Rajasthan Itinerary...feedback please!
 

I have been working on our four week trip to India for sometime and the help on the board has been wonderful...please do give us any feedback on the current itinerary.

We are interested in architecture, food, history and material culture. In general we have opted for smaller family run heritage properties. We will be hiring a car and driver for most of the trip.

Should we add a night to Jodhpur and remove a night from Shekwati?

Are there any sites you would recommend that we try to see when driving from one destination to the next?

Will we have time for a detour to see the temples at Osian on the way from Jaiselmer to Jodhpur?

Any meals, museums or experiences you wouldn't have missed?

Despite some backtracking we decided on a side trip to Bundi as there are several interesting fairs in the area at the end of November.

Many thanks for any help.


ITINERARY:

Arrive in Mumbai late and stay overnight near airport.

Fly into Udaipur and transfer to Bundi by road for three nights at Haveli Braj Bhushanjee. Visit the Chandrabhaga fair near Jhalawar one day and the Keshoraipatan Fair the next.

Visit the fort at Chittaurgarh, 1 night at Kavla Khempur heritage hotel.

Udaipur (3 nights) Kankarwa Haveli in a Lake view room.

Devi Garh (1 night) tent room. Modern restoration of an ancient fort with stylish interiors and spa.

Transfer to Deogarh Mahal (2 nights) via the temples at Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh Fort. Family run fort?lots of publicity..looks beautiful.

Rohetgarh, 45 mins outside Jodhpur (2 nights) deluxe double. Smaller family run heritage hotel.

Jaiselmer (3 nights) Killa Bhawan small, stylish hotel in a converted Haveli in the center of the fort city of Jaiselmer, it comes highly recommended.

Jodhpur (1 night) via the temple complex at Osian. Inn Season, hotel with Art Deco styling in a more modern settling.

Jaipur(2 nights) Jasvilas, highly recommended friendly family run hotel, they have given me lots of helpful advice on the hotels.

Shekwati (3 nights) at Apani Dhani in a superior room. Modest eco-resort from which it is easy to see the painted havelis of Shekwati. Train to Delhi.

7 nights in Delhi staying with friends.

Return to London December 23 just in time for Christmas with my family!

Yes, I would reduce a night from Shekhwati. Apani Dhani looks fab and I have heard good things about it but I feel 3 nights at an eco lodge is too much.Def increase Jodhpur - plan to go to Umaid Bhawan while u are there - it is part palace, part museum, part hotel so 2/3 is open to the public - enjoy a meal and marvel at how the other half used to live (as even one third of it is huge). I also think u could reduce 1 night in Udaipur and add it to Jaipur. Jaipur has loads of sightseeing - u will spend half a day at Amer Fort, def go to the science conservatory, it is fascinating, Hava Mahal...2 nights IMO is short. While in Jaipur plan an evening meal at the Rambagh - reach in time for the Rajasthani dances they have outdoors and watch them. In Jaipur shop at Soma, Anokhi (tho they both have Delhi branches too so don't stress too much if u don't make it), Amrapali for silver jewelry. Another reason to add the night to jaipur is the drive Jodhpur-Jaipur is fairly long and u will not get enough effective time in Jaipur. IMO 4 nights in Udaipur is a lot so u could reduce 1 at the first hotel. I do not know the route Shekhawati-Delhi but know the route Jaipur-Delhi and Neemrana is en route so ask your driver - if it is en route or s small detour stop at Neemrana for a snack or meal, is an interesting boutique hotel.

Dear Hobbes,
thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate the time and attention you have given my itinerary.

I think I will stick with the time in Udaipur and Devi Garh only because at this stage it would be very difficulat to change the following reservations. In fact I'm very please just to have secured reservations at the hotels I wanted to stay in as they are almost all fully booked at this time of year!

However, I could certainly reduce our visit to Shekwati by a night and add a night to Jodhpur and Jaipur...which would reduce our time in Delhi to 6 nights.

I'm very glad to hear you've heard good things about Aphani Dhani it certainly looks like an intersting place and of course by western standards it's very cheap.

Thanks very much for the recommendation for silver jewellery. We were in Rio in August and my poor husband was dragged to a place that specialized in setting some of the wonderful Brazilian stones in silver designs...he was thrilled!

Thanks again.

I think increasing both Jodhpur and Jaipur by a day makes sense - also bear in mind that by the latter half of your trip you will be a little more tired/less refreshed than u are at the start so want to set an enjoyable rather than a hectic pace. Plan your car transfers well so u maximize time in places u are giving less time to - early starts are anyway advised but early nights in places u have enough time for will ensure u are refreshed for the more hectic parts - seems obvious but does not always work out that way! Are u doing a camel safari? Hope yr Delhi friends are organizing at least a day of Delhi sightseeing for you - we did one in April and was amazing. Things we saw were the Qutub Minar, Humayun's tomb, the Birla temple, Bangla Sahib gurudwara (so we saw a mosque, Hindu temple and Sikh temple). U will find great silver jewelry in Delhi too - esp if u do a day in Chandni Chowk which is an experience in itself.

I'm very much looking forward to our visit to Delhi especially because my brother lives in a Luytens designed house in England!

Our friends have just arrived in Delhi, they're academics who will be in India for a year, and I'm sure they'll take us around some of the main sites...in fact I wouldn't be surprised if they don't get around to visiting the "sights" before we arrive!

We're not planning on a camel safari, I had it in the original itinerary but all of my friends said it was most uncomfortable. Camel trips are an option at several of the places we're staying so it's something we could do for an afternoon.

Many thanks once again for your help...I hope I'll be able to give you advice on Southern Africa, the Bay Area, Brazil, Europe etc sometime!