Camel Safari in Jaisalmer India

Camel Desert Safari in the Thar Desert

We arrived in Jaisalmer the jumping off point for people who want to see the Thar Desert. The weather was hot and the streets dusty. The city was overshadowed by a golden colored fort up on a hill. We were picked up from the bus station by a driver from Real Desert Man Safari. After a quick lunch we headed out to the desert on a jeep. We were excited to go on a safari.
Along the way we stopped at the ruins of a city which was abandoned 300 years ago. For reference that’s from before the American Independence!

After some time of driving along the sandy roads and passing by small villages of the desert people we arrived to be met with our new friends, camels.

Our Safari Trip

The camels are such interesting creatures. They walk with their head held high, and make spitting and snorting noises. As we went along we took in the sights of the desert, the sand, the wind blown tumbleweeds, and below our feet the dung beetles, true owners of the desert. We rode on the camels for an hour and half before reaching the sand dunes. At first it was pure bliss, but after getting off at the dunes our bums were very sore!

When we arrived at the dunes our guides had a small snack ready for us. We took pictures, ran down and up the dunes and met the rest of the travelers who were riding the camels with us. Our group consisted of people from Poland and a couple from Holand. One of our favorite things about traveling is all the people we get to meet and the friendships we make. The sunset was beautiful and we had dinner around a campfire.

Afterwards we went to sleep which was on raised platform beds with very warm blankets. We were told that at night it might get cold but surprisingly it didn’t get too cold. Maybe because we were tucked away under two thick blankets.

We woke up in the middle of the night after the moon had passed to look at a sky full of stars. It was glorious.
The next morning we were awoken when the sun arose and given hot chai and breakfast. As we ate breakfast the camels were harnessed and ready for another adventure back to the jeeps. Thankfully we left in the morning because it got so hot during the day.

This was our first camel safari and we had an amazing time experiencing the Thar desert of India. Our next camel safari that we are looking forward to will most likely be in the Sahara Desert whenever we get there.

Exploring Jaisalmer

The town of Jaisalmer lies at the bottom of a huge fort. Although many of the forts in India are no longer in use this one still has people living inside and using the old buildings. It was serene sitting in a cafe knowing that the space has been used by people for generations.

The walls were very beautifully decorated. Looking closely I could see where hundreds of years ago master craftsmen had made their marks on the stone. There were beautiful views from the fort looking out at the city below and in the distance we saw the lake and decided to make our way over.

The lake had steps leading to it and many buildings around it. There was even a building right in the middle of the lake.

That evening we had to catch a late train to take us to Delhi. It was a long train that took the entire night and day. We reserved first class sleeper seats and didn’t regret it at all.

Jaisalmer is a unique little city to explore for a couple of days if you are in the Rajasthan region. Our biggest highlight was the camel safari. It was one of those experiences that you need to have.

If you go to Jaisalmer check out:

-Jaisalmer Fort (walk the narrow streets, shop, find the old canons, and enjoy a cafe with a view of the city)

-Gadsisar Sagar Lake (You can walk there from the fort or take a short tuck tuck ride. It’s a perfect spot to watch the sunset from)

-Thar Desert ( you can either do a camel safari, stay in a Swiss tent, or rent jeeps to go on the sand dunes)

Have you been to Jaisalmer before? Let us know in the comments below.

-Alex and Katie