INDIA / Rajasthan - Desert & Palaces
At a Glance ...
| Best traveltime | October, November, February, March |
| Start/Finish | Delhi / Delhi |
| Duration | 15 travel days, 13 riding days |
| Distance covered | around 1.400 mi / 2.200 km |
| Day rides | 70 - 215 mi / 110 - 340 km |
| Roads | Mainly tarmac |
| Motorcycles | Enfield Bullet 500cc or RE Himalayan, left side gear shift, e-start |
| Rider's requirements | Easy riding but important to keep one's cool when coping with the traffic! |
| Group size | Min. 4 and max. 10 riders - space for pillion rider in our follow up car. |
| Accomodation | Heritage hotels, old palaces and castles converted into Hotels, some middle-class Hotels |
| What's included | All meals, water and soft drinks, all entry fees, petrol for the bikes, back-up car, mechanic |
| Highlights | Taj Mahal, Udaipur "Venice of the East", Jaisalmer Desert Fortress, Rajput Palaces and the Colours of Rajasthan... |
| Important | You need a VISA to enter India! Many nationalities now can apply online for a "Visa on Arrival" |
The Maharaja Tour - Touring the Marvels of Rajasthan!
| Day 1 | Delhi - Neemrana. We drive straight from the airport to a palace hotel called Neemrana Fort. It's a comfortable 2-hour drive and helps us avoid Delhi's urban sprawl by directly getting us into the right mood and ambience for Rajasthan! |
| Day 2 | Neemrana - Jhunjhunu [124 Kms]. After a small briefing on the Enfield motorcycles and the peculiarities of the traffic in India, we do some learning by doing and deep dive into our first bike ride. We are heading towards the Shekhavati region, famous for it's Havelis (traditional, ornately decorated residences). |
| Day 3 | Jhunjhunu - Mandawa - Bikaner [200 Kms]. Today's journey is approximately 4 Hours of riding, and takes us to the city of Bikaner. Visiting Fatehgarh Fort will be our first encounter with the rich and opulent lifestyle the Maharajahs adorned. A Small drive takes us to the curious and incredible Rat Temple. Not for the faint of heart, but definitely Worth visiting. Don't worry if you are not in the mood for Rats, you can just relax in the Gardens of our Palace Hotel. |
| Day 4 | Bikaner - Jaiselmer. Today is a long driving day alongside the Thar Dessert . The medieval Fort of Jaisalmer stands toll like a sentinel on the edge of the dessert. We will visit this beautiful old town. |
| Day 5 | Jaiselmer surroundings. Small excursions into the surrounding desert and some free time to enjoy the sunset on the crumbling walls of the medieval fort. |
| Day 6 | Jaiselmer - Osian. Back on the long roads again, we are heading to Osian. The town being rather small in size, it is impressive how many beautiful old stone carved Jain temples this town has. Small introduction into the Jain religion and some good local food is the highlight. |
| Day 7 | Osian - Jodhpur. A small drive takes us to Jodhpur. We have a full sightseeing day ahead of us. The Mehrangarh fort is perhaps one of India’s most well-maintained museums, you will just love it! And the spice market is our favorite place to talk about the spices, spice trade and their various uses. You will have to drag us away from this market, so we do get a fantastic dinner overlooking old town. |
| Day 8 | Jodhpur - Ghanerao. Again we take small roads and head towards Ghanerao. Let's just say, the magic of this place will enchant you once more. We have left the arid desert behind and have reached green surroundings. Even some hills for biking pleasure. |
| Day 9 | Ghanerao - Kumbalgarh - Udaipur. Drive through the Aravalli Mountains and Ranakpur National Park. In a hidden valley, the temple complex of Ranakpur was built in the 15th century. This Jain sanctuary is made of white marble. A forest of 1444 ornate pillars support the 29 temple roofs. In this scenic section of our journey, we continue through original villages of the Aravallis, populated mainly by Bhil. Another detour to the gates of the historic Kumbalgarh Fort, the largest in India, and then on to Udaipur. |
| Day 10 | Udaipur. Fabulous Udaipur is a garden city with many palaces, situated on the edge of a vast lake district. Within walking distance is the Fateh Prakash complex and behind it the old town. A leisurely day with city strolls and local visits. Boat ride on Lake Pichola is included. |
| Day 11 | Udaipur - Chitorgarh - Bijaipur. The next day is part of our rural, non-touristy exploration. We head towards Chittorgarh, one of the largest forts of Asia, and on we continue to the small hamlet of Bijaipur. Here you can experience the Indian Village atmosphere. |
| Day 12 | Bijaipur - Bundi. Bundi is a lovely stopover on our journey, it has become a favorite among many guests. Maybe for its blue houses, the completely authentic Indian marketplace (no tourist souvenir shops) or the beautiful guesthouse we stay in. Whatever it is, we are happy it works. |
| Day 13 | Bundi - Karauli. Passing Lush green settings, we are heading towards Karauli. Here it's the ancient Temple town and the rituals performed in the evening that are just fascinating and mesmerizing. |
| Day 14 | Karauli - Bharatpur. This is our last riding day. We will enjoy and welcome the green, lush countryside, finishing off in Bharatpur. |
| Day 15 | Bharatpur - Agra - Delhi. Today we have a long and interesting day. For all who are interested, we head out for an Ornithological rickshaw ride (it's a cycle rickshaw ride through a small National park famous for birding). Some interesting bird sightings are guaranteed. Coming back to the Hotel, we have breakfast and leave for the Taj Mahal. Truly an architectural marvel to be cherished. Since all international flights leave past midnight and thanks to a new highway, we still have ample time to make it to Delhi airport. |
