Family fun in Sam Sand Dunes Jaisalmer: Your Jaisalmer Travel Guide
Vacationing with your family in the Thar Desert is a great way to spend quality time together with a cultural experience. While your Jaisalmer trip offers the options of exploring heritage and culture, there are many other things you can do during your visit. Of course the Thar Desert is famous for its Camel Safaris and Jeep Safaris. But the range of other interesting and adventurous things to do can really enrich your Jaisalmer trip. Make sure you allow adequate time to truly enjoy the spirit of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan.
Here is your Thar Desert and Jaisalmer tourist guide.
Stay overnight in a luxury desert camp
Staying in a desert camp is a popular choice amongst Indians when visiting Jaisalmer and the Thar Desert. For many of us, getting out of the hustle and bustle of the city and settling in a luxury tent in the middle the desert with cultural entertainment and cuisine is a dream. This is a very different experience to staying a hotel. Here in the middle of the desert, you get sand in your shoes strolling right up to your tent. And the camel comes virtually to your door to carry you to the dunes. And still you have the luxury of a comfortable bed and bathroom – and service with a warm heart. No doubt, you will feel part of nature in the midst of the vast, shifting sands of the desert. Queen of Thar offers all of the desert camp comforts and top quality service.
Evening cultural show by local artists
Evenings come to life with cultural entertainment by colourful, local folk musicians and dancers. Typically, you’ll find these shows in the desert camp. They are usually included in an overnight stay package. But there’s nothing wrong with booking in for dinner and show before making your way back to your hotel in Jaisalmer. Even people camping under the stars come down from the dunes to experience the vibrant folk performances.
Camel ride or walk across the dunes
Many people are drawn to Jaisalmer and the Thar Desert just for the camel experience, a unique adventure for just about everyone. If you don’t like the idea of riding a camel, there is always the option to walk with one. A short trip with one of these majestic and gentle creatures will take you to the top of the nearest dunes where you can watch the sunset. Alternatively, a longer camel trip will guide you further into the dunes, away from the tourist trails. Indeed, here you can sit in peace, absorbing the magnificence of the dunes like waves of a golden ocean as you sip hot chai brewed on a campfire. Even better, stay overnight and sleep under the stars.
Sleep under the stars
Why not be adventurous and try an alternative to the comfort of a desert camp. Just imagine, riding your camel away from the tourist groups into the folding dunes and the calmness of endless sands, soft breezes and the rocking of your gentle giant, the camel. Feel yourself relax as your tour guide prepares a campfire dinner typically eaten by locals, before retiring to sleep under billions of sparkling stars or zipped-up securely in a tent. Remember, take plenty of warm clothing as it can be chilly at night. Queen of Thar have more than 20 years experience in managing adventure camel safaris from a few hours to a few days.
Golden sunrise and sunset over the dunes
The tranquillity of the Thar Desert and the clear view across the dunes is most profoundly experienced at dawn when the desert sky shifts from starlit darkness to rich golden hues. It’s definitely worth an early morning rise to fully embrace the stillness of the desert. Likewise, watching the sun make its solemn descent behind the dunes, changing from radiant yellow to intense orange before merging into darkness can be a captivating experience. Remember to bring your camera.
Star gaze in the clear desert skies
Far away from the city lights, the Thar Desert night sky shines bright with billions of shimmering stars. Camping in the dunes is an excellent way to enjoy the spectacle. If you prefer to stay with comfort, you can stay relish the view from the desert camp after the lights are turned out. But many desert camps will offer a trip into the dunes at night where the darkness and stillness of the desert is most profound. There, you are more likely to witness the full spectacle of constellations, planets and occasional shooting star.
Dune bashing in an open jeep
If you are looking for a thrill, dune bashing may be for you. Indeed, standing in the back of an open jeep racing up, over and down the dunes like a roller coaster may see you whooping it up with your friends. You can book a bash with Queen of Thar. You may even want to drive yourself to get the most out of this experience.
Exploring abandoned ruins
If you are into history and mythology, exploring the ruins scattered in the Thar Desert can be a fascinating expedition. Many of these villages are thought to have been abandoned as the region gradually transformed from productive farming land to the arid landscape it is today. Discover some of the fascinating legends, like Kuldhara where it is said that the entire village disappeared overnight when a great Lord was planning to claim one of their daughters. Explore these mysteries with the help of Queen of Thar.
Jaisalmer Desert Festival
The buzz of the year in Jaisalmer and the Thar Desert is the Desert Festival held each year in February, the Hindu month of Magh. The three-day event is described as an “extravaganza or sights, smells, tastes and unique delights” of the region. That includes contemporary and traditional arts and crafts, music performances, snake charmers, puppeteers, stalls of arts and crafts, races. What’s more, parades of proud camels and their drivers don vibrant, traditional costume complete with turbans, tassels and swords.
https://desertfestivaljaisalmer.com
Visit Desert National Park
For something completely different, a visit to the Desert National Park is very worthwhile. As one of the largest national parks, covering an area of 3162 km² of which 60% is in Jaisalmer district, it is home to a diversity of wildlife, such as, mongoose, chinkara, blackbuck, Indian wild ass, red fox, wolf and caracal, not to mention birds like eagles, falcons and the critically endangered, ground-dwelling Great Indian Bustard. The array of herbaceous plants and trees have adapted to the extremes of temperatures and play an important role in maintaining the desert ecosystem. Visiting this fragile ecosystem is a special experience and something off the typical tourist trail.
Book your Jaisalmer trip
All in all, your visit to Jaisalmer and Thar Desert can be much more than an overnight stay. Start planning your trip. For a guide on what to do, where to go and how to book, call Hasem for a friendly chat. Or start booking by clicking on the Book Now button.
