Pushkar fair
 

We will be in India during the Pushkar fair and want to stay in that general area for a while. What is the best accommodation (not expensive, but nice and atmospheric)in Pushkar? Should I book it myself or rely on a travel agent? We're pretty experienced travellers and would like to hear from someone who has been to Pushkar. Many thanks

I was in Pushkar, 2 years ago, with
Abercrombie & Kent. We used tents,
located on the dunes quite close to the fair (walking distance about 1/2 hour). From what I recall, there were
other tent compounds nearby. None had
showers or running water & they were
about as good as it gets. Still, for a
couple of days, it was well worth it.

Pete

Thanks Pete, but I'm sure a tent is out of the question for us because I think it might get a bit cold at night. Was it cold? What were the bathroom facilities like? Both are issues. I'm thinking of either the Pushkar Resorts cabins or a hotel. Any advice there?

As best I remember, it wasn't particularly
cold. I think the tents had some sort of indoor john, but I don't recall. My only memory was not being able to shower, although they had guys who brought hot water to your tent. It wasn't too bad.
If you didn't want to walk, there was a bus that went through town & I guess, that must be where the cabins & hotel are.
Don't expect too much. I'd be inclined
to stay with the tents. They're well guarded, so you don't have to worry about your valuables. You could contact A & K
for more information; they are a very high-end outfit, so they probably serched for the best accomodations availavle. There are rows & rows of these tent just set up for the fair. Hope this helps a bit. Pushkar was billed as "an assault on the senses."
That is a perfect description.

P.S. Here's the site for their trip
this year.

http://www.abercrombiekent.com/cf/tp...FV%20%3C%20%0A

Thanks for the info but I'll check it out for some sort of hotel room with a shower.

Jahlie,
I'm going thru the exact same thing right now...Maybe we'll meet there!
I've got lots of info on all the different tent camps but my husband is voting for Pushkar resorts (www.pushkarresorts.com) so we can get in and OUT of the chaos. My only question, since it's a ways out of town is will it be easy to get back and forth. I'm waiting for the hotel's response. We should keep in touch about this. I've been to India 8 times but never Pushkar. I always book myself but thought to book this year with an agent...now feeling like I will just do it myself.

This year Pushkar will be held from 31 Oct to 8 November, so it won't be quite as cool in the evenings as the last two years. The days are always warm and sunny. The Swiss tents, set up for this short period, are quite comfortable in that they have a separate area at back with a washbasin and shower and proper porcelain toilet, however you would only use the shower during the heat of the day, otherwise the folks will bring you a bucket of hot water at a time you nominate, in the mornings. The loo and shower are generally on a concrete base. The bedding provided will be quite sufficient for the cool evenings and a bedside lamp is also provided. There is communal dining and the rates include all 3 meals. This can be a little bland for those who like spicy food, but the hosts have to cater for all tastes, mostly foreigners unused to hot food and also children. But if you like spicy food, not to worry, as you can have a word with the maitre d' and he will do something special for you, just ask to eat food that the workers are going to eat. That time of year is methi (fenugreek) season, so you can get potatoes and methi leaves or methi paranthas, delicious!
I stay at Raj Resorts, last year they even had one computer with Internet facilities in the greetings tent, so they have a phone line which can be given out to family back home if necessary. It was useful for my group last year as warnings had gone out just before we got there, by American and English embassies of possible terrorist activities so families back home were a mite nervous. Of course nothing untoward happened. It is not chaotic to stay at the tented accommodation and in my book, adds to the value of the trip, even an older woman in the group said she wouldn't have wanted to stay anywhere else. These places have camel dray 'taxis' that play back and forth to where the action is and no doubt Puskhar Resorts do too, but do yourself a favour - stay in the tents - you can stay in nice hotels/cabins most places in the world, but this will add to the flavour. We found 3 nights, two full days were sufficient, no less though. The accommodation rates are two-layer, high season and low season so you might want to consider checking that out with whomever you book with.
Whilst in Rajasthan, you might want to check out Hotel Mandawa Haveli, a Heritage Hotel in the Shekhawati region well known for its painted havelis. I visited there and fell in love with the hotel as it's small and has a lot of character, but the last group opted instead for Jodhpur (also excellent). The trouble is that it is a long drive over not great roads, from Pushkar. I think driving from Pushkar to Jaipur and then from Jaipur to Mandawa, would be longer but better roads. CathyS - is there anything else you would like to know. I could go on and on, but fear I have already taken up a lot of space!

Thanks so much Fenno. It's great to communicate with someone who's familiar with Pushkar fair. The more info the merrier as far as I'm concerned! I posted another thread last night (please check it so I don't have to rewrite!) which no one had responded to yet titled Jodphur via Mumbai or Delhi? Would like your opinion on that...I'm a photography addict so am hoping to get to Pushkar before the major crowds so my photos don't have tourists in them. What dates will you be there? Is 2 November early enough to arrive? Staying 4 nights. Probably will go to Jodphur first then Pushkar but will check your other suggestion. Is it easy to get taxi when in Jodphur to Pushkar or necessary to arrange in advance? From Pushkar...does taxi to Jaipur then plane to Delhi make sense? or train from Ajmer to Delhi? We're actually headed to Chennai from Pushkar but we need to get to Delhi or Mumbai first...Whew!!! Lots of planning but it's always worth it. Thanks again.

Hi CathyS. Just read message on other thread. Hard for me to say, but I would think better to travel to Rajasthan from Delhi. Internal flights are quite expensive. As to taxis, I also cannot help as I get a mini bus through my agent mentioned above. We did take overnight train from Delhi to Jodhpur which was fine (must travel 1st class) and another mini van met us and then we did Pushkar and Jaipur on way back to Delhi. From Pushkar I do believe there is a train to Delhi from nearby Ajmer (11 kms from Pushkar) which might suit. If using taxis you would need to be sure the driver is good as the roads are not fantastic, apart from Delhi to Agra. You could ctc the agent I mentioned and ask him for a proposed itinerary with your ideas thrown in and see if it suits - you don't have to use him if you're not happy and he can give you some good ideas. 02 Nov would be a fine time to arrive. That would be day 2 of the festival. We arrvd on day 4 and some of the camels had already gone as it was a drought year and some of the sellers didn't have enough money to stay longer. There weren't many tourists because of the warnings I have already mentioned, but I'm sure you won't be overwhelmed with them anyway. There were only 2.5 million tourists to India last year, which tells you something, right?

Fenno, Thanks for the details about the Pushkar Fair. I've been very hesitant about the tents but it seems they might be fine. Were there musical performances or dances at the camp in the evening? Did things quiet down at night in the camp? I'd also be interested in which hotels you enjoyed and which you didn't as well as your best experiences and worst. Any advice is very appreciated as my husband and I are going to India for the first time this Oct/Nov. It seems we will use a hired driver for much of the trip with some rail and some air. From what I've read each form of transportation has it's challenges (translate adventures). Thanks so much

Thanks again Fenno. I'm trying to get in touch with your agent but as of yesterday messages were being returned cause his mailbox was overfull. I told him you recommended me (if your name is really Fenno) :) I'll keep you posted on what happens with him. I'm feeling like the train from Ajmer to Delhi or driving to Jaipur and flying to Delhi from there may be better options than driving all the way but I'll see what he says. So far so good! Thanks... Jahlie don't forget to check pushkarresorts.com!!!

Hi everyone,

I just took a look at this thread. Here's a couple of things that I remember. The
fair goes all night long. There are fireworks and dancing which you can see & hear from the tents. Don't worry about tourists in your photos--the place is very large and ther aren't that many tourists.
For the best photography, go to the fair early in the morning, about sunrise, when things are a bit calmer and the light is best.
Here's a recommendation for a fantastic hotel--the Rajvilas in Jaipur--it's where Clinton stayed during his visit--exquisite!!! Have a great time.

Hi again. Yes, it seems most tented places will provide Rajasthani dancers. Good that Pewang reminded me of how the party in town goes on all night, another good reason not to stay too close to the centre of town, unless you are into partying as well, but I like my sleep! Hotels we have stayed in with the group are Oberoi Maidens in Delhi, Heritage Hotel Ranbanka in Jodhpur, Holiday Inn, Jaipur and Jaypee Palace in Agra. All were absolutely fine. If you want to indulge, then stay at Umaid Bhavan in Jodhpur, Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, Imperial Hotel in Delhi. Heritage Hotels are always interesting, but not always comfortable.
As to travelling in India, I would say that as long as you are tolerant and willing to be flexible and go with the flow, you'll enjoy it. Don't be a control freak, just soak it up. I do know of other hotels but can't locate my file at the moment. However there are oodles of places on the Net and I find that a lot of my joy in going away is reading up everything on the Net. However if there is anything else, I will try to help. I am also going to check out the agent's mailbox.

Pewang, you've got me thinking...I was planning to go from Pushkar to Delhi (or Mumbai) on one day, spend the night there and then continue on to Chennai the next day. I'd rather get from Pushkar to Jaipur on the first day, spend the night there and then fly from Jaipur to Chennai on day two. Make sense??? In any case I'd LOVE to stay at the Rajvilas but $350us is the lowest rate I'm seeing online at the moment.Ouch!!! Anyone have a suggestion as to where I could get a better rate??? Thanks!