Journal · Rajasthan · India
Jodhpur, Jawai and Udaipur: Rajasthan beyond the usual round
Most first trips to Rajasthan begin in Jaipur. This one goes straight to the west and south of the state: the blue city of Jodhpur under its fort, a night in the village of Narlai, the granite hills of Jawai where leopards live among herders, and Udaipur on its lake.
Why start in Jodhpur?
Because the rest of the route runs south from it by road, one short drive at a time, and ends at an airport. Jodhpur is reached from Delhi by air or by rail, and Udaipur has flights back, so the long distances are covered at the two ends and everything between is by car.
- Mehrangarh. The fort on the rock above the city, with palace rooms, a museum and the widest view in Jodhpur from its ramparts.
- The blue city. The old quarter below the fort, where many houses are washed blue. It is best explored on foot.
- Out of town. The rock park beside the fort, planted with desert species, and the Bishnoi villages, whose people are known for protecting animals and trees.
What is special about Jawai?
Leopards, in open country. Jawai is a landscape of bare granite hills around a reservoir, and the leopards that den in the rocks are seen from jeeps in the early morning and late afternoon. The land is not fenced parkland: it is shared with Rabari herders, who graze their flocks beneath the same hills.
Narlai, the night before, is a village at the foot of a great single rock, and a gentle way into the countryside after the city.
Where does Ranakpur fit in?
On the road from Jawai to Udaipur. The Jain temple at Ranakpur stands in a wooded valley of the Aravalli hills and is carved from pale marble, its halls held up by a forest of pillars said to be each of a different design. It turns a transfer day into one of the best days of the trip.
How long should you stay in Udaipur?
Three nights is not too many. The City Palace and the Jagdish Temple take a morning, the old markets and the ghats on Lake Pichola another, and the temples at Eklingji and Nagda lie a short drive to the north.
The route ends with a flight back and a last night near Delhi airport, which takes the worry out of an international departure the next day.
Quick answers
Can you see leopards at Jawai?
Often, though never with certainty. They live in the granite hills and are looked for by jeep at dawn and dusk, so two nights allow several drives.
Is Ranakpur on the way to Udaipur?
Yes. It lies in the hills between Jawai and Udaipur, so the temple is visited as a stop on the drive rather than as a separate trip.
Do you need to include Jaipur in a Rajasthan trip?
No. Jodhpur and Udaipur both have airports, and a route between them through Narlai and Jawai shows a quieter side of the state.
Before you book: check the whole trip at once
The route has a last night near Delhi airport that is easy to leave off, so the trip can look complete while its final night has nowhere to sleep.
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