10 Epic Travel Experiences in Rajasthan

My head and heart are always spinning when I come back from a trip like the one I just took to India. Trying to process all the information becomes a little easier if I pick out 10 epic travel experiences in Rajasthan to share with you. Reliving the travels through photographs and my journal, I find it hard to whittle it down to 10 (and I have actually included 12~but who’s counting).  but these  are ones I wouldn’t want anyone to miss if you should find yourself in this part of India.

•  Ride a Camel–ok i’ll admit it, this was one to cross off my bucket list rather than the fact I wanted to go all Lawrence of Arabia and cross the desert á la Peter O’Toole. It’s a lot like riding a horse except for the on and off part-which is more like a bucking bronco! I’ve done it now and don’t have to do it again, but I did kind of fall head over heals for my camel whisperer and his smile!

• Visit A Flower Market  Flowers are everywhere, especially close to temples and places of worship. Visually, seeing them en mass and being strung into garlands is magic for me. Sure cure for jet lag.

•  Catch A Sunset-The reflection of the light is always changing in the desert and sunset highlights this in the most beautiful way. Devi Garh just outside of Udaipur is surrounded by the Aravalli Hills. The sunset bounces off the land and everything is aglow.

•  Indulge in Indian Sweets-I’m not sure how I’ve traveled to this country six other times and not discovered how fantastic Indian sweets are. Especially since I have a sweet tooth! When this plate was delivered to my table, I wasn’t sure what it was-sweet or savory-or even what course it was. We were eating outside by candle light and while everything was magically aglow in an aura of sparkle, it was pretty dark. All the dishes  that evening had been so tasty, I dug in and wow……you know when the gland in the back of your mouth starts pulsating because you are remembering a taste and starting to salivate….welcome to my world as I type. This was heavenly. A sweet cooked carrot mash, still crunchy, alongside a custardy warm cardamon spiked condensed, creamy sauce. I’m on a mission to find this recipe back in the States and you’ll be the first to know when i do!

• Practice Yoga on a Rooftop- Time for a confession, just in case you didn’t already know-this is not me. It was too hard to get my selfie stick to work from this position. Pretty amazing-right? Many of the hotels offer yoga on the roof or in a room with a view. Get up early if you have the chance and stretch, your body will repay you handsomely for practicing a healthy lifestyle.  {image via Flickr: Mariko Bhakti Hirasawa}

• Visit a Fort-Many of the cities in Rajasthan originated with forts built high on the hill. The majestic Mehrangarh Fort dominates the skyline and dates from 1459. Rudyard Kipling called it “the work of giants” and i’d have to agree. It’s impossible not to be transported back to an earlier day and imagine what life was like in another century when you visit. Jodhpur is the gateway to the Thar Desert.

• Watch Traditional Dance-Dancers wear traditional jewelry from head to toe and their Ghagra Cholis dress have embellished mirrors and incredible embroidery work. The Ghoomar, a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan brings the desert to life and will leave you in a trance.

• Visit a Palace-After all, Rajasthan means the ‘Abode of the Rajas‘ and palaces dot the skyline throughout the land. You will have many from which to choose. At times it’s hard to take it all in and comprehend the wealth and lavish lifestyle of this period in history. Above are two rooms in the City Palace in Udaipur, the city of dawn, the city of lakes. The Maharaja and his family still reside in part of the palace. Above are the former makeup room of the queen (left) and the swing(right) the Maharaja would park himself on while awaiting for his bride to appear in all her loveliness.

• Textile Hunting- There is no other way to describe the textiles of this region other than extraordinary. Block printing is a high art form here and the craftsmanship of the tribal work is out of this world. Anoki is a world wide brand where you can rest assured the fabric was made in a an ethical and environmentally friendly manner. Ganesh Emporium  in Udaipur and Saurashtra Oriental Arts in Jaipur are two discoveries I made.  Both are working with traditional craftspeople to keep their techniques alive. If you’re a textile lover like me, schedule at least 1/2 day if you visit either of these little pieces of heaven or you’ll leave frustrated. You can thank me later! By supporting these businesses we all work towards making indigenous crafts sustainable in the future.

•  Allow for Spontaneity and Flexibility in your Schedule-Along the same lines as supporting traditional crafts, we weren’t so tied to a schedule that we couldn’t be flexible. Along the side of a dusty road, we found this non descript shack where a man was making beautiful hand-woven carpets. Using only natural dyes, he was happy to demonstrate and tell us about his techniques and the tools that had been passed down from generation to generation. In his village 50 families are involved in the cooperative. We learned that rugs woven from camel hair are good for circulation and walking on the coarse texture helps stimulate blood flow. The encounter was serendipitous and one of my favorite on the trip.

• Go Glamping -This was one of the experiences I was most looking forward to and was not disappointed. I’m a girl scout camper from way back, and my first glamping adventure made me a true believer. Solar heated hot water, delicious food, a desert safari, communing with nature, my bed even had a hot water bottle taking away the evening chill. It was a welcome respite from the hustle+bustle track we had been on from the start of the trip and I wished we had booked another day there to just relax and take it all in.

The Thar Desert forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. Witnessing the dunes and the beauty of the soft, golden light that slowly turns into shadows at sunset was a very special experience.

Pinnable Images – 10 Epic Travel Experiences in Rajasthan

Many thanks to Incredible India for hosting and providing some of the experiences during this trip.