Hostels in Rajasthan

Rajasthan is one of the most spectacular regions of northern India. It is home to incredible palaces, rich history and harsh deserts. It is the epitome of everything that you would expect to experience in this wonderful country.

There are loads of hostels in this region that you can choose to stay in. Some of the major towns that you should visit are Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Pushkar. Each of these towns has an abundance of hostels so you should not need to book a hostel in advance. Some of the smaller towns, however, only have a few hostels, which you will want to book before you go just to make sure you have somewhere to stay.

The majority of Rajasthan is accessible by trains. They can take quite a long time to get from place to place so sleeper trains are a popular method of commuting from one place to another. Beware of scammers at the train stations who will lie to you and try to get you to take a taxi to your destination for a ridiculously expensive price. Always triple check where you leave from so you don’t fall victim to any scams.

Each of the cities has something about it that is different and magical. Jaisalmer is the desert city. You can stay within the walls of the fortress and explore the marvels of the narrow streets within the old town. You can also do a Thar Desert safari from here and spend a night camping in the desert.

Jodhpur is a city of palaces and incredible history. It is also the home of the original Jodhpur pants, used for riding and made popular by the polo-playing royals. It is known as being the 'blue city' due to the city’s areas that contain blue paint on the walls. On the other end of the spectrum is the 'pink city,’ also known as Jaipur and the region’s capital.

Udaipur is the lake city. The lakes are manmade and beautiful. You can take a ride on the water and explore the area. It is also worth checking out the palace here.

As far as really cheap shopping goes, your best bet is the city of Pushkar. There are loads of markets and stalls here. However, you need to learn to bargain and haggle as well as make sure that what you are buying is genuine. The vendors will raise up the prices of fake merchandise and tell you it is real silk. It is worth taking a course or a look at how to identify real silk and wool products before you start shopping.

Otherwise, enjoy the marvelous architecture, culture, colors, people and food that this region has to offer. It is such a special part of the world and takes quite a long time to explore and experience thoroughly.

Handwritten by local expert for Rajasthan hostels Globetrotter