Sam - A Journey Through The Thar

I was wrong. I was wrong all the time. What’s so wrong I was about?

Since I was a kid, I have been told that the deserts of Rajasthan are boiling hot places to visit. But no one heck in the world told me that it'll be freaking 4°C in the winter. That weather caught us completely off guard and it turned our happy bike trip into a shivering cold trip.

Haha, that’s how our journey started!

As soon as we pulled away from Jaisalmer and edged over the sand dune, we were in another world where there was nothing but sand for as far as the eye could see. Sam sand dunes is a perfect camping site offering worthwhile experiences to most visitors. So, we drove all the way through the sand dune to our desert campsite. A lady dressed in traditional Rajasthani outfits welcomed us with Tika followed by Dhol and the Arti ceremony. Unlike many of the other camps, it’s set back from the main road for a valuable sense of peace and seclusion. Our tent was sufficient with all the basic amenities and facilities. Within ten minutes, we got ready for the most anticipated thing to do in Rajasthan.

You guys guessed it right. It’s CAMEL RIDING!

We were directly picked up from our campsite to the desert Thar. The last time when I did camel riding, I was a little boy and don’t even remember how it felt. It was a pretty good feeling, being on a camel after ages. First, we thought that we would be going into the desert to see the sunset via camel then it wasn't the necessary ride but nonetheless, we took it. Because our camel driver pushed us so hard to take the ride to sunset since it was closing time. Riding a camel creates a nice swaying feeling after a while if you can ignore the constant sensation of being about to fall off. Spending an hour in the desert, we filled our memories with lots of photos and videos. After a while, we came straight to the sunset point which was the highest dune in the surrounding area and there were hardly any clouds around that would cover the show.

You may never want to miss the glory of the gorgeous sunset and the gold pleated sand while you are standing on the highest sand dunes and watching all over the desert.

Sunset wasn’t a Good Bye to call it day! The real party has started now. Our camel dropped us running(literally flying) to a campsite. The seating was arranged around a central performance space, where they treated us with a few suppers like Poha and Tea. That’s exactly what I needed after a long day. The evening came alive when they started displaying the traditional Rajasthani folk dancing and singing around the bonfire. Attracting us with their colorful dresses and professional skills which we had never seen before. I watched the full 3 hours show in freezing cold weather and the bonfire didn’t help much. I really love this type of activity, especially when it showcases their traditional lifestyle and culture. We finished our day with a delicious Rajasthani thali and took a long walk into the desert.

Good morning from Thar!

At 5 o'clock in the morning, it’s like the dead of winter out there. I had a feeling of being in the Himalayas and the only thing missing was snow. What makes us wake up so early? Yes, it’s for sunrise. But, before that, we planned for a twilight Jeep Safari. It was an open Jeep and our driver said one thing before starting, “HOLD TIGHT”. Then he started driving like a video game, literally the craziest way possible. That’s not it! The deeper you go into the desert the wilder the ride becomes. The ride felt like a roller coaster where he squeezed all our bones to death. It was way more exciting than I thought. The perfect glimpse of the widespread desert and an impeccable mix of adventure is what makes the ride worth remembering. A Jeep Safari in Thar is something which is not to be missed!

Since we were in an open Jeep, our hands were dead in the cold. He just stopped right next to the fire pit where a few other drivers were warming their hands. That fire pit brought us back from freezing cold. After a few minutes later, we sat perfectly still and watched the light creep slowly down the dunes and wake up the world. The incredible colors of the sand dunes started to shine when the sun slowly peeked over the horizon.

“I can never forget that first sight!”

I have to admit that we came all the way from Bengaluru on Bike to only see the Desert. Because, when it comes to fascinating land formations, exhilarating adventures, and some of the lavishing sunrises on earth, you can’t beat the deserts.

Right from exploring Thar to the sun rising and sunsetting scenes, camel caravans, grazing and traveling herds, big and small sand dunes with thorny bushes, traditional dresses, colorful turbans, folk music and dances may attract you for their richness and originality which is nowhere to be seen except Jaisalmer.

And, we were happy that we thought of exploring it.

“You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.”