Rajasthan Off the Beaten Track: A Slow Travel Guide to Rural India
Our founder Sam is setting off on his latest trip. Starting with a week in Bhutan’s Himalayan valleys, hiking to Tiger’s Nest and through the Phobjikha valley. He then flies down to Delhi and journeys onwards through rural India. He won’t be spending much time queuing at palaces or pushing through crowded bazaars. Sam is taking a true Travel Differently trip, out into the countryside. That means river safaris in the Chambal valley, a hilltop fort above a lake full of birds, and a tiger reserve seen from a jungle camp that has spent 35 years rewilding its own land.
Written by Sam, Travel Differently founder and Bhutan and India expert.
This guide follows Sam’s route and covers more of the rural Rajasthan we love. It also shows the different ways you can explore it with us. Every journey is designed around you.
Bhutan & India Expert Sam:
‘I have been lucky enough to visit India several times, from the stark landscapes of Ladakh, to the vibrance of Jodhpur. One of my all time travel highlights is discovering India’s quiet side, in rural Nimaj, watching the sunset in complete peace without another tourist in sight”
See all our tailor-made Rajasthan Holidays here.
Why Rajasthan rewards slow travel
Rajasthan is a place of extraordinary colour and history, and its cities are wonderful. But they can also be busy, noisy and intense. As Sam puts it, India can be a sensory overload. Many visitors try to fit Delhi, Agra and Jaipur into a single week and go home exhausted, having seen the monuments but not much of the country. We aim to do things differently.
Slow travel changes that. Spend two – three nights in each place rather than one, and swap city days for countryside stays. In our opinion, India will start to feel completely different. You have time for a sunrise safari and an afternoon on the ramparts, a walk through a village where you’re the only visitor, and a long dinner with hosts who know the land intimately. The famous sights are still there, but they become part of a journey instead of the whole point of it. Isn’t this what real travelling is about?
Take a look at our flagship Slow Travel through Hidden Rajasthan Holiday (22 days from £6,762pp)
Sam’s route: from the Himalayas to rural India
Sam’s own trip is a good example of what discovering rural India can look like. It’s also a great trip if you’re looking to combine India with Bhutan or Nepal, which is so easily done. Here is his route:
- Days 1-8: Bhutan, from Thimphu and Punakha to the Phobjikha valley and Paro
- Days 9-10: Chambal Safari Lodge, Chambal valley
- Day 11: Ramathra Fort, rural Rajasthan
- Days 12-13: Khem Villas, Ranthambore
- Day 14: Delhi, before flying home on day 15
Chambal Safari Lodge: river life an hour from the Taj Mahal
Just an hour’s drive from the Taj Mahal, Mela Kothi Chambal Safari Lodge feels like another world. It’s a sprawling, peaceful estate in the heart of the Chambal valley, a landscape of ravines, ruins and local legend, known for its wonderful hospitality. Sam heads here straight off his flight from Bhutan, and it’s 100% how we like our guests to start their time in India: somewhere calm and green rather than straight into the city.
Highlights of a stay here include a gentle boat safari on the Chambal River. Look out for gharials, turtles and a wealth of resident and migratory birds, and, if you’re lucky, the rare Gangetic river dolphin. Back on land, explore the traditional village of Holipura and the riverside Bateshwar temples at an unhurried pace. Two nights here give you time to slow down properly.
Ramathra Fort: a hilltop fort far from the tourist trail
Ramathra is one of our favourite places in all of India. What sets this small fort-palace apart from Rajasthan’s many heritage hotels is its remoteness. It sits on a hilltop in the far east of Rajasthan, surrounded by Ranthambore, Kailadevi National Park and the Keoladeo bird sanctuary. Its ramparts look out over Kalisil Lake, the hills beyond, and small hamlets scattered across the farmland.
The lake is a magnet for birdlife. Look out for kingfishers, herons, stilts and saras cranes all year round, and in winter they’re joined by visiting ducks, storks and cormorants. Sam arrives in time for a late lunch, then heads out on a rural safari with the fort’s friendly team. Other options include birdwatching by boat on the lake, a jeep safari across the Daang plateau to hidden forts and gorges, or a walk through Ramathra village and its farming community. You could also simply stay within the fort walls and enjoy the quiet.
Khem Villas, Ranthambore: In search of tigers
Ranthambore is one of the best places in India to see a wild tiger. Once the hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur, it’s now a reserve scattered with lake palaces, and old fortifications, all overlooked by a thousand-year-old fort. Its fame means the park can feel busy, which is why where you stay matters so much.
Khem Villas is our answer and is a real Travel Differently favourite. It’s a jungle camp of just eight cottages and seven luxury tents on the edge of the park. The family behind it has turned 30 acres of barren grassland into a thriving habitat of native trees and small lakes. Today, jackals, jungle cats, hyenas, desert foxes and crocodiles are regularly seen around the camp, and the birdwatching is superb. Meals are vegetarian, made with produce from the camp’s own organic garden. It’s a wonderful example of how tourism can restore land rather than wear it down.
Sam’s days here follow early-morning and late-afternoon safaris, when it’s cooler and the animals are most active. Each drive lasts up to three hours in a private (or shared) open-air jeep with a naturalist guide, which gives you the best chance of finding a tiger.
More of rural Rajasthan we love
Sam’s route covers a specific route, but there’s plenty more rural Rajasthan to discover, and we often build these places into longer slower journeys through North India.
SUJAN Jawai is our favourite luxury wildlife experience in India. The weathered remains of the Aravalli hills create a dramatic granite landscape where Indian leopards live alongside the red-turbaned Rabari shepherds. It’s one of India’s most remarkable stories of people and wildlife living side by side. You stay in a luxury tented camp, with sunrise and afternoon safaris. It’s very special indeed. Stay here as part of our Luxury Rajasthan, Bhutan & Nepal Holiday.
Chhatrasagar, near Nimaj, offers boutique tents overlooking a lake, with some of the most peaceful sunsets in Rajasthan. Spend your time on nature walks, birdwatching, jeep safaris and kayaking. It’s an ideal pause between Jaipur and Jodhpur. The food here is some of the best we had in India.
Deogarh is home to a charming homestay run by descendants of the region’s former rulers. You can go birdwatching by the lake, take boat trips or wildlife safaris, or ride a local train. It’s the kind of place where you leave feeling like a friend of the family rather than a hotel guest. It’s a place to slow down, and take it all in.
The icons, done differently
None of this means we suggest skipping the highlights. The Taj Mahal, Amber Fort, Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort and Udaipur’s lakeside City Palace are unforgettable, and we include them on most of our India journeys. We simply plan them with care in a slower pace. We put you on the train to Agra rather than the motorway. We time your visit to the Taj Mahal for the best light, and note that it’s closed on Fridays. You explore old Jaipur and Jodhpur’s blue city on foot with a guide who knows the artisans and street food stalls. And on the road between Jodhpur and Udaipur, we stop at the 15th-century Jain temples of Ranakpur.
“Do we want you to skip the cities of North India? Absolutely not, these are part of the charm. We just suggest incorporating slower, quieter moments in beautiful countryside to really complement your time in India” Holly, Bhutan and Rajasthan expert
Travelling responsibly in rural India
Our journeys are personally designed, locally rooted and responsibly delivered, with partners who genuinely care about the places they call home. Sam’s route highlights what that means in practice. At Chambal, local hospitality is at the heart of the experience. At Ramathra, you stay in a heritage fort in a region few visitors reach. At Khem Villas, a family has spent decades restoring habitat on the edge of a tiger reserve. We stay in places like these because your money supports local people and protects the landscapes you’ve come to see. We also donate a percentage of every trip to the World Land Trust.
Slow travel is also simply a better way to see a place. Fewer, longer stays mean less time on the road, deeper connections, and a holiday that feels restorative rather than rushed.
Speak to our India experts about your ideal travel dates to this amazing country.
Four ways to explore North India with us
Our example itineraries show what’s possible, but think of them as starting points rather than fixed tours.
- Slow Travel through Hidden Rajasthan (22 days from £6,762pp) This is the journey that best captures Sam’s way of seeing Rajasthan. Over three weeks, you balance the Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur with long, peaceful stays in Chambal, Ramathra, Chhatrasagar and Deogarh.
- India’s Golden Triangle In-Depth (18 days from £7,175pp) The classic first-time India route with our Travel Differently twist. Alongside Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, we’ve slowed the pace and added the Chambal River, Ramathra Fort, tigers in Ranthambore and leopards in Jawai.
- North India & Bhutan (23 days from £8,143pp) Start with Rajasthan’s forts, safaris and cities, then fly to Bhutan’s quiet Himalayan valleys for monasteries, mountain walks and the hike to Tiger’s Nest. It’s a longer version of the Himalaya-to-India combination Sam is travelling.
- Luxury Rajasthan, Bhutan & Nepal (31 days from £10,926pp) This is our longest journey across the subcontinent, designed for a sabbatical, a milestone birthday or a retirement trip. It moves from Kathmandu and Pokhara to Bhutan’s Punakha and Gangtey valleys, then on to Chambal, Ramathra, Ranthambore and Jawai.
Every journey is tailor-made
Sam’s own two-week route shows how flexible a trip can be. It combines a week of Himalayan hiking with six nights in rural India, which works well if you have limited time but want both. All of our holidays are fully bespoke, so we’ll shape yours around how you like to travel. You might want more wildlife and fewer cities, extra nights at a fort, a local festival, or a combination with Bhutan or Nepal. You’ll have one dedicated expert (Sam or Holly) from your first call to your journey home, direct contact for any questions, support around the clock while you’re away, and full ATOL financial protection.
Rajasthan off the beaten track: your questions answered
Allow at least 10 days to see the classic Golden Triangle. We recommend 14 days or more to add countryside fort stays and a tiger or leopard safari. To really explore rural Rajasthan away from the crowds, three weeks is ideal. If you’re combining India with Bhutan or Nepal, add on anything from 7 nights upwards.
October to March. Days are sunny and pleasantly warm, and in December and January the evenings can be cool enough for a jacket. Winter also brings migratory birds to lakes such as Kalisil at Ramathra.
Ranthambore National Park is one of the best places in India to see wild tigers. Early-morning and late-afternoon safaris give you the best chances, and staying at a peaceful eco-camp on the edge of the park, such as Khem Villas, makes the experience much calmer.
British Airways flies direct from London Heathrow to Delhi in around eight hours.
Yes. Short flights connect Delhi with Paro and Kathmandu, and Sam is doing exactly this combination on this trip.
Start planning your Rajasthan journey
Sam will be sharing moments from the road while he’s away, so follow along on Instagram for a taste of rural India as it happens. If you’d like to see the side of India most visitors miss, get in touch with our team. We’ll start designing a journey that’s entirely your own.
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