We toured Rajasthan for two weeks in a minibus driven by the driver Shankar and his assistant Deepu. So there were 8 of us plus the two crew. The vehicle, which had air conditioning, was comfortable; the driver proved punctual, kind and very skilled at driving in Indian traffic and on roads that were sometimes rough. The stops were the classic ones: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Ajmer, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Fatehpur and back to Delhi.
I took about 1,000 photos. Unforgettable images of people, places and colours. The hotels were at times sumptuous, in the old residences of the maharajas; the food had its ups and downs but was still always acceptable; the weather was changeable with a few downpours; the temperature bearable.
During the visits to the palaces and cities, guides were always available, sometimes even in Italian. All in all, a tour during which we breathed in the atmosphere of India and of the Indian people, and which makes you want to repeat the experience.
For anyone who would like information, including practical things such as what to wear, medicines, practical tips... I am at your disposal. Giorgio Nannini
Itinerary:
Arrival – 03 August 2011 [Wednesday] (at 03:00 on 4 August) on SU-535. Departure – 15 August 2011 [Monday] at 14:10
03 August [Wednesday] – Arrival and night in Delhi – Hotel Vasant Continental. 04 August [Thursday] – Delhi – Hotel Vasant Continental
05 August [Friday] – Agra – Hotel Jaypee Palace
06 August [Saturday] – Fatehpur Sikri / Jaipur – Hotel Ramada. 07 August [Sunday] – Amber / Jaipur – Hotel Ramada
08 August [Monday] – Pushkar – Hotel Jagat Palace
09 August [Tuesday] – Jodhpur – Hotel Ajit Bhawan
10 August [Wednesday] – Osiyan / Jaisalmer – Hotel Fort Rajwada. 11 August [Thursday] – Khuri / Jaisalmer – Hotel Fort Rajwada
12 August [Friday] – Ramdeora / Deshnoke / Bikaner – Hotel Laxmi Niwas Palace
13 August [Saturday] – Fatehpur / Mandawa – Hotel Castle Mandawa
14 August [Sunday] – Delhi – Hotel Vasant Continental. 15 August [Monday] – Departure in the morning at 11:10 hrs
Written by the traveller and first published in Italian on our former Italian website. Translated from Italian.