I first learned about the city of Jaisalmer from my boss back in 2006 or so. He told me he was taking his nephew on a trip to India and one thing they were doing was going on a camel trek through the desert. I remember thinking how cool that sounded and the idea always stuck with me that Jaisalmer was definitely a place I’d like to visit.

Fast-forward to 2013 when I finally made it to this very cool and unique town in northwestern Rajasthan, near the border of Pakistan. I fell in love with the walled, fortress city, perched on top of a hill, with its tiny, winding, cobblestone streets . And, what an experience enjoying my first sunset camel trek through the Thar Desert at Sam Sand Dunes. Coupled with staying in the beautiful palace hotel called Suryagarh and then the ultra-luxurious desert camp called The Serai, it was a trip for the books.

I wasn’t quite sure how my second visit this time around in 2019 was going to top my last visit. I guess I wasn’t looking for it to top it per se, but just have the chance to see and explore more. And that mission was definitely accomplished on this trip.

It was nice to have a pretty vivid recollection of what to expect and what I’d like to see and do this time around. I knew that on this trip I’d like to stay somewhere different (we went with the new, modern Marriott Jaisalmer) and I also knew that I’d wanted to experience a more unique camel trek (Sam Sand Dunes is super touristy and busy) so we had a private high tea experience in the Khuri Dunes. We also had the chance to explore a bit more and visited the very cool site of Bada Bagh (which should not be missed) and Gadisar Lake and went back to Patwan Haveli and the Jain Temple. A full couple days of gorgeous architecture, amazing artwork and of course, some shopping! Here are some pictures:

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Oh, and I forgot to mention that on the day we were checking out from the hotel, there was a HUGE wedding happening that evening. It was amazing to see all the vivid color decorations and how they transformed the courtyard into what looked like was going to be an awesome party. Wish we could have been wedding crashers!

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Hope if you ever visit Rajasthan, that you make sure to add Jaisalmer to your list. It’s a lovely place and I might just have to go back for a third time 🙂