A lovely wander at the mercy of the wind in this amazing Rajasthan (page 1 of 11)

Hey there, forum friends 😉

Some of you have mentioned missing the activity on this Indian "page," so let’s try to liven things up a bit—with joy and good vibes (mandatory with me 😜). Plus, it’ll make Jojoone happy 😊.

As big lovers of India—we’ve been six times—my co-traveler husband and I decided to explore Rajasthan this time around. The reason we waited so long to come here? We were dreading the tourist crowds in this state. But thanks to the timing (late March to early April 2024, which is starting to get pretty hot) and Aleph’s great tips, we were *very* far from mass tourism.

We spent three weeks getting around on our own for transport: mostly taxis and trains.

And I’ll admit, we had a rather "Arabian Nights" experience, far from the "real" India (Marien, if you’re reading this 😉). So this travel journal makes no claims other than to share what we saw, experienced, and felt—with all our ignorance about this country (which I’m fully aware of).

But fair warning: I go overboard with emojis, and this journal is super casual because it’s the one I share, almost in "live" mode, with our loved ones.

So, if you’re here, consider yourself almost part of the family 😄.

See you soon and....

Hi Christelle, Great, a new travel journal about India that I’ll follow with a lot of interest! Perfect timing—we’re heading back there in March😊. Thanks in advance! Gabriele

Hi there, We’re heading back to India for the 4th time in just over a week. We’ll be there for 6 weeks. We visited Rajasthan in 2016, and this year we’re off to Bikaner and Shekhawati. Didier

Awesome, Gabriele! If you're heading to Rajasthan, I might have a few ideas to share 😊—though you may have other plans. What’s your planned route?

Awesome, Didier! Hope you’ll come back and tell us all about it—it’ll definitely give me some ideas for my next trip ;)

Of course. But not before July, since we’ll be continuing with 3 months in China. Didier

A travel journal about a destination I don’t know yet. I’m climbing aboard the wagon 😎

Lol Regis: as you can guess, we rode tuk-tuks way more than carriages, but we’ll happily make room for you! Plus, you’re gonna love it—seeing tons of animals... in photos just as crappy as the ones I took in Kenya 😂

Awesome Gabriele. If you're heading to Rajasthan, I might give you a few ideas 😊 but you may have other plans. What’s your planned route?

Our route this time: a bit of Rajasthan (which we’ve already visited several times) Udaipur, Bundi, a little of Madhya Pradesh (Orchha, Gwalior), then Kolkata, and we’ll finish in Nepal. Even when we revisit places, we always discover something new. So great tips are always welcome!

Aaaah, I loved Orchha a few years ago now, and I’d be thrilled if you shared Gwalior and Kolkata with us when you’re back. But for a little taste of Bundi and Udaipur, you’re in the right place—even if there’ll be a few stops along the way 😄. Have a great evening

A destination I know a little, having been there twice. Seen through Christelle’s eyes, of course I’m in—whether by carriage, tuk-tuk, or bike!

Well then, it’ll be the memories that come flooding back for you, Bruno—with a few little discoveries along the way, I hope! 😊 Where’d you take that gorgeous photo, and what was the occasion?

Well then, it’ll be the memories that come flooding back for you, Bruno—with a few little discoveries along the way, I hope! 😊 Where’d you take that gorgeous photo, and what was the occasion?

There are always discoveries to be made—and thank goodness for that! The photo was taken in Delhi during my second trip. The location tags "Kisan Ghat," near the Raj Ghat memorial dedicated to Gandhi.

Well, of course I'm happy to see a new travel journal from your adventures! The 13th already—I hope there’ll be many more to come. 🙂 When VF one day recognizes its top contributors, you’ll definitely be at the top of the Honor Roll list! !

Oh wow, yeah Joel, it’s starting to add up—I hadn’t even noticed! And I’ve still got 6 more "in the pipeline" 😮. But I finally found a way to share photos without spending hours on it (since I have to resize them all here!), so you’ll probably be hearing from me a lot in 2025 😄. Christelle

1 - Welcome to India... without the luggage!!

Yep, friends, here we go again—Cricri and Lulu are back on the road.

We’ve just arrived in our beloved Mama INDIA, landing at the very exotic IBIS in New Delhi 😄.

But an adventure full of color and emotion awaits us as we explore RAJASTHAN for the first time 🤩.

For now, we were royally welcomed at the airport... only to be told that Lulu’s luggage was lost 😱. Fun fact: the last time this happened to him in India, he got it back the day before flying home!!

So, as usual, long live the unexpected: tomorrow, Indian shopping it is 😆

2 - The Perched Palace

Hey there, we’re back after our "shopping session—faster than fast!" 2 pairs of shorts, 2 shirts, and boom—done!

Way to go, Lulu, we’ve got better things to do than that 😆.

Then, thanks to Uber, we hop in with Ram, a young magician, since he whisks us from hell to paradise in just 2 hours on the road!!

And yeah, because even though we love this country, it’s definitely not for its suffocating, noisy megacities.

So, we rush off to the countryside, where we land way up high on a perched palace.



I have to say, when I was planning this trip, I discovered that in this state, there are absolutely *everywhere* these stunning fortresses! But instead of visiting them all in a rush, we chose to just sleep in the arms of a few.

And so, Tiraja Fort Palace welcomes us with not just one palace, or even two. No, it’s three huge buildings towering over the lush plains of cultivated fields.

(Not my photo, obviously, but it’s to give you the big picture)

I think we would’ve needed 48 hours to explore every nook and cranny!! But we still checked it out pretty well since we could wander around freely.

And I have to admit, the social worker from Châlons that I am was *so* happy to turn into a Maharani for a few hours... even if, when we arrived, my Maharaja of a husband looked more like an untouchable with his 2-euro bag of clothes as a suitcase 🤡.



We’re surrounded by Indian tourists—the kind of India that’s doing well and is a joy to see... even if their smiles seem inversely proportional to the thickness of their wallets.

We’ll end this day with a nighttime dinner in the middle of a thousand lights... with a meal that, of course, set our mouths on fire 🔥😆.



But even though I’m already going on too long, I can’t decently leave you without telling you about the next day—my first Rajasthani sunrise, that traveler moment I cherish more than anything.



A vast plain dotted with mist at the edge of a pink sky, a procession of loaded donkeys led by a guide with the stride of a sherpa, and the sun peeking out little by little, facing this fortress where you’re all alone in the world, surrounded by cooing pigeons, fluorescent green parakeets, and hundreds of swallows swooping and singing 🦜!

And then, the regulars know what’s coming: *Wahoooooo* (aaah, it’s been too long 😆)!

Anyway, a new day full of beautiful discoveries awaits... but we had no idea it would turn into a safari 🦁😂.

And now I’ll leave you on that unbearable cliffhanger 😆.

For those who want to see all the photos from this post, you can go here: https://www.myatlas.com/chris40/rajasthan-2024/t/1459394 (let me know if it doesn’t work 😊)

And for those planning a trip here, sleeping in a palace is totally affordable—85 € a night with "tea time" featuring exquisite cakes and a gargantuan breakfast... especially if you spent the night before in a 50-euro place 😆

2 - The perched palace Hey there, we’re back after our "faster than fast" shopping spree: 2 shorts, 2 shirts, and we’re done!

If the suitcase doesn’t arrive, we’re gonna be in a real pickle with our underwear! 🏴‍☠️

(But I finally found a way to share photos without spending hours on it) Hi Christelle, How do you do it? Because I also have several from India to upload and the one about Cambodia is still being written but not published yet. If you have a tip for photos, I’d love to hear it. Cheers,

Hi Marie Jo. Hope you're doing well! 😊 Nothing magical here—I’ve been uploading all my travel journals to myAtlas for ages, so I’ll just drop a link for each stop and only post 4 or 5 photos here. It’ll save me a ton of work! See you soon