Biking Through Dessert Country of Rajasthan
Day 01 : Arrival / Delhi.
Late night arrival. Meeting and assistance upon arrival and transfer to hotel The
Connaught for overnight.
Overnight At The Connaught .
Day 02. : Delhi
After breakfast we explore the cultural sights of Delhi in a luxury bus, visiting the
presidents house, Parliament, India Gate, Qutub Minar and the Red Fort. The highlight of
this days tour would be a ride in cycle rickshaws through the bustling main street of old
Delhi. Return to hotel for overnight.
Overnight At The Connaught.
Day 03 : Delhi / Mandawa
After breakfast we drive to Mandawa with packed lunches. Once we enter the Shekhawati
district of Rajasthan we would bike the last 80kms to our destination through interesting
countryside and fields. On our way we negotiate camel carts witch carry gypsy families or
hey used for camel fodder. Welcome drink upon arrival at Hotel Rath (chariot) - a family
house converted to a hotel. Late afternoon we explore the town on our bikes. A typical
medieval Indian town, once an important trade centre, still lives as it used to a couple
of centuries back; one main street (wide enough to permit only a bullock cart), old
dilapidated huge mansions of erstwile traders, the street corner barber, the tea stall on
pavements, gypsy woman in colourful costumes, the local school - no more than a
compartmentlised countyard with children sitting with coir mats, etc are all a small part
of this greatly wibrant town. An interesting aspect of this small towm are interesting
wall painting executed more than a century ago on the wall of the old mansions - amazingly
the painting are still intact.
Overnight At Mandawa Castle
Day 04 : Mandawa / Nawalgarh / Mandawa
After breakfast we bike to the small town of Nawalgarh which is quite similar to
Mandawa. An important feature of biking in Rajasthan is that one sees more and unexpected
things on way to a destination rather than in a destination - women carrying hey stacks
over their heads (the head hardly visible under the huge stacks), shepherds flocking their
sheeps and buffalows, ploughing of field by ox drawn plaughs, women fetching water from
wells etc. Return to Mandawa for overnight.
Overnight At Mandawa Castle
Day 05 : Mandawa / Fatehpur / Bikaner (225 Kms)
After breakfast we bike for 30 Kms to Fatehpur, a small town which used to be an
important stop in the medieval Indian spice route to Central Asia. Though the glory has
disappeared, Fatehpur continues to remain a small self-contained town, with its local
school and temple. The lives of people here are simple and most of their needs are
fulfilled from the colourful and busy local bazaars. We spend a couple of hours biking
through the market and residential portions of the town. We drive onto Bikaner. Welcome
drink served upon arrival at the Lalgarh Palace Hotel - the palace of the maharaja of
Bikaner, only parts of which have been used as a modern Hotel. After lunch and a couple of
hours rest we bike 10 Kms to the government managed Camel Breeding Farm, which is probably
unique to Asia. There are hundreds of camels here and it is a great sight at sunset as the
camel came back from grazing. We bike back to our hotel for overnight.
Overnight At Hotel
Day 06 : Bikaner / Deshnoke / Bikaner (80 Kms)
After breakfast we ride out to the impressive medieval Indian Fort of Bikaner. The
places within the fort make a picturesque ensemble of courtyards, balconies, kiosks,
towers and windows. A major feature of this fort and its places are the superb quality of
stone carving - rivaling the best anywhere in the world. We return to our hotel to pick up
our bikes on way to deshnoke. The journey would be through interesting countryside -
villages, colourful bus station etc. At desknoke is a Temple who has huge silver gates and
marble carvings. The main interest here is rats, which are here in hundreds and are
regarded as holy and are fed by the priests. Opposite the temple is a very interesting
obscure little village. People live here in small thatched houses (huts) which are
plastered with cow dung. There are no roads here, only dust trails where donkey or camel
carts occasionally move up and down. Noisy children scamper about while groups of women
eighter broom the community courtyard, fill water in clay pichers from the community tap,
light coal and wood ovens outside their gates or just huddle together and gossip. We
explore this village on foot carrying our bikes with us. We bike back to our hotel.
Overnight At Hotel
Day 07 : Bikaner / Jaisalmer (300 Kms)
After breakfast we bike / drive our way to Jaisalmer. The drive is through desert
country with scantly vegetation and life stock in view. Water is scarce here, we would see
long trains of woman fetching water by nearby wells in bright brass pitchers. We arrive at
our palace hotel late in the afternoon and it would be a good idea to have a quite evening
today.
Overnight At Hotel
Day 08 : Jaisalmer
After breakfast we pick up our bikes to explore this, one of India's exotic and unusual
towns, right out of the fairy tales of Arabian nights - often described as 'a living
museum' and 'the Golden City' (because everything here is of yellow sandstone). We visit
some of the beautiful Havelis (mansions) of wealthy medieval Indian merchants. Made of
yellow sandstone these huge mansions have beautiful arched roofs with superb carved
brackets and apartments painted with beautiful murals. In the afternoon we visit the
residential portions of the Jaisalmer Fort, where one third of the population of the old
city still lives. The design of the houses remains as they were couple of centuries back
and are the lifestyle of people occupying them. This is because most of the families still
continue for generations of work for the ruler (only titular now). Hence there is a sense
of continuity. The houses are arranged in narrow lanes and have small windows from where
the shy child or girl peeps. This is the city believed to be the home of the most handsome
men and beautiful women.
Overnight At Hotel
Day 09 - Jaisalmer / Sam (40 kms)
After breakfast, we bike to Sam, a dessert outpost. On our way we visit a few typical
dessert villages, which have a sprinkling of huts. The rough terrain here does not support
cultivation. Hence the entire village work as casual labourers in road works or other
public utility projects. Inspite of their poverty, these beautiful people are very
friendly and hospitable - inviting you to come and have a look at their stone huts, sit on
their string cots and share a cup of tea with them. We arrive at Sam at mid - afternoon
and proceed on a camel safari, which is perhaps the best way to explore the undulating
dunes and craters of the dessert. The experience of the setting sun in the distant
horizon, with camel trains and dunes in the foreground is quite unchanting. Today we would
camp in the dessert, amidst bonfires and folk dances.
Overnight In Tents |
