This week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Bidisha Banik from the blog 'Resfeber18'. Bidisha takes us through an enticing journey of the annual Pushkar camel fair and relives the time she spent in the world famous fair as well as her experience glamping and being on a hot air balloon ride, courtesy Tripoto and Sky Waltz. Sit back and enjoy listening!
Today's destination: Pushkar, Rajasthan
Nearest airport: Sanganeer Airport (JAI), Jaipur, Rajasthan; Jodhpur Airport (JDH), Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Nearest Railway Station: Ajmer Junction (AII), Ajmer, Rajasthan; Daurai (DOZ), Ajmer, Rajasthan
Packing - Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, scraf water to stay hydrated
Time of the year - September
Length of the itinerary: 3 days
Itinerary Highlights:
- Expect to see a variety of livestock at the mela ground - the venue of the Pushkar mela. It is a livestock trading event that happens annually, usually a week during Oct-Nov, that has become a tourist attraction
- There are a plethora of cattle and livestock - camels - of all sizes and even different colors (ever seen a black camel?), horses, donkeys, cows, buffaloes etc
- Variety of contests - best moustache, kite flying, cricket matches, sack races, best turbans, best mustache and everything under the sun - bride & groom contest (yep, for real)! A total freak show!
- There's other stalls like handicrafts and turbans that showcase the local craftsmen. Apart from that are joy rides, giant wheels that are usually a part of any local fair. There are also concerts from well reknowned local and international artists.
- You can also expect to see a bunch of foreign tourists during the fair.
- Bidisha was a part of a Glamping trip - Glamorous camping/ luxurious campling trip organized courtesy Tripoto and Sky waltz.
- The camp site was a luxurious set up with fully furnished camps along with an attached bath!
- The trip also included a hot air balloon trip courtesy Sky Waltz.
- The balloon ride was scheduled for early in the day. Leave from the camp site at 4:30AM. Reach the site, undergo briefing about the protocols and landing procedures from the team.
- Watch the hot air balloon go from being a colorful piece of cloth to a magnificent full blown balloon, an amazing sight!
- Enjoy a great view of the Pushkar lake and Pushkar city from up above on the balloon. Wave to the folks on the ground!
- Experience a surreal moment while the sun rises from beyond the mountains!
- Enjoy time at the Pushkar market that has it's share of hippie ornaments and stuff. There are some awesome cafes too along the Pushkar lake where you can enjoy your food with a view!
Links:
Bidisha's Blog
Bidisha's Blog Post : Skywaltz Hot Air Balloon Safari
Skywaltz
More about Bidisha Banik
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Email: bidishabanik18@gmail.com