How to Plan your Journey to Jaisalmer Rajasthan

A Golden City of Rajasthan

Jaisalmer, a city of the state Rajasthan is located in the heart of the Thar Desert. This old city is well-known for its courageous rulers and citizens of the bygone era. Jaisalmer is named as a Golden City of Rajasthan due to the glorious yellow sandstone structures. I have visited this desert region of Rajasthan last year and I was very much impressed with the magnificent artistry of the Rajasthani stonemasons. The incredible palaces and havelis are really worth visiting. The deserted land of Jaisalmer offers amazing camel ride on the golden sand which will be a best ever experience of the tourists for sure. For me, trip to Jaisalmer was an enchanting experience that I will never forget for the lifetime.

How to Reach Jaisalmer:

Jaisalmer is a most popular tourist destination of Rajasthan so there are many options to reach this city. Jaisalmer is situated 568 km west from Jaipur so you can go from Jaipur as well. Nevertheless, you can reach Jaisalmer by train, by air and by road from all the major cities of India.

By Train: Jaisalmer railway station is a stoppage for many major trains. You can reach Jaisalmer from Delhi very easily as many direct trains are available for this route. Palace on Wheels, a luxury train has also a stoppage at this station. Jaisalmer has a good connectivity with many major cities of India through meter gauge and broad gauge rail.

By Air: Air way is a most convenient way to reach this town of Rajasthan even I generally prefer to go by air because it saves lot of time. The nearest airport is situated in Jodhpur, which is around 271 km away from Jaisalmer. There are many flights to and from Jodhpur and from Jodhpur you can easily get taxi for Jaisalmer.

By Road: There are many taxis and buses available from Jodhpur, Bikaner and many other places of the state. Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation offers daily bus services to reach Jaisalmer from Jaipur. Transportation facility is quite good for this town so you can reach this city from any part of the state.

Must Seen Places in Jaisalmer:

Jaisalmer is blessed with several delightful destinations that one must visit while visiting this Golden city. The rich cultural heritage of this beautiful city attracted me more. The magnificent forts, fascinating havelis and beautiful temples made my visit memorable. Here I summarized some of most amazing sites that I have visited during my visit:

Jaisalmer Fort: This beautiful fort is called as Sonar Quila, built with the yellow sandstone. This is an ideal place to experience the stunning look of the golden hues of the desert ambience and the amazing setting of the sun in different shades.  

Gadi Sagar Lake: Gadi Sagar Lake is a rain-water lake of the city. The calm and cool surrounding of this place was made my day. The crystal clear water of this lake is ideal for boating. Many beautiful temples and holy shrines can also be seen over there. At the top of the yellow sandstone gate, there is a most popular Krishna temple that one must see.

Desert National Park: If you are a lover of wildlife, then you would surely love this place. I have also visited this place during my trip to Jaisalmer and trust me this is one of the best wildlife reserves of the country. At this National Park, you will see hares, black bucks, chinkaras, desert cats, wolves and much more. In addition to these wild animals, you can also explore wide variety of birds and several avian species. This wildlife sanctuary is really worth admiring.

Nathmalji-ki-Haveli: This amazingly designed haveli was constructed by two brothers, hathi and Lulu. I was very much impressed with its unique architectural creativity. The grand structure of two yellow sandstone elephants is no doubt a main attraction of this beautiful site. The walls and ceilings of this monument are adorned with the superb paintings and carvings which makes this place even more interesting.

Tazia Tower: This five storied Tazia Tower showcases the rich architectural brilliance of the ancient Muslim artisans. Each floor of this building is amazingly designed and decorated. No doubt this is one of the most visited destinations of Jaisalmer.

So, these are the sites that I have included in my visit to Jaisalmer. But if you are planning to visit this beautiful place then you should also include some other amazing places like Patwon ki Haveli, Manak Chowk, Deoki Niwas Palace, Jain Temple, Fort Rajwada, Rang Mahal, Gorbandh Palace and much more.

Nearby Attractions of Jaisalmer:

There are many tourist destinations near Jaisalmer like spectacular Sam Sands Dune, Khuri and Lodhruva.

• Sam Sands Dune is located at the border of Thar Desert and a perfect place to enjoy the camel ride. This place also offers the blissful experience of watching the sunset in front of the widely spread sand.
• Khuri is well-known for the glittering golden sand, mud houses and the straw roofs.
• Lodhruva is a historic city that is considered as an important pilgrimage center of Jains.

When I was in Jaisalmer, I have visited Sam Sand Dunes and Khuri but I missed Lodhruva. I will surely include this place in my next trip to Jaisalmer.

Where to stay?

Jaisalmer is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in India so you can easily get many accommodations to stay. There are many hotels that are known for their excellent accommodation facility like Rawal-Kot, Deoki Niwas Palace, Hotel Gorbandh Palace, Fort Rajwada and many more. These hotels provide all the essential amenities to the tourists but yes, they are quite pricey. There are many other budgeted options to stay for the economic tourists. Many hotels and guesthouses are also available that are also good in terms of room facilities and other amenities. You can choose the ideal accommodation as per your pocket.

If you are a shopaholic person like me, then you would surely like this place. Shopping at Jaisalmer will be an enthralling experience as this place offers some very good markets that hold the charm of medieval period. You will get a good collection of embroidery and Rajasthani mirror work. The most important items of shopping include puppets, handmade leather shoes, woven jackets, wooden boxes, colorful tie and dye fabrics and much more. Kahdi Gramudyog Bhavan, Jaisalmer Embroidery House, and many other showrooms and emporia are also perfect places to shop.

All in all, Jaisalmer is an ideal place to explore during the holidays. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and I would surely recommend to all to visit this place at least once in the lifetime. Jaislamer is really a worth visiting place in India. So plan your trip to this rich cultural city of India. Have a nice trip to Jaisalmer!