Motorcycle tour: Forts and palaces, Rajasthan, India

Forts and palaces in Rajasthan, India

Rajasthan is the most typical and most visited state in India. It is the land of the Rajputs, the warrior caste once feared across the country, who ruled the whole state, built forts that were hard to take and founded independent kingdoms under maharajas. Desert country, elephants, turbans, saris in every colour and old palaces that look as if they came out of the Thousand and One Nights all sit side by side.

The Thar Desert closes the map on the western edge, but the ground changes: the still-green Aravalli hills, or Mount Abu above 1500 m. The region has the best roads in India. For two weeks we ride the Thar as far west as Jaisalmer, the fortress city. We pass through Jodhpur and Ranakpur to see the architecture of their Hindu and Jain temples, then Udaipur, the city of lakes and white houses. In Pushkar, sacred to Hindus, we lose ourselves in streets filled with pilgrims from all over the country bringing offerings to the sacred lake. The day continues to Jaipur, the Pink City. From Jaipur, north of the Aravallis, on green roads full of rural Rajasthani life, we reach the last stop, the fort hotel of Alwar.

Full details of this trip are here : (Click here)