Camel Safari was amongst one of the top things to do on our bucket list. And we crossed it off in November 2021 when we went to Bikaner for a weekend getaway.
Places to Do Camel Safari in India
Thar desert in Rajasthan is the only hot desert in India. Jaisalmer is the most popular place for a camel safari. This is the only place in India where sand dunes still exist. You can also go on a camel safari in Jodhpur and Bikaner. It is also possible to go on a camel safari in the cold desert of Nubra Valley in Ladakh.
Type of Camel Safari Tours in Bikaner
- Half-day tour: It includes 1 to 2 hours of camel ride and costs 800 to 1200 INR per person
- Full-day tour: It includes 3 to 4 hours of camel ride and costs 1200 to 1600 INR per person
- Afternoon camel safari with night stay: It includes 1 to 2 hours of camel safari and night stay in a tent or mud hut and costs 1800 to 2200 INR per person. Additionally, one can also opt to sleep under the stars for lesser price
- Multi-day tour: It can be as short as two days and as long as one wants. The cost starts from 2500 – 3000 INR and increases with each extra day.
What to Expect
When going on a camel safari in Bikaner, do not expect sand dunes as you may come across in Jaisalmer. Instead, you will see vegetation in the desert and may see sand dunes only in small patches.
Riding a camel is not like riding a horse. It can get pretty uncomfortable after a while. There is a particular style to camel’s walk. Your body will keep swaying left and right for the whole journey. One can have sore legs and bums by the end of their journey.
If you decide to spend a night in the desert, keep in mind that only luxurious tents and mud huts have attached toilets and bathrooms.
Our Experience
How much did we pay
We had pre-booked camel safari tour which included a night stay from Rao Bikaji Camel Safari. It cost us 4500 INR which included a night stay in a mud hut with breakfast (1700 INR), a one-hour camel ride (800 INR), bonfire at night (100×2 = 200 INR), dinner (400×2 = 800 INR), and return transportation between Bikaner city and the camping site (1000 INR). Other activities that one may opt for are Jeep Safari (2000 INR), Rajasthani folk dance (1500 INR). We had opted for a non-Rajasthani dinner. One may get Rajasthani dinner for 600 INR per person.
Night Train to Bikaner
We had taken the night train from Delhi and reached Bikaner in the morning. Both Megha and I have trouble sleeping on the train with all the noise and disturbance and this time was no exception. We didn’t get any sleep and were exhausted by the time we reached Shri Ram Heritage Guest House (Rao Bikaji hotel). We were given room to rest and refresh before the tour.
How was the Mud Hut
As we had also booked the round-trip transportation between the hotel and camping site, we were picked in a car at around 3:30 PM and taken about 15 kilometres away to the camping site.
We soon checked into our mud hut. Both the bedroom area and the attached bathroom were spacious. The bathroom was a bit smelly and looked like it was not cleaned before our check-in. There was no geyser in the bathroom which was also disappointing.
Camel Safari
We had booked a single camel for both of us. Megha sat in the front and I in the back of the hump. After 30 minutes of the camel ride, the camel man stopped the camel and asked us to enjoy the sunset. The sunset was nothing special. The background had towers and bushes which made the sunset view pretty ordinary.
Megha had started to have sore legs and decided to continue the rest of the safari on foot. Camel ride in itself gets uncomfortable at times but more so for the person sitting in front. As I sat on the back, I was quite comfortable and continued with the camel ride.
In hindsight, choosing a single camel was a mistake. Only a person sitting in the back gets to support oneself using stirrup. A person sitting in the front of the hump is not only without support but also has to face more pressure on camel movements.
Snacks, Dinner & Bonfire
We asked for tea and snacks in the evening. In snacks, they had mirchi and aloo pakoras. While Megha had both, I only had aloo pakoras as I don’t like mirchi ones. The pakoras were good but the tea was just average.
For dinner, we were given salad, papad, chapatis, and three dishes – mix veg, dal, and paneer sabzi. The food was freshly cooked and everything was delicious.
After dinner, we asked for a personal bonfire close to our hut. It is a very pleasant experience when the heat of a bonfire warms the bones on a winter night. After enjoying the bonfire for an hour, we called it a night.
Finally, The Departure!!
In the morning, we were given aloo paranthas with pickles and tea for breakfast. With breakfast, our camel safari tour ended and we departed for the Bikaner city.
Useful Tips for Camel Safari
- Hold the camel tightly and lean back when the camel is about to stand or sit. You will be pushed forward as he straightens his back leg first.
- If possible, try to get one camel for each person. Otherwise, it can get very uncomfortable for the person sitting in front of the camel hump.
- If you see less seat cushion on a camel, ask for more layers of padded cushion. We experienced it the hard way.
We enjoyed our camel safari tour right from the camel ride, dinner, bonfire and mud hut stay. We were glad that we stayed overnight as it enhanced the experience multi-fold. There will always be some “what if’s” or disappointments but which tour or travel doesn’t.
Have you ever had a camel safari? Let us know about your experience in the comments.
Thank you for taking the trouble to write about your experience.