rajasthan itinerary feedback please
 

My hubby and I are planning to visit Rajasthan in December 2007, most likely after 10 days in Bhutan (hoping to coordinate with the Trongsa Festival, Dec 18-20).
We're travellers in our 60's who like a slow, savoring pace. We love creature comforts but can trade it for authenticity or good location when that makes sense.( We try to avoid luxury hotels that do not reflect the spirit/ethos of a country).
On our trip to south India in '05 we especially enjoyed visitng small villages, meeting with a local art historian, seeing local life.
When we know where we want to go and where to lodge we'll have a couple Indian agencies price it for us. I find input from this board very helpful and wanted to get your opinions first. I've also done research on this board.
Since my husband cares less about monuments and more about people and since I've been to the north before and toured Agra & the Taj, Ranthambhore, Khajuraho (loved the old village !) and Jaipur among other places, we will exclude these intentionally. The one place I've visited that I thought my husband just had to experience as quintesentially India, is Varanasi. Enough preamble,
Propposed itinerary:
Day 1 arrive Delhi from Paro, 1:30 pm
o/n Imperial, heritage rm.
Day 2 Delhi sightseeing o/n Imperial
Day 3 take 1:45 flt Delhi to Udaipur, o/n Udaivilas
Day 4 Udaipur o/n Udaivillas
Day 5 Udaipur day trip o/n Udaivillas
Day 6 drive Udaipur to Ranakpur & perhaps Kumbhalgarh
o/n Deogarh
Day 7 drive to Jodhpur, o/n Umaid Bhawan Palace or
Ratan Vilas or Bal Samand Lake Palace
Day 8 Jodhpur o/n as above
Day 9 fly Jodhpur to Delhi o/n Raddison Delhi airport
Day 10 fly Delhi to Varanasi, arrive noon o/n Ganga View
Guest House if available or Raddison
Day 11 Varanasi, o/n Varanasi
Day 12 fly Varanasi to Delhi, o/n Oriental
Day 13 Delhi
Day 14 fly back to USA
I really wanted to include Jaisalmer but finally had to admit that it would require too much driving and would cut short Udaipur and Jodhpur. Do you agree? Thanks all.

hi robbie,

we did the simmilar trip lat year and we booked the tour with castle and king a indian based company and he helped us to make the itineray without and charges he is so helpfull. You can ask him if you need any suggestions.

i will suggest you to visit the Jaisalmer.

Thanks

pat

Thanks Pat. Who did you work with at Castle and King?

I wonder why my contribution posted a couple of days back is missing!
Anyway to recapitulate,
a. You need not go back to Deogarh from Ranakpur or Kumbhalgarh as it is a good 60 miles east of these destinations. Hotel Fatehbagh in Ranakpur is a wonderful property, just a mile away from Ranakpur Temples. The Aodhi at Kumbhalgarh is again a nice hotel with a central fireplace in the restaurant, much loved by all on a cold day. The food is excellent at both.
b. You may also consider Castle Rohetgarh, 25 miles short of Jodhpur. Their heritage suites are all original. The food is excellent. It is in the middle of the village & charming place, like a British manor.
c. Umaid Bhawan is wonderful in Jodhpur, now being handled by the Taj Group. Competing with it favorably is the Taj Hari Mahal. The rooms are resplendent & meals excellent.
d. Ratan Vilas, is a small property with good rooms & a history of it’s own, being part of the polo playing world of the twenties. There is no swimming pool.
e. I have been told that Scindia GH on Manikarnika ghat is a wonderful place right on the Ganges in Varanasi. I am yet to visit this property.
Best Wishes.

In addition to the excellent suggestions, you should check if you can get to Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary. Should check if this is season for tiger-spotting. You should stay at the Corbett lodge if available.

Though it is very difficult to predict the presence of a tiger, unless he has made a kill that would keep him confined to his range, the excessive movement of tourists in the month of December, when all colleges & schools are on winter vacation, disturbs him & he seeks those areas far removed from the beaten tracks. The sightings get very irregular & poor. The mornings are bitterly cold inside the park - not advisable.

Thanks for the good recommendations; I will look at each place you suggest.
I was fortunae enough to watch a beautiful female tiger when at Ranthambhor a few years ago and since my husband got his wildlife fix in Tanzania this past summer, we will skip the national park. (Yuk, I dislike sounding so cavalier when I find everything in India fascinating!)
My Big Question: Should I cut a day from
Udaipur & Jodhpur in order to get 2-3 days in Jaisalmer??? I hate rushing yet really want to experience Jaisalmer.

Unless you wish to prolong the experience of ambience of your lovely hotel in Udaipur, two nights there is fine. Two nights in Jodhpur are also a must for you have some great sightseeing at Mehrangarh fort & the Mandore cenotaphs of the erstwhile rulers of Jodhpur. Also, you can shop at Jodhpur. The city itself is so beautiful & exuding of old-world charm.
Jaisalmer is 175 miles west of Jodhpur & if you decide to add it to your itinerary, Fort Rajwada is your hotel destination. Three nights there is a good idea.
Very best for your plans!

We stayed at both the Umaid Bhawan Palace and the Taj Hari Mahal in Jodhpur last year. We found the Taj Hari to be much more comfortable with much better plumbing and more bright and cheery rooms. The Palace is definitely worth a visit, but we'd suggest going for a meal (before sunset to see the building and grounds and view) rather than staying overnight.

Does anyone know (maybe VP-Singh) if its faster to drive Jodhpur to Jaisalmer or take a train? How long would it take by each mode?

Thanks.
The train from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer leaves at the most ridiculous time – 6:00am – and nobody likes to wake up & leave a comfortable Taj Hari Mahal bed, so early on a holiday! It reaches Jaisalmer at 13:30 hrs. There is also an overnight train.
The car will take you to Jaisalmer in about 5 hours for though it is 175 miles, the traffic is just a trickle (unless a military convoy is on the move) & road good. You will also need your car to go for camel safari on sand dunes, distant about 25 miles west-south-west. It is the jeep that is ubiquitous in Jaisalmer.

You don't need a car for a camel safari in Jaisalmer - plenty of people in Jaisalmer will arrange the safari for you. Although I like to use night trains, the best class on the night train to Jaisalmer is 3AC, so I would be inclined to get up early and catch the new day train, which has 2AC. Plus the night train gets into Jaisalmer at 5ish in the morning, so you'll get up early either way.

So it seems I could spend 2 nights in Udaipur, 1 night enroute to Jodhpur and 2 in Jodhpur to make room for Jaisalmer. If we left the hotel around 8:30 am - we could be in Jaisalmer by 2-3 pm. Spend two nights in Jaisalmer and drive back to Jodhpur and fly back to Delhi. Does that sound reasonable? rushed?

03 nights in Jaisalmer are ideal as remember you are doing a good 350 miles up & down from Jodhpur & another about 50 miles going for camel safari to either Sam or Khuri sand dunes, making it almost 400 miles,(plus Sight seeing & a dinner on dunes)- a bit tedious & definitely exhausting, unless you are hardpressed for time.
There is an evening 6:35 flight to New Delhi.

Is the 6:35 pm fligh to New Delhi from Jodhpur? How likely is it we'd be able to land at 8 PM if there's fog?
What do they do with passengers who can't land anyway?

a. The flight that leaves Jodhpur for New Delhi at 6:35 is an Indian Airlines carrier & reaches Delhi by 7:30pm.
b. There is another flight that leaves for New Delhi at 2:00pm by Jet Airways. Jet Airways is a reputable carrier. Their flights do not normally get cancelled unless the conditions are just impossible. It is therefore advisable to fly out by this flight.
c. Incase of fog, there could be situation where flights are cancelled. Under these circumstances, the passengers are adjusted for the next day flights; however, hotel accommodation for that extra night is to be borne by the customer.
d. As the Jodhpur – Delhi sector is small; there may be only delays on account of fog, if any.
e. You may get in touch on my email if you please.