COOL CAMPING IN RAJASTHAN

Chhatra Sagar

Cool Camping in Rajasthan

Rajasthan is India’s desert state, a glittering gem of vivid colours and romantic charm. Discover some of the region’s hidden delights, travelling away from the main tourist towns and cities, with this brand new journey with a difference. Guests stay in first-class tented accommodation but this is no ordinary camping trip.

As well as being luxurious, the camps are all wonderfully different. Samode Bagh comprises 44 comfortable tent-effect rooms lined around lush Mughal gardens. These fixed structures have attached western bathrooms and are beautifully decorated in block-printed fabrics using earthy colours and local designs. The tented dining room is cosy in winter but cool in summer and, after a busy day's sightseeing in nearby Jaipur, guests can relax with a swim or a massage.

Set in a rural landscape, Chhatra Sagar is a peaceful spot with 11 en-suite tents that occupy a 100-year-old dam overlooking the quiet waters of a lake teeming with birdlife. Hand-painted floors and ornate furnishings add to the unique ambience of the location, while the home-cooked cuisine is some of the finest in Rajasthan.

Manvar Desert Camp is located halfway between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer in a desert wilderness surrounded by sand dunes. It has 20 tastefully decorated tents with attached bathrooms with running hot water and meals are taken in the dining tent, which has magical views of sunrise, sunset and the surrounding countryside. Evenings are spent by the campfire with local musicians and dancers and guests can also try camel riding, jeep safaris into the desert, village walks, bird watching and cycling.