On our trip to Jaisalmer, I had decided that we will stay in a rather unconventional hotel/resort to enjoy the beauty of the desert to the fullest. The best option, they say, is to go for a desert safari and sleep under the stars with not a soul around you. But I am not that adventurous and need at least the basic amenities for enjoying a holiday.
After a lot of research we finally decided that we will stay in the Mirvana Nature Resort.
The website is quite inviting and gives the impression of a warm welcome awaiting you at the resort. The booking can also be done by email and further details can be obtained over phone.
You can check out the details for yourself at https://mirvananatureresort.com/
The best time to visit is from october to march. Also it is advisable to do advance booking specially during the christmas season.
Mirvana Nature Resort is located in a small village called Sodakore, around 55 Kms from Jaisalmer. To reach this place you can hire a cab from Jaisalmer or take a bus. Another way, which was suggested by the resort people, is to take a train from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer and get down at tha station Shri Bhadaria Lathi which is just before Jaisalmer. This is what we had done as we were on our way fron Jodhpur to Jaisalmer.
A jeep from the resort picked us up from the station. It was 4:00 AM and the road to the resort looked quite good until we took off from the main road and started to follow a trail marked with small posts of the resort. Though the trip was a little tiring, the sky above us made up for it. It was just before dawn and the sky was totally covered with stars. There were so many stars in the sky, that I understood why poets used to descibe a romantic night sky as a blanket embroidered with diamonds. I could now see what I could not imagine then.
We were then led to a cottage which was totally circular in shape. It was like staying in a village hut just that it had all the modern amenities. The cottage was very well decorated with rajasthani paintings on the walls, appropriate lighting arrangement and very soothing colors to go with the whole set up. The cleanliness is also worth mentioning. They also have tents with similar facilities, but we wanted to stay in the cottage.
There is a swimming pool which is really cool given the fact that you are in the middle of a desert. Only drawback I felt were the desert insects which keep hovering around the water. The resort is surrounded by a farmhouse where they grow a large varieties of vegetables which I could not believe until I saw for myself.
The cook of this resort is just awesome. The food is very simple, yet very very tasty. They take into consideration the choice of the guest before preparing anything. Another unique thing about the food here is that most of the vegetables and fruits are grown in the farm adjoining the resort.
I specially enjoyed the dinner they arranged for us near the swimming pool. They served a steaming 4 course meal. It made us feel very special. The service provided by the restaurant is very good. The waiters are very courteous. The food is just AWESOME. The (indian) sweets served here is worth a special mention because of the perfect sweetness and taste.They also arrange special dinner for a little larger (than a group of 2) at the nearby dunes.
We also went to the nearby dunes(at extra charge) to spend the evening and watch the sun set in the desert. A person from the resort accompanied us along with the jeep driver. He set up tea for us on the dunes with biscuits and some snacks. It was good fun, but I was a little disappointed as the dunes are not that big as compared to other dunes in Jaisalmer, but then this we had for ourselves and all other places are so crowded.
The one night stay cost us around Rs.5500 which included accomodation, two meals and breakfast, Pick up from the Bhadaria Lathi station, a camel ride to the nearby viallge and a evening of cultural programme performed by the local artists.
The owner of the resort Mr. Rathore is a very warm person and truly treats his guests to the best of his abilities.We faced slight problems with the water supply to the cottage because extension of the resort was going on at that time. In order to compensate for the inconvinience caused to us Mr. Rathore himself apologized and gave us a discount on the entire package. Well, this only proved to me that the problem we faced was accidental and the intentions of the people running this place is truly to give you total satisfaction from the money that you are spending.
*This place indeed made us feel very special and hence has a special place in our list of "Best places to stay" !!!