Bikaner – Jaisalmer

Riding to the Deserts, one of the most awaited rides on my to-do list. All I needed was a push to plan it, and yes, it works out in mysterious ways. One of my friends was to get hitched in Bikaner and was just the thing to kick off the ride plan.

After serious thought and planning to the ride, The Golden City – Jaisalmer, was the best feasible destination with enough time to show up to the wedding. In the heart of the Thar desert, Jaisalmer fort dominates the skyline. The dunes were my destination and MotorBike my chariot.

Although, I had to rent bike at Bikaner as I was on a very tight schedule to take Joycy to Rajasthan. There was only 1 place I could find online which rented bikes in Bikaner, Santosh Paras Two Wheeler Rent . And to put all the things in line, it was a 10 min walk from the stay in Bikaner. Hurray !

I had to carry my helmet and all my riding gears along, which though added to the luggage, but damn.. worth IT !!

Jumping straight to the ride day, my kick off time: 8 am.

Before Kick off

I had booked RE Classic 350 over a call, but I reached the place only to discover issues due to some other customers wreck. I had to settle for RE Electra. Paid 1200 for 24 hours with unlimited km.

I started from the hotel at 10 pm and soon was on the highway cruising at 100 kph. Decided to take the NH11 towards Jaisalmer and the desert route on my way back home. Per the locals I interacted, the route alongside the dessert is the most scenic one with sand dunes racing you.

Outskirts of Bikaner

Did not book the stay prior and decided to look for it once I reach. Some exploration and adventure in the Golden City.

Despite of the construction work in progress at many places, NH11 is well-maintained and sufficient for the traffic passing through . As I went from the city, the brown soil on the sides of the road was gradually replaced by Sand.

Midst the Trip

Took me 6-7 odd hours to reach Jailsamer fort. The vast stretches of land and sand accompanied me along and kept the ride interesting. The excitement and thrill to explore the dessert were overwhelming with the traditional villages alongside kept me in the groove.

Jaisalmer Fort

The Jaisalmer fort greets you once you enter the city. This amazing architecture symbolizes the Crown of the City. Though I did not visit it, the beauty is mesmerizing. Stopped by to call up few tent houses (which are 40 km from Jaisalmer Fort) to check availability. It was about 5-530 pm I started from the City to the Dunes.

It is a 2 lane single road till the dunes. Camels along the roads, windmills, and the distant stretches of empty land. Like a snap, I covered those 40 km.

Towards Dunes

There I was, right beside the dunes, standing on the sand. Took a moment to get its feel. Many locals approached me with curiosity and stay packages. After a good chat with few of them, got a package for an overnight tent stay, dinner, breakfast and a Jeep and Camel safari for 1100 Rs.

Opted for a lone jeep safari in the Thar desert.

It was just the jeep driver and me standing at the back of the open jeep. Through the dunes and sand, it was a thrilling ride. The jeep was wobbling on the dunes.

Some superhero kinda feeling emerged during the roller coaster drive in the dunes 😉

I was just in time for sunset and would have given anything to stay glued to the place. Spent much of the time watching the sunset and waking around. A quick chat with the camel rider before I headed for the tents.

Camel Race Course

The way back to the tents was amazing with the sun setting down on the right and a trail of jeeps racing in the dusk.

Tents

Welcome at the tents was a marvelous one with Dhol and Tilak. The sand was my red carpet till the Tent. A soothing hot bath, and a bonfire with traditional dance performances made the visit pleasant. After a delicious dinner and stargazing, I crashed onto the bed.

Traditional Dance Performance

I had planned to go further till Tanot Mata Temple, but due to shortage of time, had to wrap up the Trip. And now, that’s the reason I wish to plan this again with Joycy, to the Deserts.

Luckily I woke up early enough to catch the Sunrise. It was cloudy though, but the serenity was boundless.

Mornings in Desert

My appetite was content by the Tasty Parathas and Chai at breakfast. Wrapped up my luggage and was ready to bid The RE revved easily after the cold night. Strangling through the sand, I was onto the road soon and cruising around 60 kph.

As planned, I took the route along the dessert. Fueled up shortly before bypassing the Jaisalmer city, plotted the map and was ready to ride. It was a narrow single lane road. With scarce villages alongside, the vegetation was part green and part all dried up.

Kala Dungar

Soon I reached Kala Dungar – Shri Kala Dungar Rai Mandir . The entire hill was black, like a distinct spot with bright white Temple midst the brown stretches of sand and rocky terrain.

Some stretches on the road had a thick layer of sand covering. Riding on it is a task, but is a thrill of a kind ! The locals have mastered the skill of riding on the sands and cruise like a piece of cake.

The road passed through patches of forest like areas, wherein one can find Cows and Deers. One should be careful on these roads as they are often spotted crossing. Few deers crossed my path, no idea what species, but was a sight to the eyes. I had to slow down most of the times due to cows and camels on the road.

Stopped by some sand dunes for a break.

Soon I was past the half way mark. Stopped by a petrol pump near Bajju Tejpura to relax and fuel up. A small talk with the locals was exciting. Few of them from the border villages sharing stories. For their innocence and humble nature, one can easily peek into their lifestyles.

Time just slipped past until I reached a very bad stretch of the road for about 15-20 km, the worst part of my ride. It took me almost an hour to cover this stretch until I touched the highway. A sigh of relief when I felt the smooth roads.

Took me an hour to reach Bikaner City.

Riding through the narrow lanes, I reached to return the bike at 5 pm. After a long bargain for the extended hours, I paid 500 rs more and left. The deal was good though 🙂

While I was walking past the Bikaner Fort (Junagarh Fort), two guys stopped me from the back and curiously asked about my trip. Guess they were MotorBike enthusiasts. A small talk with them, and soon I reached my Hotel.

The ride was worth all the travel and I could barely keep the deserts and the ride off my mind. A refreshing shower and tea was a way to reminisce.

Personal review for RE:

I won’t ever prefer it (Maybe just Electra or the entire RE). I had a severe backache riding it merely for 300 km. Though the road was butter smooth, the vibrations troubled me past 100 kph. No wonder RE riders do not speed up much during long rides.

Check out other bike trips and a whole lot of stuff here…