Suryagarh, Jaisalmer: Is it Worth the Splurge?

Suryagarh, Suryagarh Jaisalmer

Wonder if you should splurge at Suryagarh Jaisalmer? Read on.

My drowsy eyes prick open at the sight of a massive fort, a short drive away from Jaisalmer city. Its rustic brown façade merges with the stark wilderness of the desert, and the sheer grandeur of India’s bygone royal era calls out to me. Khamaghani. Welcome to Suryagarh.

The last time I was in Jaisalmer was over 8 years ago. I’m glad those memories have largely faded away, because this isn’t the dry, parched terrain I remember. The sporadic monsoon rains have painted the Thar Desert in shades of green, and sprouted oases on the parched land. I’m surprised to open the window of my cosy, colorful room, and see a semi-green desert, with windmills spinning in the distance.

Also See: In Photos: Jaisalmer in The Monsoons

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View from my room at Suryagarh Jaisalmer.

The music of the Manganiyar desert tribe echoes through Suryagarh’s expansive courtyards. The retro in-house bar serves Rajasthani delicacies and fusion tapas in earthen bowls. And a majority of its staff, though conversant in English and trained in the fine ways of the industry, are humble Rajasthani men who still uphold local traditions with much gusto.

Also read: Offbeat Rajasthan: 10 Awe-Inspiring Experiences

Suryagarh, Suryagarh Jaisalmer, Suryagarh palace, Suryagarh photos
The expansive courtyards of Suryagarh Jaisalmer.

On this bloggers’ getaway, I expect to visit the usual suspects – the Jaisalmer fort, its street markets, popular temples and such. But instead, we drive into the desert in the late evening, and as the sky turns pitch black, I lie on the dunes, wine in hand, under a million stars. The soulful singing of a desert musician tugs at my heart. We dine on a hillock overlooking the majesty of Suryagarh one night, and amid sand dunes that bear no name, the next.

Also read: Wild, Adventurous and Quirky Things to do in Jodhpur

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Night performance on the hillock overlooking Suryagarh Jaisalmer.

Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, a former Gladrags model (justifiably so!) and the owner of Suryagarh, drives us through some of his favorite routes in the Jaisalmer desert. There are no signs here, and often no roads. We see men with their camels, and tiny villages with traditional desert homes – this is no showcase for tourists, this is real desert life. We spot desert streams and oases, green meadows with grazing cattle, even small farms in this otherwise stark wilderness. The terrain is so flat that we watch dark clouds pour rain at the far end of the desert. And driving close to the Desert National Park, we spot one of 200 remaining Great Indian Bustards in the world!

Also read: 6 Offbeat Monsoon Weekend Getaways From Delhi

Rajasthan rains, Rajasthan monsoon
A fellow blogger captures monsoon magic in the Thar Desert.

Late one night, some of us set out for Suryagarh’s signature Chudail aka Haunted Trail, that takes us to sites in the vicinity that are believed by the locals to be haunted – a memorial ground where Sati (the practice of women burning themselves live in their husband’s pyre) once took place, a village well where several men were killed by the then king, and Kuldehra, one of 84 villages that were abandoned overnight and cursed never to be inhabited again. Though spooky only by virtue of the dark night, I’m convinced that just as Suryagarh aspires to conserve the architectural style of the Rajasthan of yore, so it does the legends of this great state. After all, what is a better way to discover a region than to watch its stories come to life?

What are your first impressions of Suryagarh Jaisalmer? Would you like to experience it someday?

Practical Information:

Suryagarh is a luxury boutique hotel, located a short drive away from Jaisalmer city. The best way to get there from Delhi is to take a train to Jodhpur, from where Suryagarh is 4 hour drive. Room prices start at INR 12,000 per night. For more details, visit Suryagarh’s website and Facebook page.

*Note: I was invited on a bloggers’ getaway to Suryagarh. Lucky me!

Also read:

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Galkadawala: Sri Lanka’s Best Kept Secret

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16 Comments

  1. Hi Shivya

    Thanks for the inspiration!!! I have been planning to go this place but never got the chance. Will plan in near future. Great post!!!

    Cheers
    Karan

    1. Thanks Karan, glad to hear that 🙂 It’s quite an experience, make sure you offroad with them in the desert!

    1. Thanks! Hope I’ve inspired you just a little to visit too 😉

  2. Lovely post! I have always wanted to see the desert, and to live amidst it would be something else altogether. I loved the sound of Suryagarh ever since I heard about it on your blog as well as on Sudhagee’s. I would definitely love to visit it some time.

    1. Thanks! You bet, it is something else to live in the stark wilderness of the Thar 🙂 Hope you get to visit soon enough.

  3. Did you take a video of the Manganiyars playing music by any chance? Would love to listen to that, if possible!

    1. Unfortunately not. I only use a regular digital camera, and that wouldn’t possibly do justice to their music. It’s just one of those things you have to go experience yourself 🙂

  4. Looks very good indeed !! We went to Jaisalmer couple of years ago and stayed inside the main fort – Not luxury by a far stretch but a surreal experience nonetheless, watching the sunrise and sunset.

  5. Hey Shivya,

    Iam visiting the the luxury hotel for review from Photokatha tomorrow.

    Was reading your experience of the same. Lovely imagination you give for this property.

    We are gonna host the blos posts on http://www.photokatha.in and theholidaze.com as well.

  6. Dr Sandhya Gupta says:

    The Suryagrh hotel is really an oasis in desert .Starting from the great looks of the majestic hotel to its royal welcome with drum beats and welcome song to a grand reception in lobby and ambience in various areas of the hotel makes you feel like a king.
    Thefood specially is smackingly good.
    And you feel well rejuvenated attend the end of ur weekend vacation.

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