These are some of our reflections, learnings and thoughts after the very first week of our journey, which started in India. Rajasthan is a northern Indian state bordering Pakistan. It covers about 10% of the Indian landmass and embraces the large Thar Desert. Alright, now that we have the basics covered, let’s get into it.

Udaipur

I thought Fernando and I had a fairly good idea of how “deep” we were jumping in, starting our trip off with India, but I don’t think it really hit us until we arrived at the gates of the old city in Udaipur (as far as cars are allowed to drive) and were off walking to our hotel with our big backpacks, dodging motorbikes and tuk tuks, trying to watch where we stepped (cow and dog poo line the streets) whilst also trying to look everywhere at once and take everything in.

Our trip to Udaipur took around 32 hours all up - we flew on Monday midday from Sydney to Delhi - with an hour stopover in KL - getting in at 11pm Delhi time, 5am Sydney time. After a quick sleep at a questionable hotel just outside the Delhi airport, we then took a domestic flight the next morning to Udaipur followed by a 45 minute car ride to the fort entrance, arriving around 2pm Tuesday, local time. Needless to say, when we did step out of that car to find our hotel in Udaipur, we were in a surreal daze, with home feeling like a not so distant memory but also very far away at the same time.

Udaipur Streets

We decided to hire a driver to take care of us in Rajasthan, a decision that I’d highly recommend as it took the guess work out of haggling and searching for an honest driver and gave us a lot of freedom with our time all at a reasonable price. Shankar, our lovely driver, didn’t speak a lot of English but he was very helpful when we drove off with Fernando’s forgotten bag left on the roof of the car (yep - luckily thanks to Shankar it was retrieved!) and always stopped to show us the local wildlife along the drive - peacocks, deer, monkeys, camels etc - making strange noises to try to entice them closer.

I came into Udaipur knowing it would be a highlight, the beautiful lake and palace and ample rooftop venues were right up my alley. It definitely didn’t disappoint, once we got assimilated to the everyday character of the city - with its constant honking (not done out of anger, we quickly learnt, but as a warning), tuk tuk drivers wanting business at every corner and narrow alleys lined with restaurants and shops, all vying for attention - we both quickly grew to enjoy the beauty of the sights and sounds and even smells of the old city.

Dinner at Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel, Udaipur

Thanks to some great advice from my friend Sky and the old faithful Lonely Planet, we weren’t without some great meals in Udaipur. As mentioned, rooftop restaurants are ample in this city and are a must to enjoy the beautiful view and sunset. We dined at some really nice restaurants (fancier than I imagine we will be able to afford anywhere else in the world), where we splurged a bit ($30 for our bill with drinks). I’ll list where we ate below, but a standout for us (at the recommendation of our hotel manager) was surprisingly outside of the old city and away from the tourists. Natraj Dining Hall and Restaurant - a Local Thali restaurant, serves an all-you-can-eat style thali (round platter dish with a variety of curries, breads, rice etc) with an for 200 rupees per person (around $4).

All you can eat thali

I’m not sure if it was because we were the only foreigners dining there, but the service was impeccable - every time one of our dishes went low, we were immediately served more. It was humerous to the point where the manager came over and asked if “everything was okay?” when we couldn’t eat any more and had to stop the men from serving us. Note: Google seems to say this restaurant is permantly closed, this was not the case when we got there! Definitely worth checking out if you can.

Food was obviously a highlight for me on our first leg - but the palace and lake are of course to be experienced. We opted to go guide-free (still being a bit dazed and jet lagged we just wanted the freedom to be on our own and take our time) and we enjoyed a beautiful, quiet moment in the garden of Jag Niwas (lake palace). Peace and quiet is not something to be taken from granted here!

Peaceful moment in Udaipur

Jodhpur

The 5-hour drive from Udaipur to Jodhpur was an experience in itself. Our driver Shankar took us on some very narrow, winding roads through the rural parts of Rajasthan, passing by villages and allowing us a sneak peek into the locals’ lives - cow herders, small shop owners, women working hard on the farm. We stopped at two places on our way to Jodhpur: the Kumbhalgarh Fort, a 38-km long fort that is among the world’s biggest wall complexes (and which buildings reminded me so much of my times of Age of Empires) and the beautiful Ranakpur Jain temple (which now reminded me of Tomb Raider - apologies for the lame references).

Kumbhalgarh Fort, or could well be a screenshot of Age of Empires

Jodhpur is known as the “blue city”, as most of its houses are painted in blue for two main reasons - to cool them down on harsh summers days and to keep the mosquitoes away. The city also has a fort and the view from up there is absolutely amazing.

Jodhpur, the Blue City

After a few days in India, we started becoming more adventurous and opened conversations with the locals in search of good recommendations and hit the crazy busy street market and tried a number of different foods - samosas, lassis, cookies, more thalis etc. So far, no major belly incidents, so I consider that a win. It is a liberating feeling to go from being scared of the city, to fully embracing it and throwing ourselves out there with an open mind. Indians love when we tell them I am from Brazil and a number of times we were asked to take a selfie.

The local people with the international celebrity, Fernando

Jaisalmer

Now this has to be one of the highlights of our trip so far. Placed right next to the Thar Desert, Jaisalmer once was a very prolific city, for its strategic position in the Silk Route between India and Central Asia. The city has a magnificent fort, built in 1157, which looks more like a mirage in the middle of the desert. This is one the few living forts in the world, with about 3,000 people living within its walls and narrow, maze-like streets.

Not only did we spend a good amount of time wandering around the fort and going on a camel ride to the desert, but in this part of the trip we also got to meet some very interesting people along the way. We first connected with Dasharth, a friend of a friend (thank you, Shaina) who not only manages two accomodation sites in Jaisalmer but also does brilliant work with camel conservation in the desert. He helped organise our camel ride through his resort in Khuri - The Mama’s Resort (we didn’t stay the night here, but it looked beautiful) and he was so kind to have us over for lunch at his place in town (which he also airbnb’s). We also met some fellow travellers from the US and other parts of India, with whom we ended up having a lovely dinner over some bottles of wine, overlooking the fort, with the promises of meeting up once we make our way to America. These were both very special encounters that we hold close to our hearts.

Camel ride in Jaisalmer

Final Thoughts
Everyone says it, but I only fully understood it once I got here - India is an assault to your senses. It is crowded, loud, polluted. But if you allow yourself to see past it, India is also a fascinating, beautiful place. The colours, the architecture, the history, the people, the food. It is an eyeopening experience and an exercise of acceptance and gratitude.

We are setting the foundations for our journey, and Rajasthan has been anything short of amazing. May your land, people, culture and animals withstand for many more generations to come.

RAJASTHAN IN PHOTOS

Check out our Rajasthan album on Flickr:

TIPS AND HIGHLIGHTS OF EACH CITY

Udaipur Details

• The hotel we stayed at - Hari Niwas Guest House - was a stand out for us, exceptional hospitality and a great breakfast (included) on both mornings. The meals were simple, Poha (kind of like Indian fried rice) and fruit one day and Dahl with chapati the other, but it’s been great to have breakfast included to set us up for the day (particularly appreciated on our last day, driving to Jodhpur, as we didn’t get to eat lunch until 3pm). The location was also prime, walking distance to everything but still a bit out of the action so not too crazy and loud (earplugs still necessary though)
• You’ll know it as soon as you arrive, but Udaipur is made for rooftop restaurants, and the city is swarming with them. You can pretty much get an amazing view from any one you go to but we had some good tips on restaurants to go to so here are our top selection:
  • Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel - meal was around $30AUD in total (definitely at the higher end here) but the view was exceptional and food was good. It is worth booking ahead to get a good table.
  • Greco House - we went here for a midday snack, the view was amazing but it was super hot. We found a shady spot and enjoyed the quiet from the busy streets below
  • Restaurant Ambrai - Not a rooftop restaurant, but it has an unbeatable view of the palace. A great counterpart to dining at the Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel - which is one he opposite side of the lake. Mains here are around $9-$10 each.

Jodhpur Details

• We stayed at Krishna Prakash Heritage Haveli- A beautiful, historical site with spacious rooms and a great location, close to everything. We spent a fair bit of time enjoying the rooftop area and enjoyed conversations with a number of fellow travellers from Hungary, America and India.
• We enjoyed a fabulous thali at Hotel Priya (recommended by a passing local), where once again, we were the only foreigners in sight and received many stares and smiles from our fellow diners.
• We also had a great dinner at Jhankar Choti Haveli Restaurant, which had amazing curries (perhaps the best we’ve had so far) and a great view of the fort at really reasonable prices. Birthplace of realising our new favourite curry - the cashew curry!

Jaisalmer Details

• We enjoyed some great, true filtered coffee at The German Bakery & Coffee Shop (up until now everywhere else has served Nescafe) - found on the ramp going up to the fort. Their bread and pastries are baked fresh daily and the almond cookies were delicious!
• We dined with our new American friends at 1st gate restaurant - owned by an Italian woman who moved here 7 years ago and opened up the hotel and restaurant 5 years ago. It’s a bit pricey, but the view at the rooftop restaurant is unbeatable and it was the first time we’d had wine (and it was good!) since leaving so we were happy!
• If you are planning a stay out in the desert or just a camel ride, we’d highly recommend Mama’s Resort - as we mentioned, Dashrath is a beautiful person and will make you feel most welcomed. His airbnb in Jaisalmer is called Kothi Jaisalmer, you can ask us if you want more details.