Jaisalmer, a historic city located in the hostile terrain of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, is one of the premier tourist destinations in Rajasthan; and is visited by tourists from India and abroad, all round the year. The temperatures soar high during the summer months and is definitely not the ideal time to visit Jaisalmer, especially for the foreigners. The best time to visit the city is from October to March, when the temperatures are ideal for exploring the city.
So, let us have a look at how you can enjoy exploring this great city in less than $100.
How to reach?
You can easily reach this grand city via roadways, airways and the railways. If you are planning to hit the road in order to reach Jaisalmer, there are plenty of options for you.
You can catch a bus or hire a cab to reach Jaisalmer from any part of the nation. The state highway connect the city to other major cities of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota.
Although Jaisalmer is not connected via airways, you can fly down to Jodhpur, which is around 300 km from Jaisalmer and, hire a cab or avail the bus services from Jodhpur to reach here.
Travelling by the trains is the best way to reach Jaisalmer, with daily trains connecting it to the rest of India. You can enjoy a royal train journey in the ‘Palace on Wheels’, which is a luxury train, and connects the major tourist destinations in Rajasthan.
Accommodation & food
The budget hotels such as the Hotel Shahi Palace ( $7 ), Hotel Ratan Palace ( $5 ) and, Hotel Golden City ( $6 ) offer accommodation at moderate costs and offer quite good services.
The food is quite cheap here in Jaisalmer and you can enjoy some great traditional dishes such as ‘Ker Sangri’ or the ‘Kadi Pakora’ and the lip smacking ‘Bhanon Aaloo’. The non-vegetarian dish to try out in Jaisalmer is the ‘Murg-e-subz’, which is a dish prepared by frying boneless strips of chicken with shredded vegetables.
You can enjoy these dishes in the famous restaurants such as the ‘Trio’ and ‘Chokhi Dhani’, where you would get authentic Rajasthani cuisines at frugal costs.
Overall, you can spend your day spending less than $ 20 on food and accommodation, relishing most of the famous cuisines of Jaisalmer.
Places to visit
Jaisalmer Fort– Locally known as the ‘Sonar Quila‘, this fort is the main centre of attraction in Jaisalmer, with thousands of tourists visiting it round the year. The entry fee to this great fort is INR 300 and an additional fee of INR 100 if you are carrying a camera.
Gadsisar Lake– Hire an autorickshaw and move towards the outskirts of the city, and you would find the beautiful Gadsisar Lake. During the winters, which is the ideal time to visit Jaisalmer, you would find migratory birds around the lake. You can take some great snapshots here, so don’t miss out on visiting the Gadsisar lake!
Jeep Safaris & Camel Safaris in Jaisalmer– Enjoy the jeep safari in the sandy Thar Desert. You can also visit the sand dunes, which is about 40 km from Jaisalmer. Spending a night in a desert camp is highly recommended and you would definitely enjoy it. You should also try out the camel safari in the desert , which are of varied duration; ranging from a day to several days. You can also explore the city with Padhaaro greeters who would help you explore this great city.
There are endless number of things to do and visit in Jaisalmer such as the Jain Temples, the Tazia Tower and the Desert National Park (located at around 40 km from the city).
The average cost per day on sightseeing and various incursions would depend on what you opt for; spending around $ 20 per day on an average.
Travel Costs
The most commonly used mode of local transport is auto-rickshaw, and the pricing is quite low as well. Alternatively, you can book a seat in the government or private tour buses which operate in Jaisalmer. The bus fares are dirt cheap and you would hardly spend any money on travelling if you use the bus services (around $ 1-2).
Overall, you can easily explore this city in less than $ 100 and get to know about the rich and glorious heritage of this place.
So, go out there and visit Jaisalmer! Happy Travelling!