The Golden City

Jaisalmer is known as the golden city due to the colour of the local stone used for all the buildings. Combined with the beautiful light and the narrow alleyways, even too small for a tuk-tuk, exploring the walled city feels like you’re scurrying around in a honey-coloured rabbit warren. Although it’s pleasant, I would say that Jaisalmer is the first city in Rajasthan that feels a little spoilt by tourism.

Having denounced it however, the buildings, richly decorated with ornate carvings everywhere, the remoteness of the location and the views, from high above the desert in the fort definitely make it worth the trip despite this. The guidebooks also recommend Jaisalmer as a great place to shop, especially within the city walls. I found the goods on the whole to be rather tatty, lower quality and much higher priced than elsewhere in Rajasthan which was a disappointment.

 

Our room, Jaisalmer

We spend the first day getting our bearings and exploring the walled city, it’s very small so it doesn’t take long. It’s certainly impossible to get lost there, even for me. After the long journeys of the previous days, we take some time to relax, luckily our hotel is lovely, it has an enclosed courtyard garden and a roof terrace right at the edge of the walled city, so looking outward, our view stretches down past the city walls and over the desert. Looking inward we can people watch as we have a good view of the central square just below the palace. As it’s shaded, we take some time out, relaxing on the cushioned benches, soaking up the atmosphere and watching the squirrels chasing each other across the rooftops.

Later in the evening we venture out for food and find a nice place overlooking a small square outside the city walls, Monica’s. I try another Rajasthani Thali, they’re fast becoming a favourite, this one is really good, worth checking out if you ever come here.

After a lazy but enjoyable day we return to the hotel and book a camel trek for the following day, opting for the easy trek rather than a multiple night excursion, not sure my bum can handle too long in the saddle, or whatever you call the thing you sit on when riding a camel. Our trip involves an afternoon ride, an overnight stay outside under the stars and then a ride back the following morning. Should be enough to awaken the Bedouin or Tuareg within me. (Editors note: Wrong continent for Bedouins or Tuaregs. Try Banjaras, Bhils, Minas, Gujars, Rebaries or Gavaria who are all nomadic tribes in Rajasthan)