Planning A Trip To Rajasthan

By Author: Deepa G
Total Articles: 29
Comment this article

A trip to Rajasthan is something everybody wants to do atleast once in your lifetime. But when you start planning a trip the variety of choices and permutations can be kind of overwhelming.

One of the reasons this is complicated is because Rajasthan really has so many places that are a “must see”. And none of them are really close to each other. Three of the major cities Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur have airports. So if the budget is not a constraint you can fly between these cities and fit a lot more into your schedule. But for the average traveller who is travelling by car, the commute takes up a significant amount of time. Don’t get me wrong - the journey can sometimes be as exciting as the destination, it can give you a flavor of the countryside and there are unexpected places you stumble along which might be your best memories of the trip.

A “normal” trip to Rajasthan includes flying into Jaipur, from Jaipur to Jodhpur (7 hours drive), Jodhpur to Jaisalmer (6 hours) and from Jaisalmer to Udaipur (9 hours). A lot of people drive back to Jaipur and then take a flight back home from there. It makes ...
... sense to fly into Jaipur and fly out of Udaipur or vice versa. The problem is that tickets to Jaipur from other cities in India is usually much more affordable than tickets to Udaipur and Jodhpur. But strangely when we were travelling tickets from Bangalore to Udaipur was comparable to the tickets from Bangalore to Jaipur. But Udaipur to Bangalore was three times the price of tickets from Bangalore to Udaipur. So the lesson is to check flight prices before deciding on the itinerary/route.

Udaipur has the fort and the lakes. Udaipur to Jodhpur takes you through Ranakpur where you can visit the famed Jain temples. Jodhpur gives you one of the best maintained forts. Jaisalmer gives you a view of the Thardesert, camel safari and an overnight in a tent in the middle of the desert. From Jaisalmer you have to come back to Jodhpur. Jodhpur to Jaipur takes you via Pushkar and Ajmer where you can see the Brahma temple and the Dargah respectively.

Variations to this theme – some people include Mount Abu in their trip. It’s a hill station and if you are travelling in hot climate, it is a nice break. Other people include Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary. You go there from Jaipur and after seeing innumerable forts and temples, it will be a change to see some wild animals. Others include Kumbhalgarh in their itinerary instead of Ranakpur. Others combine Rajasthan with Gujarat. Then of course there is the famed golden triangle of Jaipur, Agra, Delhi – but that doesn’t really count as a Rajasthan holiday.

Others avoid Udaipur and do the other side of Rajasthan. From Jaisalmer you go to Bikaner, Nawalgarh and Mandawa and head back to Jaipur.

The final choice of course is yours to make based on your tastes. But do spend enough time planning this trip. Figure out the route first and then work out the day to day itinerary.

For exciting packages to Rajasthan, check out www.polama.com. You can compare tour packages for other locations as well.

About Author :

During a chance holiday to Kumta, Deepa realised that nothing excited her more than a career in research of unexplored destinations. Her special interest is in leveraging the power of the internet to give greater value to holiday goers, such as the ability to easily compare tour packages. You can know more about Rajasthan holidays at her site www.polama.com.