Rajwada Desert Camp

While planning for a 5-day Jodhpur Jaisalmer family tour, selecting desert camp was most difficult part- most properties had mixed reviews and others were highly expensive. Also learnt that main Sam area is quite overcrowded with hundreds of camps and mostly noisy during nights- which pushed us to narrow down on quieter areas like Kanoi. After lot of deliberation and fingers crossed, booked and paid advance for this property, with a disclaimer to family that being a remote desert area don't expect too much from it. And this turned out to be the best part of the overall tour !! Started early morning from Jaisalmer to Tanot Mata temple, border and Longewala, reached here around 5PM. Warmly welcomed by Mayank and Vijayendra, they suggested us to head straight for camel ride to enjoy sunset at dunes. All of us immensely enjoyed the camel ride and all tiredness of the day vanished by the majestic views of sunset at dunes. Room was neat and clean with clean towels, linen and due amenities as needed (we booked an AC room having en-suite big washroom with geyser). They arranged an extra bed as required. Traditional welcome followed by evening folk dance and music program. Food (evening snacks, tea/ coffee, dinner and breakfast) had limited choices but everything was delicious. Post-dinner, on our request Vijayendra accompanied us on a mesmerizing stargazing night walk to dunes. Next morning we woke up by chirping of beards and went for sunrise jeep safari. Driver Lateef took us to main jeep safari dunes where we enjoyed dune bashing on jeep and also had adrenaline filled ATV (quad bike) ride. Overall, the package was filled with lovely activities which made all of us happy and filled with good memories. All except ATV ride (and tips ofcourse) was part of the booked package. Highlight of the property is hospitality- Mayank, Vijayendra and team are always there to make you happy and smile. Wish we could stay longer !! A final note in rather lengthy review- you are spoilt with choices of camp properties around. Do your research, book as per your likings and budget, and enjoy the nature and facilities made available by the camp rather than feeling of missing out some small things here and there. Secondly, if you love to be more closer to nature than city stuff, you can explore to plan your stay mostly at a desert camp than Jaisalmer city and cover all nearby places by traveling from here.

The wilderness drive to the property and the humble appearance of the area was initially disconcerting. However we were impressed by customer service and care provided. The tent accomodation was simply beautiful and clean. All necessity of hot water and ensuite toilets surprised us is the rustic setting. The 10 minutes camel ride to the dunes is an experience not to be missed. The Rajasthani folks music and dance was lovely with entree and drinks (complimentary and charged) served as we enjoyed the evening. Dinner can be requested early before drinks and cultural fest, if you are an international traveller who eats early dinner. Overall an amazing hospitality experience.

A memorable stay indeed. Very courteous staff. Decently maintained camps right in the desert. Breakfast, Dinner and even the snacks were really good. Even had poori and idli!! They ensure all of their guests have food. Even during the snacks time they drop by to your room if you don't turn up and deliver them right to your room! Another major plus is that they have their own camels, that is at the disposal of the guests. If you get up early you can see hundreds of peacocks crossing through the camp site. Mr. Mayank the incharge there does a great job with his team. Some change in plan we had to leave early, he was generous to offer packed dinner for us. A great stay is guaranteed.

The camp is really well located close to the sand dunes, which are scarce in the Sam area. The camp is clean and well maintained. Our tents had impeccable bedsheets and our toilet was super clean and geyser was working well. We were given three blankets, which is more than enough in the cold desert winter night. Food was good and in general the Rajasthani hospitality showed. The highlight for us was a cultural festival with the dancers and the singers being really committed and enthusiastic and it wasn't very cringey at all. We had a bit of an issue with our camel safari, which is more like a 5 minute trip into the sand dunes just behind the hotel, but a quick chat with the manager sorted it out and he ensured that we got our one hour camel ride in the morning the next day, which was really nice. I would suggest, when you are booking to be sure what is included in exactly for how long to avoid any confusions when you land up. Be aware that there is no wifi or tv in the desert and mobile signals for me at least was sporadic. But I know that other guests didn't have too many problems. Also, for those people who have not camped before, or who may have forgotten what it's like, the camp walls are actually made of tent fabric. So it's very easy to hear what are the people are talking about. There is a little bit of noise that goes into the night with the other guests that are staying in the camp, though it's, of course, not the fault of the camp. It is something to be aware of, especially if you're a light sleeper so bring earplugs. They do serve alcohol for the evening entertainment and it is quite reasonably priced. The bonfire was really tiny and didn't really give off any heat, though they do give you blankets as the evening cultural program is under the stars outdoors. Overall, I would say the service was great. The camp was well maintained and they really tried hard to please the guests. So I would definitely recommend it for families and would recommend it as a camp in the SAM area. The person who gives you the ride in the camel and the entertainment folks do ask for tips, but don't feel pressurized as it's not really mandatory, but it's just a nice gesture because they obviously have so much less than what we do and they do try very hard.

Excellent hospitality.. Try out the activities worth spending... The night bonfire is very mesmerizing and delight... Food is excellent.. The traditional authentic dish... Overall a very good experience... And we were little worried for the kids.. But the staff took care of them and they enjoyed a lot... Overall excellent and delighted relaxing experience one can get

My Partner and I are British/ Australian tourists and visited the camp as part of our 6 week trip in India. We had an excellent time in Rajasthan and the safari was a highlight. The hospitality of the staff was exceptional, food was great and we enjoyed socialising with guests during the show!