Jaisalmer, India

Jaisalmer; a city in the heart of the desert. We'd arrived from Jodhpur by bus, feeling tired, overheated and in my case quite poorly. A tuk tuk driver brought us to our accommodation; a place named Hotel The Silk Route on the outskirts of the city. We walked along a path with makeshift houses on either side to our hotel, a beautiful honey coloured stone building. Our room was a delight, a huge double bed embellished with intricately designed cushions and throws, walls left natural in warm stone and an immaculate bathroom. It was definitely the best room that we had booked in India and probably in all of our travels and due to low season we got it at a bargain price. Despite the lovely surroundings I was still feeling weak and ill, while I rested in the room Craig went to the hotel roof terrace for dinner and a beer. 

Narrow Streets In Jaisalmer In India

The next day my stomach upset had still not improved and I was starting to feel very low, when I'm feeling unwell my emotions seem to get the better of me, all I wanted was to be at home in my own bed. I couldn't face going outside and ended up spending the day indoors sleeping and trying my best to preserve the energy that I had as it had been a while since I'd eaten any food. 

Narrow Streets In Jaisalmer In India

Finally, when I woke the following day I was feeling much better. My mood had improved dramatically from the day before and I was ready to face the world again. We left the hotel and walked into the city, along the narrow roads between the tall buildings to a temple which we admired for its carvings from the outside. Onwards we walked to the fort, we had decided to hire a guide as the fort is so big and has people living inside its walls. Our guide explained the quirks of the fort, one of which being that the road and gates leading up to the fort are in a special formation so if you're stood at one gate you cannot see the next one ahead. We went inside a Jain Temple and saw hundreds of little statues carved from stone, light dappled through gaps in the ceiling. Our next stop was at a viewpoint where we could see our hotel in the distance and the desert. We could certainly tell that we were in a city in the desert too, it was almost like the fort was made from sand and the temperature was over 40 degrees celsius. The alleyways inside the fort were decorated with paintings of elephants and colourful doorways but it was obvious that this was a well lived in community rather than a preserved museum like other forts and palaces that we had explored in Rajasthan. The guide walked us to another viewpoint which was much quieter and where we could have our photograph taken before leading us to a family owned workshop where jewellery was made. We didn't feel pressured to buy anything which was lucky and after a quick look around caught a tuk tuk back to the hotel, by this point my energy was waining and the heat and lack of food was making me feel faint.

Hundreds Of Figures Adorn The Walls Of The Jain Temple In Jaisalmer In India

Intricate Carving In A Jain Temple In Jaisalmer, India

We enjoyed a drink on the hotel roof terrace where we could see the fort lit up at night in the distance. Perhaps it was a mistake coming to the desert in the height of summer but the beautiful hotel had served as a perfect place to be when poorly and the city, our last stop in Rajasthan had been a hassle-free and tourist-free destination. 

Us In Jaisalmer In India

Next: A long journey back to Delhi and onwards to Amritsar; a city in the state of Punjab.

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Have you been to Jaisalmer? If so, what did you think? Maybe you're planning a trip? I've got tonnes of advice and tips I can share. Let me know in the comments below. 

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Jodhpur, India

Our favourite eatery in Udaipur; Yummy Yoga had kindly opened their doors early so that we could eat breakfast before leaving. We gorged on sweet porridge before taking a tuk tuk to the bus stop on a dusty street corner. We had to wait for a little while and there was some confusion as to which bus we needed to board but eventually ours arrived and we jumped on. It was a mixed sleeper and seated bus, we had seated tickets. The journey wasn't too bad though quite hot and once in Jodhpur we were dropped off on the side of a busy motorway miles from the city centre itself. We bargained with a tuk tuk driver who drove us to the clock tower, a popular spot for tourists. We reached the clock tower a few minutes from our guesthouse when our tuk tuk began to splutter until it stopped completely. A huge swarm of locals surrounded us which was a tad overwhelming to say the least. The tuk tuk wouldn't go and so despite not having a clue how to navigate the maze of streets to our guesthouse we paid up and said we'd walk. Luckily, a few minutes later the driver had got his motor working again and had caught up with us, whizzing us to our guesthouse door. 

Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India

An Interior Courtyard At Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India

The room was a little dismal and the air conditioner was broken, the heat was intense, as it was everyday and I was feeling low after a difficult journey. The owner said he'd get it fixed in a few hours so we ventured out for some food. Despite Jodhpur being the second largest city in the state of Rajasthan it appeared that most of the cafés and restaurants were closed for low season. Many of the narrow roads were being dug up for work and the swarms of motorbikes made the place feel claustrophobic and chaotic. All of the best reviewed places were closed so we ate on the roof terrace of the restaurant opposite the guesthouse, owned by the same family. The food was shocking, so much so that I couldn't eat much of mine. We returned to the guesthouse and moved to a dark room at the back of the building with no windows. It was dingy but I wasn't too fussed as at least it was cool and we would get a good nights sleep. I had a feeling that we wouldn't be staying too long in Jodhpur anyway.

Walking The Steep Slope Of Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India

Breakfast the next morning wasn't the best, I was beginning to see a theme with food in Jodhpur. To save our strength we took a tuk tuk up the hill to Mehrangarh Fort which overlooks the city and is one of the largest forts in India. Inside the fort were rooms displaying a variety of historic pieces, from silver to carriages that would have carried the rich fort occupants. Some of the rooms were so decadently decorated, with shimmering glass, colourful jewels and intricately woven rugs and fabrics. As we climbed the stairs to each room the views outside became better and better and the breeze was cooler and stronger. It was a welcome relief to stand in the shade with the wind breaking through the stifling heat. We took a walk to see the canons and temple though we didn't go in before walking downhill back to our guesthouse. It's amazing how tiring it is to walk in such extreme heat, I was glad to reach the shade of the buildings in the city and admired the pretty shades of blue that many of the houses and shops were painted. We tried our luck with a different place for dinner where I had a simple dal fry, a sauce made from chickpeas served with naan bread. 

A Pigeon Admires The View From Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India

The Blue City Of Jodhpur In India

The next morning I wasn't feeling well at all, it appeared that I'd finally succumbed to 'Delhi belly' though I wasn't surprised judging by the awful food we'd had since arriving in Jodhpur. Unfortunately we had a long travel day ahead so I had to take some tablets and get on with it with horror stories running through my head of what could happen. Luckily I was fine and we arrived in Jaisalmer by bus, our last stop in Rajasthan. 

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Have you been to Jodhpur? If so, what did you think? Maybe you're planning a trip? I've got tonnes of advice and tips I can share. Let me know in the comments below. 

If you enjoyed reading then please click the heart at the bottom, share or better still leave me a comment, I love reading them.

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Udaipur, India

Udaipur was the most southerly city that we would be visiting in Rajasthan, and in fact in India all together on this trip. We had debated whether to go as it was a little out of the way, but the promise of a relaxing few days in a quiet city surrounded by lakes sounded too good to pass up and we'd hoped to be able to spend some time in a place without drama as everywhere we'd been so far had included a scam, some sort of altercation or hectic busyness. We arrived at the station and took a tuk tuk to an island on the lake. The island was built up and connected by foot and road bridges, we walked down a dead end street passing some absolutely stunning intricate paintings of elephants on the walls, embellished with shimmering gold paint. The guesthouse was friendly and though our room was small with only a window into a shared living room it was clean and cool. We settled in and then, after a bit of research found Yummy Yoga a short walk away which had great reviews. The owner was super friendly, as it was low season he was pretty happy to have our custom. We sat on a little platform on cushions and ordered our food, while we waited we drank fresh banana milkshakes and played board games. The food was lovely, we agreed we'd come again and then went on a walk to the lakeshore which is a popular spot to watch the sunset. 

A Bridge In Udaipur, India

Pretty Lakeside Buildings In Udaipur, India

The following day we had breakfast on the roof which was included in the price of the room, with a choice of several items it worked out to be really good value and the huge fan pointed in our direction helped with the heat. We left the guesthouse and crossed the pretty lake by foot bridge, after climbing a steep hill we found a beautiful temple. We walked up the steps and removed our shoes, on the outside were intricate carvings, the sunlight shone on them highlighting a few of the decorations. Some locals were sat in the shade of the temple, we ventured inside and saw more carvings though this time they looked more like stone figurines and they were covered in colourful pink and orange pigment. A group of ladies wearing bright sari's were sat on a rug in the middle of the temple, playing instruments and singing. A small boy played a drum with his hands. We left the temple after giving a small donation to the man guarding our shoes and walked on past numerous art shops selling miniature paintings, an art form famous in the city. 

Temple Decorations In Udaipur, India

Elephant Carving In Udaipur, India 

The walked to The City Palace and bought our entry tickets for 300 rupees each. The slope we walked up to gain entry to the palace was original having been found under the modern surface, in times gone by elephants would have carried people up the slope. In the rectangular yard were water fountains, a line of boutique shops and a lush green strip of grass. We found a pretty viewpoint looking out over Udaipur in the shade before walking through the huge doors to the palace. Inside were wall hangings and murals, we were ushered one way round the palace visiting dozens of rooms and courtyards. Inside one room were press clippings for the Richard Attenborough film 'Ghandi' and the glasses that Ben Kingsley wore in the film. There were old weapons, paintings and perfectly preserved plaster decorated rooms. It was like being in a huge maze, each room led to a corridor which led in turn to a tight staircase and then to a courtyard. One of the courtyards I found to be particularly peaceful, I sat on a bench in the quiet amongst the flowers, little birds chirruped and the light shone through colourful stained glass creating beautiful rainbow patterns on the floor. 

Bird Cages In The City Palace In Udaipur, India

The City Palace Interior Decoration In Udaipur, India

After exploring the palace we went to a café which had a roof terrace overlooking the lake. I could see monkeys playfully chasing each other around a monument and tree below, children splashing in the water and a woman washing clothes. It was very peaceful. Afterwards we took a walk to the sunset pier although the sky wasn't as colourful as we'd hoped and another tourist was flying his drone over the lake, footage from drones is always pretty impressive though when you're there it is extremely loud and annoying! We had dinner at Yummy Yoga as it had been so lovely the day before and the guy running it was so friendly. 

Walk Around Town In Udaipur, India

View From The Café In Udaipur, India

Our second day in Udaipur was an extremely chilled out one. We went for a walk in the town, passing shops selling trinkets and the miniature paintings. Craig bought himself some loose and light trousers in bright shades of red and green to help keep cool, we were still finding the Indian heat hard to bear although our slow paced days and air conditioned rooms were helping. We went back to the rooftop café and sat for a couple of hours, the slight breeze, lake views and peacefulness made it feel like we were on a relaxing holiday rather than a backpacking trip. I sketched the view for a couple of hours before it was time to leave. We ate dinner at a different restaurant which had views of the twinkling lights on the lake. We stopped by Yummy Yoga on the way back to the guesthouse to see if they'd be open early for breakfast as we'd be leaving for a bus in the morning. The lovely owner said he'd open especially for us which was so kind. As we stood talking to him I felt a nudge from behind, it was cow which rubbed its head on me like a cat would. I thought how sweet and affectionate but actually it probably just had an itch it wanted to scratch. 

At last we'd found a place with no drama, Udaipur had lived up to what we'd hoped it would be and we were so glad we decided to include it in our Indian adventure. 

Onwards to Jodhpur! 

🎥 India video:

Have you been to Udaipur? If so, what did you think? Maybe you're planning a trip? I've got tonnes of advice and tips I can share. Let me know in the comments below. 

If you enjoyed reading then please click the heart at the bottom, share or better still leave me a comment, I love reading them.

[If you are receiving this via email firstly thank you for subscribing! Secondly please click 'read in browser' to leave a comment and click the heart if you would like to. If you're not subscribed and would like to be, head to the contact page and leave your email.]