Overlooking an imposing, tawny-coloured fort ―Jaisalmer is a sprawling, rustic, and laid-back city. The largest district of the state and also a World Heritage Site, Jaisalmer gives an imagery of an ancient civilization in the morning. However, as soon as the sun sets, the tawny coloured Jaisalmer Fort gets a golden gleam, making the city come alive in the afterglow of the sunset.
read moreWhen on a trip to Jaisalmer, exploring accommodation options such as guest houses would be a good idea. There are numerous such accommodations which offer you a homely vibe in competitive prices and give you a chance to become familiar with the local culture. And these guest houses are pretty well located around the city.
Let’s find out the guest houses in Jaisalmer based on the kind of areas you’d like to stay in and the activities you’d like to surround yourself with while on your visit:
If Shopping Is Your Priority
A lot of tourists come to Jaisalmer purely for shopping. Jaisalmer is a haven for shopaholics because the city is popular for its mirror-work, embroidered outfits and fabrics, wooden artefacts, stonework objects, silver jewellery, carpet, puppets, and jootis among other items. So, if you really want to shop your heart out then you could book a guest house accommodation in Sadar Bazar or Manak Chowk. These guest houses are spacious, impeccable, and some of them even offer panoramic views of the Jaisalmer Fort. Some other shopping areas that could be visited are Sonaron Ka Baas, Seema Gram, and Pansari Bazar.
The price range of rooms in Sadar Bazar and Manak Chowk begins from Rs. 750.
If Havelis Intrigue You
Jaisalmer has many havelis, each with their own unique stories and architectural style. Exploring havelis can be really interesting as they can transport you to the bygone era and can give you a glimpse into the lifestyle of the affluent people of India. Jaisalmer has three main havelis: Patwon Ji Ki Haveli, Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli, and Salim Ji Ki Haveli. These havelis are inspired by different design themes; for example, the Salim Ji Ki Haveli has a peacock as the architectural inspiration whereas the Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli is an amalgamation of Islamic and Rajasthani School of architecture. Patwon Ji Ki Haveli, which is the main haveli in Jaisalmer, is a cluster of five small havelies that are adorned with intricately carved jharokhas, frescoes, mirror-work, and ornate paintings. The best part is that numerous guest houses are available near Patwon Ji Ki Haveli, and offer comfortable rooms with in-house restaurants.
The price range of rooms in guest houses near Patwon Ji Ki Haveli begins from as low as Rs. 870!
If your heart is set on the Jaisalmer Fort
Jaisalmer Fort is the most striking building in Jaisalmer. The fort was built by Rawal Jaisal in 1156 CE. The Fort is situated on Trikuta Hill and is surrounded by the Thar Desert. It has four grand entrances, havelis, and a temple called the Lakshminath Temple. There is a smart drainage system as well called the ghut nali, which easily relocates rainwater away from the fort. The fort has the best gemstone market, and also an array of shops that sell Rajasthani handicrafts. In addition, there are many European eateries here as well. And above all, you can stay within the four ramparts of the Jaisalmer Fort with guest house accommodations. These accommodations are very earthy, plush, and ornamented with Rajasthani decorations and paintings.
The price range of guest houses near Jaisalmer Fort begins from Rs.920.
If you want to stay in the countryside
The Jaisalmer countryside is wild, uninhibited, haunted, and dipped in traditional culture. For instance, the Kuldhara Village, which is located 35 kilometres away from Jaisalmer, is an interesting place to visit. The village is an abandoned ghost-town. If you want to see the sun set and take a camel ride, or perhaps do some desert-walking (which is not an easy thing to do), then you must visit the Sam sand dunes. And on the way back from Sam, you can probably stay at Khuri sand dune. Khuri is a vibrant place, where you can enjoy performances by Rajasthani dancers and relish traditional meals. It can get late, so you can stay back in Khuri village, which has some guest house options. The guest houses in Khuri Village are not only comfortable and spacious, but also have many amenities.
The price range of guest houses in Khuri Village begins from Rs. 2015.
Where can you eat in Jaisalmer?
There are many amazing restaurants in Jaisalmer such as Saffron, Trio, etc.., which serve authentic Rajasthani cuisine comprising laal maas and dal baati churma among others but the Government Authorised Bhang shop in Amar Sagar Pol steals the thunder of the pubs in Jaisalmer. Moreover, getting lost (not literally) in the streets of Jaisalmer at night is an experience on its own. And during the day time, walking through the streets of Jaisalmer gets amusing as you can see eccentric graffiti on the walls of many houses.
Places to visit in Jaisalmer
Like most of the cities in Rajasthan, Jaisalmer is also rife with havelis, temples, and museums. The must-visit historical sites other than the Jaisalmer Fort include Patwon Ji Ki Haveli, Nathmal Ji ki Haveli, Salim Singh ki Haveli, Khaba Fort, Mandir Palace, Vyas Chhatri, Jain Temple, Tanot Mata Temple, etc. There are also many nearby places to Jaisalmer such as Khuri Sand Dunes, Sam Sand Dunes, Lodurva, Khaba Fort, Kuldhara, Desert National Park, etc. You would need at least three days of stay to explore Jaisalmer and around.
