Rajasthan

The best way to explore Rajasthan, visiting the major sites is on the ‘Palace on Wheels’. The present train is a replica of the carriages used by the Maharajas of Rajasthan as they travelled across India. The carriages are very ornate with walls and ceilings decorated with paintings which represent a Maharaja, his city and history. The train travelled during the night and each day we spent exploring the sites of a different city by guided tour. Each morning as the guests left the train we would be greeted by a welcome relevant to the city, riders on horseback, elephants and always with music playing plus the traditional garland of flowers each. There was always plenty of interaction with our guides and some participation in the daily events; an elephant ride up to Amber Red Fort in Jaipur the pink city, a camel ride into the desert on the sand dunes in Jaisalmer, a cruise out to a summer Palace at Udaipur the lake city, measuring the time to within 20secs on a giant sundial at the Jantra Mantar observatory to name just a few. The train journey starts and ends in Delhi and a cycle-rickshaw ride around Delhi old town provided a great way to traverse the narrow shop lined streets whilst negotiating around the pavement food sellers spilling onto the lanes and speeding mopeds laden with boxes. Traffic is chaotic in India with the only rule that I could determine being that you could do what you like as long as you did not crash into anybody. Our guide that day explained that to drive in India you need a good horn, brakes and luck.