I had offers for desert safari tours for less than this company, but I was skeptical of them, because I've heard from friends about bad experiences in jaisalmer, such as guides being grossly inappropriate with women, poor planning especially for sleeping arrangement, and food being inedible. But when I (with my friend) walked into the office of Sahara travels, after reading all the reviews here, I immediately felt that everything was straightforward and well-organized. Mr. Bissa the son of the original owner seemed very professional and kind-hearted. So we went ahead and booked a trip with them, and we both do not regret a single thing. They have a set price, and it's not so much actually. You will not have to deal with any extra costs in the end, or anyone pressuring you for more tips. They also don't try to make themselves hype like others do by saying things like "we're from the desert. We'll show you the true beauty of the desert," etc, which I appreciate.
The one night tour: in the morning Mr. Bissa drove us in the jeep with the camel man in the back, and stopped at an abandoned town, which is a really fascinating place to see. He gave us the background in a very nice way. I was really happy to stop by there since I am very much interested in the history of silk route. Also the interesting point was that the town was built and occupied by the Brahmin caste and the guide was from the same caste. He will tell you some spooky stories about the place, which added to the mystery.
Then we drove more, and got dropped off where our camels were waiting. Each person gets his/her own camel, and they will be lead, unless you specify otherwise. If you are experienced with camels and want to take your own, that's fine with them, as long as I've seen. I have been on camels before, so I asked them if I could lead my own and they were ok with it. And I was really happy with the camel since he was very well trained and docile. We saw some wildlife too such as gazelles and different kinds of birds.
We arrived to the camp after about two hours or so and settled in, getting to know the other travelers and such. It was a really nice bonding time. While we were checking out the surrounding dunes and taking photos they prepared dinner and fire for us. The dinner overall was fantastic. We had asked for beers before (specify the number) so we had plenty to drink and we had some options for different curries. You're in luck if you're vegetarian. I think they usually cook vegetarian curries, but even as a meat eater I thought the food was good.
Sleeping under the stars is amazing! You don't have to sleep on sand since they provide metal frame and plastic weave beds (with bedding on top). I thought it was quite comfortable and warm. I had a good sleep.
In the morning the breakfast was plenty with toast, eggs, jam, etc. The only thing missing was coffee, so you might want to bring some with you if you're a coffee freak like me.
We had a fun camel ride also after a lazy morning, and then we headed back to town.
From what I've seen in the reviews everyone has a good time with this company so do it, I think it's worth the higher price. I wouldn't want to risk anything just for a few rupees.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
