Rajasthan
RANTHAMBHORE NAT
iONA
l PARK
internet cafes are sprinkled around the lanes,
and tend to charge ₹30 per hour. Most guest-
houses and many restaurants and cafes have
free wi-fi these days.
Internet Cafe (Sadar Bazaar) Handy internet
cafe near Honey & Spice cafe.
Post Office (off Heloj Rd; h9.30am-5pm)
Tourist Information Centre (%01452772040;
h10am-5pm) in the grounds of Hotel Sarovar;
staff will give out a free map.
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Priests – some genuine, some not – will ap-
proach you near the ghats and offer to do a
puja (prayer) for which you’ll receive a ‘Pushkar
passport’ (a red ribbon around your wrist).
Others proffer flowers (to avoid trouble, don’t
take any flowers you are offered). Some of these
priests genuinely live off the donations of others
and this is a tradition that goes back centuries.
Others can be pushy and aggressive. Walk away
if you feel bullied and be aware that you may be
pressured into making a donation later on, even
if the ribbons and flowers are at first given to you
for free.
During the camel fair, Pushkar is besieged by
pickpockets working the crowded bazaars. Take
extra care at this time.
Fortunately, there is very little motorised traf-
fic in Pushkar’s lanes, making it a pleasurable
place to explore at leisure – but do watch out for
stray motorbikes.
8 Getting ̈There ̈& ̈Away
Pushkar’s tiny train station is so badly con-
nected it’s not worth bothering with. Use Ajmer
Junction train station instead.
Frequent buses to/from Ajmer (₹10 to ₹12, 30
minutes, every 10 minutes) use Pushkar’s dedi-
cated Ajmer bus stand, although Ajmer buses
also leave from the main bus stand.
Be careful to check that your bus is direct,
many services from Pushkar aren’t. And note,
even if they are direct buses they may well stop
for some time in Ajmer, meaning it’s often quick-
er to go to Ajmer first and then catch another
bus from there.
8 Getting ̈Around
There are no autorickshaws, but it’s a breeze
to get around on foot. if you want to explore
the surrounding countryside, you could try
hiring a scooter (₹200 per day) from one of the
many places round town. For something more
susbstantial, try Shreeram Enfield Gairej
(h9.30am-7.30pm) on Ajmer Rd. They hire En-
field Bullets for ₹500 per day (₹50,000 deposit)
and sell them from ₹55,000.
Ranthambhore
National Park% 07462
This famous national park, open from 1 Octo-
ber to 30 June, is the best place to spot wild
tigers in Rajasthan. Comprising 1334 sq km
of wild jungle scrub hemmed in by rocky
ridges, at its centre is the 10th-century Ran-
thambhore Fort. Scattered around the fort
are ancient temples and mosques, hunting
pavilions, crocodile-filled lakes and vine-cov-
ered chhatris (burial tombs). The park was a
maharajas’ hunting ground until 1970, a curi-
ous 15 years after it had become a sanctuary.
Seeing a tiger (there were 28 at last count)
is partly a matter of luck; leave time for two
or three safaris to improve your chances. But
remember there’s plenty of other wildlife to
see including more than 300 species of birds.
It’s 10km from Sawai Madhopur (the
gateway town for Ranthambhore) to the
first gate of the park, and another 3km to
the main gate and Ranthambhore Fort.
There’s a bunch of cheap (and rather grotty)
hotels near Sawai Madhopur train station,
but the nicest accommodation is stretched
out along Ranthambhore Rd, which eventu-
ally leads to the park.
It’s ₹50 to ₹100 for an auto from the train
station to Ranthambhore Rd, depending on
where you get off. Many hotels, though, will
pick you up from the train station for free if
you call ahead.
If you want to walk, turn left out of the
train station and follow the road up to
the overpass (200m). Turn left and cross
the bridge over the railway line to reach a
roundabout (200m), known as Hammir
Circle. Turn right here to reach the Safari ̈
Booking ̈ Office (1.5km). But turn left to
reach all the accommodation reviewed here.
We’ve mentioned in each review how far ac-
commodation is from Hammir Circle.1 ̈Sights ̈& ̈Activities
Safaris take place in the early morning and
late afternoon, starting between 6am and
7am, and between 2pm and 3pm, depend-
ing on the time of year. Each safari lasts for
around three hours. The mornings can be
exceptionally chilly in the open vehicles, so
bring warm clothes.
The best option is to travel by gypsy
(six-person open-topped jeep; price per sa-
fari per person Indian/foreigner ₹528/927).