Wildlife holidays to India
Rajasthan Camel safari in India by Helene Cooper
“After the chaos of Delhi and Agra and the blitz of palaces, museums and fortresses of Rajasthan it was almost a relief to escape to the desert near Jaisalmer for a complete contrast. The Thar Desert is known as the Desert of Death and it was easy to see why as little seemed to grow amongst the barren land although we did spot a falcon hovering on the thermals above and a sly desert fox scarpering for cover. However it certainly had a kind of beauty all of its own – best appreciated from atop a camel’s back of course! These ‘ships of the desert’ are definitely the best way to travel through this inhospitable terrain – they do all the work whilst you can just sit and drink in the stunning scenery which was constantly changing. It varied from rocky gravel interspersed by hardy but withered little shrubs to tiny little oases around which temporary little communities had formed. The most stunning landscape for me though was the sand dunes. Sitting watching the sun set, casting an ever-changing light over the immaculate crescents of sand was a truly memorable experience. I could hardly bring myself to spoil the impeccable surface by trekking to the top of them, leaving footprints behind - though they did create an eerie, almost ethereal, picture.
The night in the desert camp was also an amazing experience. To watch shooting stars fall through an unbelievably clear night sky, lying on your back, surrounded by peacefully sleeping camels, a dying fire and utter, utter quiet certainly reaffirmed my love affair with the wilderness.”
