Rajasthan
road trip with kids
Forests,
sand dunes, forts and castles all things that kids love!
8 days -Ranthambore-Pushkar-Khimsar-Jodhpur- Udaipur
We were a group of three adults and two 8 year old girls and
while picking a destination Rajasthan ticked all the boxes. We went during the
Diwali of 2018, a beautiful time to visit the state which is even more vibrant
in Diwali than usual.
We have been to Rajasthan several times and think it is best
done by a road trip. Because of the kids we planned our trip in a way that did
not require us to drive very long stretches at a time but also needed a route
that cover the vast landscape. Though the itinerary looks crowded we actually
had a peaceful trip with enough down time.
Since we wanted the kids to experience the Ranthambore
safari as well as the sand dunes of Jaisalmer it was a bit tricky because the
driving time between both these places is massive, but we figured a way around
it. Instead of Jaisalmer we chose to visit the sand dunes of Khimsar which are
tiny compared to Jaisalmer but the kids loved the experience all the same.
Infact it was the favourite part of their trip.
The other thing we kept in mind was to avoid the main cities
except when we needed to enter to pick up or drop the car. The big cities in
Rajasthan are lovely but we have visited them during our previous trips and
felt that the kids would enjoy the wilderness a bit more. However we made it a
point to show them the beautiful Udaipur City Place and magnificent Mehrangarh
fort in Jodhpur.
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| Two Great Danes with two great girls, Ranthambore |
Day 1 and 2 - Ranthambore
Two Great Danes and a Leopard
We took the Mumbai Jaipur flight and picked up our self
drive car from a place which was close to the airport. The problem with
Rajasthan is that Zoomcar is the only self drive company available in Jaipur. I
would like to strongly advise against using Zoomcar as we were highly
inconvenienced because of the car breakdown and apathy of the support team. The
best option for now is to hire a car with a driver as several companies provide
that service.
From Jaipur we drove straight to our hotel in Ranthambore
which is about a three hour drive. Since we took an early morning flight we
were checked in to our Ranthambore hotel by 12.30 pm just in time for our first
Rajasthani meal! Our stay was at a very lovely hotel called Dev Vilas which was
recommended by a friend. The hotel is just the right size and rooms are large
and comfortable. The two Great Danes,
Zeenat and Tigger on the property were an added delight. The meals were
included in our package and we enjoyed them as they were a good mix of local
and western dishes. Like the rest of Rajasthan the service was fabulous. The
evenings at Dev Vilas were especially enjoyable around the bon fire chatting
with other guests and the affable owner Balendu Singh.
But our agenda was clear! We were there for the tiger
sightings. We tried to book the safari online months in advance but in vain,
found the process extremely complicated and the jeeps were anyways sold out. We
finally we got the safari booked through the hotel which was very efficient.
The safari can be done either by a private jeep or by a canter with a capacity
of about 20 people. To hedge our bets we booked one jeep and one canter safari
for two consecutive mornings. There are several agents who also book the safari
at a premium ofcourse. Our first day we took the private jeep and were lucky to
have a very senior guide Ajayji, he was experienced and well read and generally
interested in the jungle and wildlife apart from just the tigers. We were there
for 2.5 hours but sadly tigers do not care about the best guides so we returned
without seeing a tiger. The kids didn’t seem to mind they were thrilled with
the idea of being in a real jungle in an open jeep with the possibility of a
tiger or tigress somewhere close by and they were very excited to see several
pug marks. We did see owls and many other types of birds apart from many
peacocks and deer.
The next day with equal optimism we set of on our canter
safari. The canter is a completely different experience, the thrill is lesser
as you are in a bus that feels protected as compared to an open jeep and the
canters are unable to navigate the smaller roads like the jeep. Besides there
is some chatter because of the many people and you can’t really hear the
silence and solitude of the jungle like you can when you are in the jeep. No
tiger was interested enough to humour us the next day either but just as we
were about the exit our driver spotted a movement in some distant bushes, a
deer was giving a warning call as it stood transfixed at one spot it kept on
calling loudly, it was certain about the danger close by, could it be a tiger?
That what we all hoped just then the deer sprang and ran and after it chased a
leopard. It was all very quick.... the call the chase and suddenly the leopard
seem to give up and ran off deep into the forest probably sensing so many
humans nearby. We were all rooted to our spots watching this unbelievable chase
and the kids were happy that the deer got away! The driver tells us that the
leopard is a very shy animal and much rarer to sight than a tiger and watching
a chase is an even rarer sight. He was probably trying to make us feel better J
This was a first safari experience for the kids and it is
safe to say it will not be their last. Ranthambore has grown on all of us and I
think we have all made a secret mental note to go there as soon as we can (Hopefully
this summer) we are clear that Dev Vilas will be our only choice!
Tips: Try to book two or three jeep safaris instead of
canters. Though the online reviews talk about zones 1 to 5 being the best in
terms of sightings, that was not our experience. During our stay all the sightings
happened between zone 5 to 10
Eating: There is not much around and you will have to depend
on your hotel restaurants for all meals. Incase you are big on chaat or local
mithai then you could try out the sweet bhandars in the city
Shopping: Is lovely infact we realised later that we should
have bought a few more things ourselves. Very nice cotton bed sheets with
beautiful prints, table mats, clothes and great for pug mark souvenirs. We
bought plenty of clay made pug mark soap dishes and ashtrays as souvenirs. Try
Dastkar or some local handicraft shops
Stay: Hotel Dev Vilas: http://www.devvilas.com/
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| Diwali in Pushkar Bollywood Style |
Diwali in the town of temples and many cows
Pushkar is a vibrant temple town and a great choice to spend
Diwali there. We drove from Ranthamore to Pushkar (about a 6 hour drive via
Jaipur) and checked into Gulaab Niwaas. This is a surprisingly big and
sprawling property for a budget hotel. It very close to the main Pushkar lake
(5 minutes walk), the rooms were basic but overall the property is lovely in a
great location. We could see the entire town from the hotel garden and spent
our Diwali evening watching fireworks from the terrace.
The Diwali evening we walked to the ghats and the entire
town was lit up by clay diyas, no Chinese lights required here! As we walked
through the narrow market lanes we saw several courtyards lit up by oil diyas
and the people dressed in their Diwali finery headed for the evening Puja. The temple
bells chiming and the main Puja aarti provided the background sound. As we
walked into the main temple ghat and stepped down towards the lake the kids
were able to pick up some oil diyas and float them in the lake. This all felt
like a scene from the movies! Later that evening we went back to the hotel and
after a special Diwali dinner went to the terrace and the kids lit some
crackers and we could see fireworks everywhere and the entire town light up. This
will be a one memorable Diwali for all of us.
But even if people choose not to go on Diwali day, the
Pushkar ghats are always buzzing with activity of puja and prayer.
Observations: Apart
from the crowds of people there were many cows all through the town, it was
hard not to walk into a cow or step into cow dung. In fact the dung is also
considered sacred and we saw many houses and shops with small heaps of cow dung
at the entrance decorated with bamboo sticks and flowers!
Also interestingly Pushkar is a vegetarian town. You cannot
order non veg food anywhere
Tips: Do find out the time of the main Aarti in advance so
you do not miss it. Also the town closes by 8pm after that it is hard to find
anything open
Shopping : The main market is full with Rajasthani clothes
and decor items. We bought some Indian wear for the kids (Rs 200 for a ghaghra
choli set!) and some bangles as well. There is the general Rajasthani stuff
like camel skin accessories and wooden gift items available in plenty.
Eating: There are lots of little cafes and chaat places in
the main market. A lot of the cafes offer rooftop seating overlooking the lake
which is lovely. These are good for a mid morning coffee specially with kids as
later on they get smokey with the famous Pushkar stuff!
Stay: Gulaab Niwas http://www.gulaabniwaas.com/
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| At the Khimsar Dune Cottages |
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| Sunset at the Khimsar Dunes |
Day 4 and 5 - Khimsar
A fort and the dunes
We have been to Khimsar 10 years ago and have wanted to go
back ever since. This is mainly because of the ITC Property – Welcome Hotel Khimsar
Fort and Dunes. The stay in the dunes is hard to describe, it is definitely
worth having in the itinerary specially with kids. We needed to park our car at
some distance away and were taken into the dunes on a camel cart. Once you
enter you are surrounded by gleaming sand dunes and in the middle they have created
a little oasis with a small pond surrounded by these luxury huts. The rooms are
just fabulous and the food is from the ITC kitchen so you just can’t have
enough of it. The entire day was spent by the kids rolling on the dunes and
digging in the sand. The authentic desert experience was completed by a camel
ride around the dunes. In the evening the hotel organises tea at the sunset
point which is the highest point on the dunes from where you can watch the sun
go down. Later after dinner as the night got chilly, we could see so many stars
that we asked the staff for a mat and all of us lay down staring at the
beautiful sky for a long time. A day well spent!
The next day we checked out from the dunes and checked into
the ITC Khimsar Fort hotel which is about 10 minutes away. The fort hotel is
beautiful and retains the original Khimsar Fort wall which was built in the
1500s. The rooms, service and food is all wonderful as expected and the hotel
has three restaurants. One part of the fort ruins is converted into a
restaurant and they serve dinner there by candlelight and sometimes only the
moonlight it is definitely a dinner worth experiencing. The hotel has a small
amphitheatre where they organized the famous Kesariya dance for us and a puppet
show for the kids. We all retired that night feeling a bit royal after a day in
the beautiful fort hotel and the princely or princessly food.
Tips: Book a meal at the ruins restaurant in the fort hotel
in advance and preferably a la carte.
Eating: Do order the Khimsar Fling which is their version of
the bloody Mary and the Daal which was to die for! Also the Daal Baati Churma
that we ate at the hotel was the best in all of Rajasthan.
Shopping: No reason to shop here just enjoy the sun and the
sand
Stay: ITC Welcome Hotel Khimsar Fort and Dunes
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| Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur |
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| City view, Jodhpur |
Day 6 - Jodhpur
Jodhpur is a three hour drive from Khimsar and we stopped
over for the day. The kids and one adult went to Mehrangarh fort and the two
‘shopper’ adults set off to explore the Jodhpur markets. The Mehrangarh is our
favourite fort in Rajasthan, it is very well maintained and has a spectacular
view of the ‘blue’ city and you must rent the audio guide which is riveting and
features Maharaja Gaj Singh talking about the fort’s history with some personal
anecdotes. Because it was a weekend and a day after Diwali the fort had hordes
of visitors which led to serpentine queues but all worth the wait. Kids came
back with happy stories of castles and kings and queens.
Meanwhile the shoppers had a very successful day! We started
with the Stepwell Square which is the most premium shopping area. Good Earth,
Nicobar, Forrest Essentials and some premium designer shops are all clustered
in an area with heritage buildings converted into beautiful stores. (The Good
Earth store is a must visit). There are nice cafes and restaurants within
walking distance. Now from premium to
local shopping we went to the main market area near Sojati Gate Circle (as
recommended by a local lady) where there are a line of shops selling sarees,
duppattas and Indian suits and from there a short walk towards the station road
is lined with small shops with the famous Jodhpuri jhutis.
Eating: There are some rooftop restaurants and cafes which
are nice in the evening because as the backdrop you have the magnificent
Mehrangarh fort lit up. (Stepwell Cafe is one option)
Shopping: The Mehrangarh gift shop has lovely souvenirs and
even costume jewellery at good prices. For local shopping go to the several
saree and bandhej shops near Sojati Gate Circle and close by to the station
road for Jodhpuri Jhutis
Stay: Though this was a day trip the last time we stayed at Ratan
Vilas which is highly recommended http://www.ratanvilas.com/
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| City view from The Kehloor rooftop, Udaipur |
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| Lakeside Cosmopolitans at Udaipur |
Day 7 and 8 – Udaipur
Udaipur is our all time favourite place in Rajasthan. There is
something about the vibe and the beautiful setting of a town with many lakes.
During holiday season is was impossible to find any good accommodation at a
reasonable price (we were looking for something near Lake Pichola near the Lal
Ghat area) but instead opted for a fairly new property Kehloor a nice little
property run an enterprising young couple. Though it is not located near the
lake it is a short rickshaw ride from the City Palace and Pichola. Nice modern
rooms and a wonderful terrace restaurant for breakfast with a great view of the
city.
Stay: http://thekehloor.com/
While two days in Udaipur passed in a blur we did manage our
usual favourities.
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A boat ride on Lake Pichola from the City Palace
upto Jag Mandir (a cold beer for us and lemonade for the kids in the Jag Mandir
garden restaurant was the highpoint of the day)
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A guided
tour of City Palace (you can opt for an audio or a personal guide)
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A visit to our many uncles and cousins (another
reason why the city is a favourite)
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Shopping for silver jewellery and souvenirs in
the lanes behind City Palace. Anokhi
which is inside City Palace is always
great for last minute gift shopping. The kids bought little handmade coin
pouches for themselves and their friends.
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Coffee or in this case Cosmopolitans on any of
the Lal Ghat rooftop restaurants to watch the sunset
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Dinner at Ambrai (We missed it on this trip as
Ambrai gets booked weeks in advance)
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The sound and light show at City Palace. This is
the first time we tried this and were rather impressed. It was a good
experience in the chilly evening with the city and the palace in the backdrop
we heard the history of Udaipur and the royal family (The kids did fall asleep
mid way J)
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A drive around this beautiful city and its many
lakes!
It was time to head back home. On the last day we hunted for
the customary Daal Bati Churma meal before returning our rented car and heading
for the airport all silently humming Kesariya in our heads. Yet again Rajasthan
impressed us greatly. It is the Goa in the North for us, never disappoints
always delightful! We will be back soon.
This guest blog is written by Ms Marya Lanewala
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