate, the width of the dunes is usually not so and one can easily see the land beyond the sand a few hundred metres away. Still, you can always get a shot which gives an impression that you are standing in a never ending ocean of sand.
There are hotels all over the fort, small houses converted to few room hotels. Foreign visitors are attracted to them for they get to stay inside the fort and usually they all have some antique feeling associated with them. However, Indians and especially from north will be disappointed with the kind of rooms they get at that price inside the fort. The better option is to book into some hotels outside the fort which are more spacious and star category hotels.
It’s better one hires a guide for sightseeing which basically is the fort and havelis. Jaisalmer has one of the finest stone carvings on display and that’s why everywhere camera tickets are more than per person charge. Most of the houses in the fort have carved jharokhas on their outer walls. My guide told that earlier it used to be a symbol of richness. The more carvings, richer they were.
Jain temple and palace is a must visit inside the fort. Patwon ki haveli, built by five brothers who were Nagar Seth, is the richest in carving details. I was overwhelmed when I stood in between the five havelis on whose walls, the carvings were so fine that entire wall looked like made of wood.(photo attached)