24 Hours in Jodhpur, India
Next stop in Rajasthan: Jodhpur! Now, to be totally honest, we weren’t completely enamoured with Jodhpur — or maybe it just wasn't quite what we were expecting. We travelled to Jodhpur via train from Jaipur, and spent 24 hours in the city. Looking back, Jaipur is much more of a royal city, whilst Jodhpur is a lot more raw and residential, with, I'd imagine, a lot more poverty, and it's probably a much truer representation of the rest of Rajasthan. Don't get me wrong, Jodhpur is absolutely worth a visit and there were some bits of the city we loved. Plus, golden hour in this city is absolutely magical, making it kind of impossible not to fall for a bit. I’ve got other friends who’ve been to Jodhpur and completely loved it so I don’t to put too much of my opinion across on this one! I definitely think it’s worth 24 hours in a Rajasthan itinerary, especially if you can squeeze in a trip to Dhora Desert too…
see + do
Blue City
The epicentre of Jodhpur, the Blue City is a web of tight winding streets that more often than not don’t lead to where you think they will. We spent an hour or so wandering some of the streets and found a lot of dead ends and people’s front doors! Exploring this area sure is interesting, but ice prepared for it to be a bit of a humbling experience too, with many stray dogs, piles of rubbish, rats and cows roaming the streets, that are scented with contrasting incense and open sewers! Interesting, eye-opening, and probably worth ticking off.
Mehrangarh Fort
Standing tall over the city of Jodhpur, Mehrangarh Fort is an architectural feat that’s built on and into rocky hills. It’s one of the largest forts in India with seven gates and an impressive carved facade. We skipped the museum and just wandered around the walls, from which you get a scale of how vast the sprawling city of Jodhpur is.
Sardar Market
Without a doubt my favourite part of Jodhpur, Sardar Market is a bustling marketplace where you can expect to buy anything and everything, from spices to sweets, silverware and handicrafts. Centred about the city’s iconic clock tower, it’s a traveller’s delight, supremely colourful and somewhere you can pick up souvenirs a plenty or just marvel at the very different way of life. Donkeys, motorbikes, babies, mothers and market traders all share the space and it’s go go go!
eat + drink
Indique
The rooftop bar that changed our view on Jodhpur. You must go to INDIQUE in time for sunset. It’s simply magical and mustn’t be missed. After exploring busy Sadar Bazaar, come up here to chill on cushioned benches, savour a couple of gin and tonics, and watch the incredible sunset that casts the whole city in such a beautiful light. Food is meant to be great here too, though we went on for dinner elsewhere.
On the Rocks
Whilst it has a bit of a Disneyland feel to it, I really can’t fault the food at ON THE ROCKS. We walked here from Sadar Bazaar (it is pretty far and I’d probably recommend a rickshaw unless you’re super into adventures on foot like me) and were starving by the time we arrived. We ate in the candle-lit garden and shared two amazing vegetable curries, dhal and roti. It was all so delicious.
Rani Mahal rooftop
A chilled out sun trap with great views of the fort, the RANI MAHAL HOTEL ROOFTOP is a must-stop for a cold Kingfisher and a generous dose of Vitamin D. We chilled up here for a good couple of hours, drinking beer, reading our books and lapping up the baking sunshine.
stay
Almond Tree
We stayed at ALMOND TREE, a last-minute booking.com find, and though it was slightly out of the city centre in a bit of a bizarre building estate-like area, it was a great, clean and contemporary place to stay. Our room was hugeeee, the breakfast was delicious with Indian dishes made to order, and we absolutely loved the rooftop with its little jacuzzi pool. In a rickshaw, it’s about 15 minutes out of town.
Dhora Desert Resort & Spa
Not strictly in Jodhpur but definitely worth a detour, DHORA DESERT RESORT AND SPA is 1.5 hours north of Jodhpur by car, and is the most magical place to spend a night or two. A luxury desert camp with air-conditioned tents, it’s proper chill out vibes. Go to enjoy a bit of time off the grid, soak up the sun, ride camels, read your book by the pool, and generally enjoy a very different chilled out side to Rajasthan.
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