Pushkar Camel Safari

Pushkar Camel Safari – Explore Pushkar’s Immense Desert Landscape

When one thinks of Pushkar, it often conjures up images of isolated and rugged far-flung desert scenes. So it comes as no surprise that an overnight camel safari is one the most popular things to do when staying in this charming Rajastani town.

Its spectacular rolling sand dunes, fascinating villages where traditional living is still very much the way of life and accommodating and friendly locals have rightfully earned the Pushkar camel safari world renowned status.

The overnight safari generally finds you clomping away on your new camel friend and already mesmerized by the natural windswept natural beauty of the desert by mid-afternoon.

Depending on the camel safari tour company you choose, your route can take you through back roads which pass through rustic villages, temples and abandoned fortresses. You will also be able to stop in at a village and see how their life has gone on much as it has done for the past few hundred years. Children will run up to you wanting to hold your hand, women in traditional dress will smile surreptitiously as you pass and men will be hard at work or taking a break from the heat of the late day sun.

Once you have made camp at dusk and watch darkness settle in around you after a gorgeous sun set, you will be able to enjoy an enthralling local performance. Nimble Gypsy dancers gyrate to staccato drum beats and musicians play haunting melodic tunes on string instruments. The immense expanse of the desert enhances the acoustics which linger before slowly dying away.

If you are lucky, dinner time will find you being fed a traditional meal of dhal, rice and Rajasthani chapatti balls cooked for you over an open fire. Food has never tasted so good as you eat hungrily with your hands. Camel riding is hard work but some find that out the hard way the following day when you find muscles you didn’t know you had!

Whether you take the budget tour option of sleeping on a mat outside or splashing out on staying in a tent, spending a night out in the desert under a clear sky sprinkled with stars creates an indescribable feeling of serenity. You’ll find there aren’t many life defining moments like this.

Waking up to a cup of sweet milky chai is the perfect way to awaken to a new day in the desert and watch the sun rise over the desert.

Slowly ambling back to town over sand dune hills on your camel by midday, you will find it hard not to let the memories of the past 24 hours play back while a smile dances on your lips.

Travel tip: Take sunglasses and a scarf to wrap around your face to prevent sand going in your mouth and eyes in case the wind picks up.