As we proceeded for an exotic stay in Jaisalmer desert camp, we observed the change of scenery slowly. Before heading to Desert in Jaisalmer, my imagination of desert was a stretch of barren, empty land with endless sand dunes eyes could see.But what awaited us in Thar desert was something different. There were barren stretches and then there were stretches filled with sands and desert plants too.

I was stunned to see a different version of desert from what I had dreamt of over the years.

As the car drove past many desert glamps, I had been thinking as to what this desert had got in store for us.

From a peaceful night stay in desert camp to going on paragliding over the sand dunes, the desert indeed had offered us variety of things.

Read further to know what all you can do in your desert Safari.

Stay inside a Swiss tent
If you want to truly get the feel of desert, you should camp here atleast for a night.

We stayed in Desert gateway resort. The stay was overall good except for the food and folk dance.(More about the stay in the end)

Adrenaline junkies! Here’s Dune Bashing for you
Why should we have to go to Gulf and Arabian countries for dune bashing, when we have our very own in Jaisalmer?

This wasn’t included in the package but we were happy that we opted for it.

Go on a Camel safari What other best way than to ride on a camel along the breathtaking crests and troughs of sand dunes to experience the Great Indian desert.Be careful while sitting on a camel’s back, hold on to the hump and enjoy the moment.

Witness a magical sunset in the vast expanse of Thar desert
After a fun filled dune bashing, we were dropped near sand dunes. The desert which looked like an endless sea, was ruffled by occasional gentle breezes.Wind whizzed past my ears and the sun set in the horizon to create a splash of colours in the enchanting sky.

The whole desert landscape turned magical at the moment. We spent a lovely evening amidst the Golden sands of Thar desert.

But Guess what!
Something awaited us in the camp.
Folk music and dance!

See the desert wear the jewel of stars
If you are a night person, then don’t forget to see the desert wear jewel of stars in the night. Desert gives a perfect backdrop for long exposures of Star trails.

One of the best places to look for milky way or shooting star.I had forgotten my tripod in Jaipur itself that I couldn’t experiment much on this.

Wake up to a beautiful sunrise like this
As soon as I woke up, I came out of my camp to witness such a breathtaking sunrise.I took deep breath of the cool morning air and got ready to go on a camel safari.

Such sunrises are worth getting up right?

My experience with “Desert gateway Resorts”

Location : We loved the resort location-wise as it was perfectly placed just after the Sand dunes.(No crowd meandering opposite to your camp, yet walkable distance from Sand dunes)Cleanliness : Resort was maintained pretty neat and clean. This one I would rate above normal standards.

Aesthetics : Again here, resort stole my heart. Room had the perfect Rajasthani vibe we seeked.

Food : Food was a major let down for us in the camp. There were no special Rajasthani food items to savour.

Folk music and dance : Folk music was good but the dance wasn’t up to the mark. Out of two ladies, one lady performed nice and other one was just dancing for the sake.

Inclusions in the price : One Sunrise or Sunset Camel safari was included in the price.

Price : INR 5960 for three adults.

Tips – I would suggest you to go on a camel safari with your camp. As the private safari charged us more as well as took us around only little distance. And don’t yield to their marketing strategy of showing untouched sand dunes.