Dinner on the Dunes & Camel Safari

Padnam and Nabu’s safari was the highlight of our trip to India. If you want a non tourist experience and to feel connected to nature this is for one for you.

Having visited Jaisalmer as one of its early tourists 30 years ago, and taking a desert safari then, I was excited to take my family (not around then!) to experience the beauty of the desert themselves. It was important to me that we could get out into nature and away from tourists and we were recommended Padam at Wanderlust. He did not let us down. The four of us went by jeep with Nabu to find our camels, well away from the large tourist tent set ups that now make up the bulk of the desert tours. Hakam and ‘Video’ were our desert hosts and we enjoyed an incredibly peaceful camel ride as the sun dropped in the sky. The only other person we saw was a shepherd who wanted to bum a smoke. We arrived at some beautiful, empty dunes that were to be our camp and the three men quickly got a fire going to produce some pakora as our kids rolled in the dunes as the sun set. We gathered around the camp fire in the evening and enjoyed an excellent meal while learning about village life from our three hosts (all desert village natives). We slept in comfy, clean beds under the full moon and massive blankets and were not cold at all, despite it being January. The next morning we were woken at sunrise with freshly made chai and then enjoyed a breakfast cooked on the open fire. We chose to rode the camels back to towards the village before heading back to town in the jeep. We left having experienced something truly magical and, for our 13 year old particularly, a profound insight into the lives of others. Simply wondeful.

+2

We booked the sunset desert safari through the hotel (where we were also staying) which was one of the highlights of our trip. A half day/evening of driving into the desert, riding a camel and eating under the stars. There was one other lovely couple plus our family of four on the trip. Sadly we couldn’t sleep in the desert as we had a flight the next day but that would have been lovely. I’ve read some of the other safaris are noisy and in rubbish strewn areas, but this was the complete opposite of that.

My oh my. After such a long hiatus from penning down my nary worth of thoughts on TripAdvisor, back to this site I am. This time, it is for the sole purpose of vouching the awesomeness of my 2d1n desert tour with Wanderlust Camel Safari. The owner was super responsive when contacted, offered pickups/dropoffs when needed, and even provided useful information about the town (traffic, bus terminals, etc). Anyway, it is worth repeating that the trip was awesome and had a lasting impact to my travel experience. I feel like I don’t need to repeat what others had already written here but all I can say is that the tour is legit and professionally run by the owner and his staff. A special mention to Nabbu the driver, whom I’ve become a good friend with. In short, do not hesitate to go with Wanderlust C. S. and save yourselves from the proverbial tourist trap of Sam Sand Dunes. Trust me.

+4

Great trip to a peaceful spot! Super relaxing. The guides were very friendly. Recommended for anyone going to Jaisalmer.

The tour was great, we was picked up from our hostel and driven to the desert we then rode the camels to the sand dunes Our guide was very helpful and we felt safe Our guides cooked us a wonderful meal which we ate in the desert Highly recommended this tour and overall great experience

Amazing half day in the desert. It was an incredible experience with a nice organisation and for a vary fair price!

Nothing was too much trouble for Padam and we had a wonderful afternoon and evening in the desert. We saw a beautiful sunset, and were lucky enough to have a moonless sky for stargazing. It was so peaceful, just the three of us, Padam and the camel guide turned chef! We had a delicious Thali prepared from scratch on an open fire. A magical and very special trip, a highlight in India.

+1

Thanks Padam Singh Ji for arranging a nice half day safari tour. Enjoyed site seeing (Kuldhara and Khaba fort) enroute to the safari point. Mr. Nabu, the driver was soft spoken and helpful. He drove the jeep on rough road with ease. Had an amazing adventurous 4 km camel ride from Barna village (Khuri) to desert area. It was great watching the sun set over the dunes and walk on the Thar desert. Got refreshed by receiving a traditional Rajasthani welcome with hot tea and snacks at the camp site (Pal Rajah Resort). Enjoyed the local folk dance and music performance with delicious local cuisine. Overall a great experience in Thar desert.

Super nice people. It has been a great experience. We were looking forward to staying but since we had little time to be in Jaisalmer, it was a good option. The conversation, watching them cook, the camels, the stars... all great. 100% recommended