Rajasthan is a state of kings and forts. Every city will have a fort on the hilltop, protecting the central area. Despite scarcity of water, the kings of the past have built various lakes, stepwells and other water bodies to ensure sustenance. The food and clothes of Rajasthan are also something to cherish. The colorful lambani skirts, food options like kachori, dal baati churma, ker sangri are must try here
Jaipur- the capital, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur are the largest places to visit
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer airport is connected to metros like Mumbai, New Delhi. Jodhpur is 300 km away connected by trains and bus. I took a bus (Chouhan travels) while going and train while returning from Jodhpur. You can book bus tickets on Paytm
October to March is best time to visit when you will get cool weather
Places to visit in Jaisalmer
- Jaisalmer fort: Sandstone fort built on a hilltop and visible from almost everywhere in the city
- Gadisar lake: Nice lake giving coolness amidst the heat
- Patwon ki Haveli: Palace with wonderful architecture showcasing culture and designs of the region
- Jain temple: Wonderful architecture and carvings
- Thar Desert: Sam sand dunes about 45 km from the city. You can get jeeps/autos from bus stand to reach here. You can do jeep and camel safari, recommend jeep safari
Where I stayed in Jaisalmer
Hotel Desert Pilgrim which seems to have closed now
Zostel is another good place. I have had good experience with them in other cities like Jodhpur
Jodhpur
The blue city famous for fort, food and clothes. I combined visit to Jodhpur and Jaisalmer
Places to visit in Jodhpur
- Mehrangarh fort: On a hilltop. You can see the blue city from the top of the fort
- Jaswant Thada: White architectural wonder and a cenotaph
- Ghanta Ghar: The clock tower in the city centre. An old man maintains it
- Osiyan if you have an additional day: It is 60 km away
- Ranakpur is 100km away between Jodhpur and Udaipur- A marble wonder, holy to Jains
What to eat in Jodhpur
- Pyaas Kachori: Savoury snack filled with onion-lentil mix, accompanied by sweet-spicy sauce
- Mirchi vada- Chilly dipped in batter and fried
- Makhan Lassi- Sweet yoghurt topped with butter
- Loads of sweets of different varieties
Bandhej is local textile with colorful options- Purchase some, they are fully made of cotton and extremely comfortable
Where to stay in Jodhpur
- Zostel Jodhpur: Nice vibe for backpackers. Clean rooms, good breakfast, good company with like minded travelers. The colors give life to this place. You can view the fort from terrace at night
Jaipur
Places to visit in Jaipur
- Amer fort- One of the largest and main forts of Rajasthan. There is a sound and light show at night from 7-8 PM
- City palace- Home to erstwhile kings of the region
- Hawa Mahal- A pink sandstone building with many windows, appearing in most pictures of the city
- Jal Mahal in the middle of Man Sagar lake
- Jantar Mantar- Astronomical observatory and world heritage site
- Birla Mandir: Relatively new temple made of marble
Watch a puppet show at Chokhi Dani. It also has areas showcasing traditional heritage of Rajasthan
Where to stay in Jaipur
Zostel Jaipur: Has a nice vibe. It is clean, comfortable and fit for purpose
Udaipur
The land of kales
Places to visit in Udaipur
- City Palace: Huge area on the shores of lake Pichola. See multiple halls including Mor chowk (peacock square), Sheesh Mahal made of mirrors
- Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar among the 5 lakes: You can go boating here
- Saheliyon ki badi garden
- Bagore ki Haveli
Try Dal baati, it is a dish where baked wheat flour balls are dipped in lentils. My favorite in this part of the world
Where to stay in Udaipur
- Zostel Crawl– Really liked this place and would like to go again
Places around Udaipur
Chittorgarh
About 120 km from Udaipur, Chittorgarh has one of the best forts in India. Originally built by the Mauryas in the 7th century, the place is famous for Alauddin Khilji’s attack in the 15th century. Rani Padmini decided to sacrifice her life in “Jauhar“ rather than get captured
Vijay Stambh (Victory tower): The most famous icon of this fort. The pillar has exquisite carving and stands tall. It was built by Rana Kumbha to commemorate victory over Mahmud Shah I Khalji
Kirti Stambh (Tower of fame): Another tower smaller than the Vijay Stambh
Rana Kumbha’s palace: Quite deteriorated, in ruins. It used to house stables of animals, has many balconies. It is on a different side compared to area with Rani Padmini’s palace
Rani Padmini’s Palace: You can see the mirror through which Khilji used to see the queen. There is a lake beside the palace and Jal Mahal
Kalika Mata temple: Close to Queen Padmini’s palace. It has many smaller temples/ idols in the complex
Water tank: Nice place to see the walls of the fort
You can easily spend half a day to full day here if you want to see all monuments in detail
Nathdwara
Srinathji temple is a famous place, dedicated to Lord Krishna. The idol is made from black stone and is one of the most beautiful ones. The shops outside sell paintings of the deity and many others, worth buying if you are a follower
It takes an hour to visit the temple in a queue on normal days. The temple is home to more than 500 cows that are protected. You have to leave your phone outside in lockers that are free of cost
Statue of Belief: Home to largest sitting statue of Lord Shiva. You can take the lift to the top to get a bird’s eye view of surroundings. While the park is quite touristy, the views were still worth it. The complex has many eateries, fountains, parks
Kumbalgarh
One of the best preserved forts in India, shaped like pots on the outer walls, built by Rana Kumbha
There are seven gates at different layers of the fort. Bada Mahal, Zanana Mahal and Mardana Mahal are the palaces on hilltop
Neelkanth Mahadeo Temple has a six foot linga of Lord Shiva. There are many temples inside that are well preserved. Be careful of monkeys that dominate the area. The shops at the entrance have cute dogs that are very friendly!
Mt Abu
Hill station about 3 hours from Udaipur, home to a nice lake Nakki and Dilwara Jain temples built completely out of marble