Camel Safari Can Make Any India Desert Trip a Memorable Adventure

JAISALMER, India —  Waking up on the crest of a sand dune in India gave me a taste of Lawrence of Arabia’s passion for the desert.

A cool breeze flapped the 6 1/2 yards of green cloth that Rai Singh, my camel driver, was wrapping around his head. Two other camel drivers were bringing their wayward camels back across rolling sand hills. The fourth driver was preparing breakfast over a campfire.

Magnified by windborne sand, the sun rose over the Thar, the Great Indian Desert, for a long moment of unblemished color: golden sand; white, sun-bleached scrub, wind-scoured blue sky.

I peered down the 70-degree face of the dune before plunging feet first, then rolling head-over-heels down through the cool, silky sand, knowing that the desert winds would erase my imprint in a day or two.

Ancient Ruins

A camel safari is one of India’s great adventures. It takes you back, in time and place, to populated villages and ancient ruins tucked in the folds of scrub-dotted hills and lofty dunes.

This corner of the state of Rajasthan is the domain of rugged men like Singh, as wiry and resourceful as thorn trees, and of dark, alluring women whose pastel outfits and elaborate jewelry make mesmerizing splashes of tropical color in an arid landscape.

Jaisalmer, in western Rajasthan, is the place to pick up a camel safari.

This ancient citadel near the Pakistani border is accessible by road from Bikaner or by rail or road from Jodphur.

The Sonar Kila, or Golden Fort, dominates Jaisalmer. As you approach from any direction, the Kila rises from the amber desert like an enormous mirage.

Perhaps the hearts of spice traders and invading warriors leaped like mine did when they first set eyes on this citadel of rosy sandstone, ringed by 99 round battlements.

Cave-Dwelling Hermit

The fort dates from the 12th Century, when, according to legend, a cave-dwelling hermit counseled a Rajput prince named Jaisal to build a bastion on the highest hill in the area.

Battles fought over this seemingly impregnable fortress form the folklore of today’s residents of Jaisalmer and the surrounding desert. Descendents of Jaisal’s Bhatti clan sing ballads about valorous warriors who proclaimed the ritual of johar when faced with certain defeat.

First the women and children would throw themselves into a funeral pyre. Then the Bhatti warriors would descend from the fort, dressed in saffron-hued wedding clothes, in a drunken kamikaze horde.

Nowadays there is no armed resistance on approach to the Sonar Kila, a residential neighborhood spreading in narrow cobbled lanes from the old palace. Massive mortarless walls soar overhead as you climb a steep flagstone-paved path from the main bazaar and pass through two gigantic gates.

Bejeweled Women

Inside the fort, cows and goats forage in alleys. Childern wash clothes in the shades of stone stairwells. Artfully carved doorways and windows give glimpses into dimly-lit homes. Bejeweled women stand like princess on sculpted balconies; others drape colorful saris from rooftops.

The whole town of Jaisalmer is like a living museum.

For centuries, traders traveling by camel caravan between India and Central Asia enriched Jaisalmer’s merchants. These merchants built beautiful sandstone mansions called havelis . Some are protected monuments that display the magnificent craftsmanship of Jaisalmer’s silavats , or stone carvers.

The largest one is the Patwon-ki-haveli, the House of the Brocade Merchants. It was built over 50 years by the five sons of Guman Chand Patwa, whose empire of fine fabrics and opium stretched from Afghanistan to China.

The Patwon-ki-haveli is a masterpiece of carved doors, balconies, scrolled archways, arched windows, and cupolas. Inside you can see the beautiful murals in one of its five suites, or climb to the roof for a great view of the fort.

Peacock Brackets

The prime minister of Jaisalmer built the Salim Singh-ki-haveli in the 18th Century. Carved brackets resembling peacocks support the cantilevered top story of this mansion.

Not only the palaces left by bigwigs display the art of the stonecarvers. Many facades on ordinary homes have been lovingly crafted, and further embellished with bright paintings of Hindu deities.

Walking aimlessly through Jaisalmer’s lanes, I encountered the likeness of Ganesh, the elephant god, painted beautifully on dozens of white-washed walls.

Women dressed in flamboyant colors--fluorescent pink, lime green, canary yellow--sell vegetables out of huge baskets at the foot of the fort. Thick pseudo-ivory bangles covering one vendor’s arms clatter as she weighs potatoes on a hand-held scale.

In the maze-like bazaar, camels, horses and mules pull carts through rows of cubbyhole-like stalls. Here gold and silversmiths perform their traditional crafts, and shrewd cloth merchants haggle with wary customers.

Oranges and Mangoes

Vendors sell oranges, mangoes and bananas out of carts sprinkled throughout the bazaar.

As in other parts of Rajasthan, the feast of art and color in Jaisalmer’s ancient streets testifies to the friendly spirit of the locals, a remarkable triumph considering the harsh conditions of their desert life.

I stayed in a beautiful old home inside the fort’s battlements known as the Deepak Guest House. My room was three floors up, in a white-washed aerie, with latticed windows. At night a warm wind delivered the ringing bells of animal carts.

From the roof of the Deepak, I watched the sun rise over nearby temple spires and the golden desert.

The Deepak, like a score of other guest houses in Jaisalmer, offers terrific ambience but spartan accommodations. For more comfortable lodging in the fort, there is the Jaisal Castle Hotel, another converted old house with a courtyard and fantastic views.

Thatch-Roofed Bungalow

The Moomal Tourist Bungalow is a nice place in the town below, with a garden and thatch-roofed bungalows. Then there’s the Narayan Niwas Palace, where Great Britain’s Princess Anne once stayed.

A camel safari is the most exciting way to see the desert around Jaisalmer. One of these can be planned through travel agents in major Indian cities, but there is no real need to make prior arrangements.

Many camel-safari agents operate locally. Every hotel in Jaisalmer will arrange a tour, for half a day or longer. For any length safari, make sure what you’re getting in terms of sights, food and bedding.

Four of us chose a safari out of Kuri, a village about 30 miles southwest of Jaisalmer.

On arriving in Kuri, we were taken to a man named Tane Singh Soda, whose waxed handlebar mustache and starched white dhopti made him a ringer for the dashing Rajputs of old.

We stayed overnight in Kuri. The village consisted of a collection of round, mud-walled homes with thatched roofs. Each home was walled like a small compound.

Persian Carpets

Painted geometric shapes like those on Persian carpets adorned the walls, and the interiors were decorated with woven carpets, antique cabinets and polished brassware.

That night, a group of village musicians gave a performance on the roof of the only concrete building in the village. Their songs, played on strings, a flute, bells and drums, lilted repetitively like Irish folk music.

One musician blew on a bulbous water jug while tossing and catching the thing, fluttering his fingers on its surface so it resonated.

They sang about warriors and about the raika , the camel driver who is a romantic figure in local lore, considered to be a messenger of news.

The next day I was riding a camel through the silent desert, while Rai Singh sat behind me. A warm breeze caressed the branches of skeletal trees, and the necklace of bells around the camel’s neck tinkled rhythmically.

Rai Singh asked softly: “Good camel? Good seat? You happy?”

Late in the day we passed through another village. Women in maroon veils, burgundy skirts and glimmering jewelry were walking to and from a village well. They balanced plump clay pots on their heads, walking like ballerinas.

We stopped to refill the group’s water bottles. Village women kept adjusting their veils to peer at us with one tantalizingly exposed eye.

Then, with the sun low in the sky, the drivers commanded the camels to run. Rai Singh pointed to a range of softly-lit dunes in the distance--a place to pass the night.

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Round-trip air fare from Los Angeles to New Delhi is approximately $1,400, with a 30-day advance purchase.

To get from New Delhi to Jaisalmer, Vayudoot Airlines flies on Sundays only ($50 one way). Otherwise fly to Jodhpur, or take the Jodhpur Mail train overnight from Delhi, and proceed by train, bus or car from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer.

Accommodations in Jaisalmer: Narayan Niwas Palace Hotel costs $30 single, $50 double. The Jaisal Castle runs $25 to $30, and the Moomal Tourist Bungalow is $10-$20. Send written inquiries to the specific hotel, Jaisalmer 345001, Rajasthan, India.

To book a camel safari in advance, contact Odyssey Tours, 1821 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Santa Monica 90403, toll-free (800) 654-7975 or (213) 453-1042. Odyssey offers a camel trek out of Jaisalmer in November, as well as other package tours and custom-designed trips to India and elsewhere in Asia.

Camel Safaris

Kashmir Himalayan Expeditions, 17 Indian Oil Building, Janpath, New Delhi 11001, and Rajasthan Tours, c/o Rambagh Palace Hotel, Jaipur, Rajasthan, will arrange deluxe camel safaris at about $35 per person per day.

Safaris are also easily arranged on short notice in Jaisalmer. Contact Jaisal Tours (Tel: 97) or Rajasthan Tours at the Neeraj Hotel (Tel: 142). Any hotel or guest house will set up a safari for you a day in advance.

“Luxury” safaris ($20 to $40 per day) usually include an English-speaking guide, tents, comfortable saddles, and plenty of good food. On a budget safari, for about $5 per day, you’ll sleep under the stars and may get a rather spartan diet of tea, rice and curried vegetables or dal (lentils).

Another option is to take the bus to Kuri, a village about 30 miles southwest of Jaisalmer. In Kuri, look for Tane Singh Soda, who will put you up in the village and arrange a camel safari for as many days as you wish.

Mud-Walled Hut

In Kuri, I slept on a string bed in a mud-walled hut. Tane Singh Soda fed me and my friends generously, and on the camel safari ($5 per day) we ate well and slept comfortably in blankets he provided. The food was plentiful, if repetitive.

Camel safari season is November to March. Bring a hat for the hot days, a sweater for the cold nights and, if you’re going to Kuri, a supply of bottled water.

For more information on travel to India, contact the Government of India Tourist Office, 3550 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 204, Los Angeles 90010, (213) 380-8855.