City of gold, riches, and royals, surrounded with magnificent Forts and laid with bright yellow sand, Jaisalmer is one true heritage piece of Rajasthan. A city with thousand stories in its bag, come let’s unravel one with Manthan.

Manthan is a Business Analyst in an IT firm and lives in Ahmedabad. Having a huge love for travel and adventures, he planned a short trip to Jaisalmer around Christmas.

Day 1

Manthan boarded the bus from Ahmedabad and it took him about 14 hours to finally reach the city. He checked in the HosteLaVie and took some rest, freshened up, had breakfast, and left to explore what the city had to offer. He also made few friends at the hostel since many were solo travelers as well and had similar itineraries. The first on their list was The Jaisalmer Fort! Famous for being one of the only few living forts in the world, where people still reside inside it. Next, they moved to the Palaces of Jaisalmer. The first day was dedicated to historical monuments and heritage landmarks. 

After some lunch at local shops, they headed back to their hostel in the evening and spent time there. The hotel has a beautiful rooftop that provides a breathtaking view of the Fort in the night lights. 

Day 2

After some sightseeing, they decided to plan an adventure for their second day. The hostel had arranged a paragliding session for them in the Desert. Prepare yourself for a sail in the wind and catch the bird’s- eye view of the entire Thar Desert. By afternoon they came back to their hotel for lunch and later went to Ghadisar lake. 

It is a man-made reservoir which was the only water source for the city back in time. One can spend some peaceful time in the serene surroundings of the lake or choose to go boating as well.  Manthan and his friends enjoyed the mesmerizing sunset and then while returning explored the nearby area. Manthan highly recommends trying the local cuisine and street-side food along with fancy restaurants and cafes. It holds the real essence of authentic Jaisalmer. 

Day 3

The third day was reserved for camping and outdoor stay. The local guy showed them around the desert and after about 25-27 km, they reached the spot. They hopped on the camels for Safari, enjoyed the ride, and after 7-8 km. They reached their final campsite. Unlike many places in Jaipur, this was quiet and free of chaos from the tourists. They had small tenths with the occupancy of 1 or 2 persons. This was their stay for the night! After settling in they went to explore nearby sand dunes and the aglow setting sun was the highlight of the day. 

As the shadows took over the desert and light was nowhere to be seen, they returned to their camps, and had dinner by the magical bonfire, under the sheet of stars. They were accompanied by localities and were audience to cultural dance, and folk songs. The night was truly mystical.

Day 4

At the break of dawn, they returned to their hotel by jeep. This was his last day in Jaisalmer and he had to board the bus back to Ahmedabad in the evening. He went shopping with friends and family, souvenirs to take with him. And just like that, it was the end of the magnificent journey and he returned home.

For more photos and videos, check out his page @manthan.barad. 

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