Jaisalmer : Golden City

Known as both the “Golden City” and the “Sun City”, Jaisalmer lies deep within the center of the Great Thar Desert which makes it a prime location for those travelers seeking an iconic desert adventure. This jewel of a city stands on a ridge of yellow sandstone and boasts the impressive Jaisalmer Fort, which rises majestically from the dunes of the surrounding desert. With its legendary history of camel caravans and prominent trade routes, the nearby sands of the desert beckon visitors to take a romantic camel ride into the golden sands for an overnight excursion that will reveal an expanse of star-filled skies like none other. Located on the far west end of India, the surrounding austerity of the desert landscape can be as demanding as it is alluring. Although summer temperatures can reach well above 40C, the haunting desert landscapes can be a wonderful way of unwinding in the late fall and winter months. Scenic India Tours offers wide rang of Jaisalmer Tour Packages.

Jaisalmer Fort:

This imposing fort is situated high above Jaisalmer on Meru Hill. Its big sandstone walls hold a colored soft tawny on the day and evening when is going down it turns to the magical honey gold color. This is still a living fort and about a quarter of city’s population still lives inside its strong walls. Strolling within the confines of the fort offers visitors a dual view of the India of today mixed with the India of centuries past.

Merchant Havelis: These large houses, often built by wealthy merchants, typically served as mansions for local families. Some being hundreds of years old, these beautiful homes were either built from ornately carved wood or crafted from golden sandstone and sported many floors and countless rooms, all decorated with elaborately carved windows, archways, doors and balconies. Some havelis have been converted into museums and some into heritage hotels but most in Jaisalmer are still occupied by the descendants of the original families who built them. Patwon-ki-Haveli, this the biggest and most beautiful and most elaborate of Jaisalmer’s havelis, it is five-stories high and took fifty five years to complete. Salam Singh-ki-Haveli – beautifully haveli constructed in the year1815. Haveli Shreenath, built by the Vyas family in the 15^thcentury, is still occupied by the descendants of the original family. Visitors may stay in one of the five rooms that are decorated with doors and ceilings of old carved wood as well as brass and iron fittings.

Sam Desert:

Now a national park, this area of sand dunes near the village of Sam is an iconic view of the desert sands seen in so many Hollywood movies. This huge expanse of gently rippled sand provides panoramic views of the vast undulating mountains of grains that drift with the winds. Both daytime and nighttime camel safaris are available here, with the most picturesque moments happening at sunrise and sunset. Overnight safaris are also common, with a chance to sleep out under the billions of stars overhead, an opportunity not to be missed.