Rajasthan

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Location of Rajasthan in India
Location of Rajasthan in India

Rajasthan is a state in the northwest of India. It is mainly arid and its western border is adjacent to Pakistan. The main attraction for travellers is the vast Desert of Thar and one of the oldest mountain range in the world - Aravalis - and the Rajput heritage which is apparent in the forts, temples and palaces established by the Rajput Kings like Bappa Rawal, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga and Rana Pratap.

[edit] Regions

[edit] Cities

Jaswant Thada, Jodhpur
Jaswant Thada, Jodhpur

[edit] Other destinations

[edit] Understand

[edit] Talk

Most people talk Rajasthani dialects, Hindi and sometimes broken English. In tourist places like Jaipur and Jodhpur, you will find trained English and French guides too.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

Rajasthan is the largest Indian state and distances are long, making planes a fairly good option for getting in. Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur all have airports with direct links to many major cities, though if coming from a smaller city, one has to go via Delhi.

[edit] By train

Overnight trains from Delhi and Mumbai reach most of Rajasthan's major cities. For points further out, like Jaisalmer, you'll be looking at a second day on the train as well. The Shatabdi and Rajdhani express are excellent trains and have excellent service.

Another option is Palace on Wheels which is a week long luxury train ride through Rajasthan.

[edit] By road

The National Highway 8 which runs through Rajasthan is excellent and connects Delhi to Mumbai. Though Mumbai may be too far away, this is the most popular way to travel to travel to Jaipur from Delhi as the road is in excellent condition and the drive can easily be completed in under 4hrs.

[edit] Get around

All the cities have public transports in form of buses.Also available are jeeps on hire. Beware of jeep drivers who charge a bomb from tourists. Otherwise from Delhi various private travel agencies organise trips to Rajasthan but they are rather costly. But if you do not travel alone, it is better to hire a car with a driver (for example a car from Delhi International Airport to Neemrana Village costs 4000 INR for five persons). Besides these government tourism department runs luxury buses to a couple of cities in Rajasthan. The buses originate from Dr. Ambedkar Terminus in the Old Delhi region.

Railways can be the better travel mode as it is quick and the service on most trains is excellent. But in Rajasthan, road may be more enjoyable for short distances as the sights of the desert with the hills to be seen are beautiful and the roads are but bearable. A popular road drive is from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, which is because the flight takes longer overall and the road is excellent.

A very popular option is Palace on Wheels which is a week long luxury train ride through interiors of Rajasthan.

[edit][add listing] See

Rajasthan is one of the most popular tourist destination to observe Indian heritage and royalty closely. A fortnight should suffice to be able to glimpse the splendor of the state. It has a lot of natural and man made tourist destinations, which include:

[edit][add listing] Do

  • Many of the cities and towns in Rajasthan offer a chance to do a Camel Safari.
  • Lady travelers can get brilliant, intricate henna patterns done on their hands and/or feet.
  • Visit the bird sanctuary at Bharatpur and the wildlife park at Ranthambore. Make sure you take the tiger safari at Ranthambore.
  • Shop at the bazaars(local markets) located in most cities in narrow alleys and lanes. You can pick up traditional puppets, tie-and-dye clothes/apparel, kota(also a place) textiles, accessories.
  • Visit fairs arranged for traditional festivals, where you get to see the locals in traditional finery;watch camel races;enjoy traditional folk music.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Food is generally very spicy - to be enjoyed in moderation for first timers. Dairy based sweet products are very popular in this part of the country. Restaurants are mostly vegetarian. Finding restaurants serving good non-vegetarian food could be difficult, and in general, non vegetarian stuff in road side eateries should be avoided. Bread - both leavened and unleavened is readily available.

A typical Rajasthani fare would include daal-baati-churma.Daal is lentil curry;baati is round balls made out of wheat flour and baked in charcoal fire;churma is a dessert made out of crushed wheat balls rolled in jaggery/sugar and topped with ghee.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Splurge

  • Neemrana Fort Palace. Village Neemrana, District Alwar, Rajasthan. The hotel is situated in the renovated fort. Perfect service, perfect rooms (there are heaters for winter time and air-conditioning), different performances in the evening, wonderful view from the terraces. Perfect place for relaxation. Rate per double room per night starts with 2000 INR and ends with 16 000 INR (middle rate rooms for 4500 INR are ideal for several days).

The hotel asks for 100% advance payment and it is very difficult to transfer rupee from abroad, so it is better to use the service of local travel agency (for example Nivalink) that provides the same prices and accepts credit cards. To get to the hotel in a car (with a driver) from Delhi International Airport or Jaipur costs 4000 INR for five persons and 2.5 hours.

Budget hotels Jaipur Offer Great Hotels for Budget Travellers in Jaipur Rajasthan.

[edit] Stay safe

As always, be careful when traveling alone, and avoid venturing out late at nights and beware of touts.

One of the safest way to travel around Rajasthan is by having a driver who know their ways around Rajasthan. Agencies recommended by travelers include Gauritours and Rajasthan safe Tour Packages and Car rentals.

[edit] Stay healthy

There are many clinics and hospitals in major cities which provide quality treatment at affordable prices. Also health tourism is on the upswing.

[edit] Get out

This is a usable article. It has information about the region and for getting in, as well as links to a few destinations. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!

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