Upon traditional Marwari steeds, the Mewar Safari journeys around the main range of the low lying Aravalli Mountains of Rajasthan. Departing from Jaisamand Lake, the second largest artificial lake in Asia, the riders head off through the Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary to explore! Countless bird species can be seen and heard while occasional antelope and deer cross our paths. For the luckiest among us, leopard sightings are possible as the big cats find refuge in the sanctuary along with wild boar, wolves and the sloth bear. After leaving the shelter of the sanctuary, the terrain opens us and becomes more level. As the soil turns black and very fertile, Poppy and Opium cultivation can be seen along the way. The riders will visit the Jagat temple, famous for its exquisite stone carvings, some of which are quite in erotic nature! The Bambora Fort, Bhinder Rawla and the famous palace of Barishadri mark interesting points in the excursion. In Boheda, the riders will stay overnight in the ancient rawla of Boheda, which is in the possession of the Shaktawat family. Here they have the chance to listen to authentic family stories from the times of Jagairs and Maharajas and explore the rawla and hamlet of Boheda. The ride ends in the Sita-Mata Sanctuary, a small protected nature park around the ancient Sita-Mata Temple. Here the riders can glimpse a great number of peacocks, jungle foals, mongoose and rabbits, all of which are remarkably tame.

The terrain: Open plains with little hills, the Aravalli Range on the horizon.

Accommodation during the riding portion of the tour (in most cases) will be in a safari camp. The reason for this is that many of our routes lead through scarcely populated areas away from the usual tourist paths. Very often the night has to be spent in the nature away from human dwellings.
However, all of our campsites are chosen with great care and offer a maximum safety and superb views. Away from the busy Indian towns or villages, they are a paradise for nature lovers and bird-watchers.
Though far away from civilization, our camp offers all necessary facilities to the riders. The tents are comfortable and inviting with double or single occupancy. Each tent is equipped with beds, chairs, bedrolls, and floor covering. The camp is having both toilet and shower facilities. Hot water is provided in buckets. Towels, soaps, etc. are supplied.

Breakfast and dinner is served in our dining area, an open space with a sunroof, tables and chairs. Breakfast is Continental style with fruits of the season, eggs and toast. Lunch will be either taken as package on the trail or brought to you by Jeep. Dinner is a traditional 3-course menu of Indian food (non-spicy). Vegetarian food preparation is possible. Our camp gives a very colorful impression, reminiscent of the hunting camps of the Maharajas. The tents are made in the traditional Indian style with a roofed entrance where the riders can leave their shoes. Grouped around the dinning area they are encircled by a partition enclosure of cloth with a colorful Rajasthan pattern.

The riding style is different to both English and Western and on the spirited Marwari horse. We offer lessons on the horses prior to the ride. A couple of extra days for pre-safari lessons may make your riding experience more enjoyable. Please let Hidden Trails know if you would like to book lessons before your ride.

Let us introduce you to our special royal Marwari horses, an ancient breed of warhorses whose history is entwined with the history of Rajasthan and the Rajputs. It is rightly said that “one cannot separate a Rajput from his horse” and there is a saying: “If God did not create the horse, he would not have created the Rajput.”

This makes it quite clear what a role the horse played and is still playing in Rajasthan. The cow is holy but the horse is divine and still serves as a symbol of strength and wealth. So a visit to Rajasthan is a visit to a horse country of the finest order. In every village a fort can be found, in every village some horses can be found. And even in these poorer village horses, often thin and over-worked, one can still see a former gleam of royalty in their eyes.

The Marwari horse used to be the horse of the king and his nobles. Bred for war and show, they still display a remarkable pride and dignity. Their ears are distinctively curved inwards in a lyre-shape and often meet at the tips, which makes them unique and easily recognizable.

The fortunes of the Marwari horses changed with the ascendancy of the British in India. British officers found the Marwari to be undersized and hot tempered, so they imported shiploads of Australian Whalers who were quick, tough and inexpensive.

The Maharajas turned to luxury and extravagance and copied British ways. Instead of keeping Marwari horses, they bought expensive thoroughbreds or Australian mounts. Having surrendered their very reason d'etre, India's former kings and nobles lost a fundamental part of their soul and left their heritage and traditions behind.

After independence things did not improve for the Marwari horse, in fact the situation worsened. Being perceived as a symbol for the despised feudalism, many Marwari horses were castrated, killed and scattered. The breed was neglected for decades and few pure specimen survived.

Finally the Marwari horse was saved by its own people. Local land gentry managed to rescue a few animals and started their own breeding programs. Tourism and horseback-safaris have provided a tremendous boost to the revival of the Rajput culture and ultimately to the future of the Marwari horse. Today there are countless breeders in Rajasthan, Gujarat as well as the Punjab and the prospect of the Marwari horse looks brighter than it has for a long time.

The safari is run by a member of the noble family of Boheda Shaktwat and his wife. The Shaktawats of Boheda trace their lineage to Shakti Singh (1540-1594), brother of Maharana Pratap. By killing two soldiers who were chasing Maharana Pratap after the battle of Haldi Ghati, Shakti Singh saved his brother's life and was thus rewarded with extensive jagirs (land grants) and titles.

Day 1 Arrival in Udaipur
Sightseeing in the afternoon, visit the City Palace of Udaipur and do a boat ride on Lake Pichola in order to enjoy Udaipurs waterfront and have a closer look on Lake Palace. An overnight stay in a middle class hotel.
Day 2 Transfer to Jaisamand
After breakfast the riders are taken to Lake Jaisamand by car (about 40 km from Udaipur). Boat ride on the lake and visit to the ancient Temple in Jagat, arrival in the camp in the early afternoon and a test riding of the horses. Overnight stay in our safari camp.
Day 3 Jagat - Khurabar
Today the riders will cross the last hills of the Aravalli Mountains where they merge with the flat Malwa Plain. Horse and rider will do some climbing through canyons and along steep slopes but reach a more level countryside after lunch.
After arrival in the camp, a night safari is organized for the riders in order to spot the nocturnal animals of the region such as antelopes, deer, hyena, jungle cats and, with some luck, a leopard.
Overnight stay in our safari camp.
Day 4 Khurabar - Bambora
A great day ride through fertile farmland broken up by occasional parts of wild forest country and open wilderness. Today you will leave the Aravalli Mountains behind and descend on the Malwa Plain with its rich soil and farms. Discover the fascinating rural life of Rajasthan , where the fieldwork is still done by oxen and by hand. The village kids guard flocks of goats and sheep, greeting the riders enthusiastically with a "Namaste!", the Indian hello. Meet the women fetching water from the village well, adorned with bright and colorful saris.
Riding through this country is like a journey back into the past.
Arrival in our safari camp around late afternoon.
Day 5 Bambora - Badwei
Today the riders enter a more populated part of the Malwa Plain. The landescape is dotted with little villages surrounded by green fields and palm groves. Mighty mango trees grow along the village paths, flowering yellow and white in spring time and supplying welcomed shade for both horse and rider. Village wells are powered by a pair of oxens, slowly brining up buckets full of water for irrigating the fields.
In the early afternoon, the riders cross the small town of Bhinder. Entering through one of the rose -colored city gates, the riders can visit the vegetable market on horseback and observe the vibrant life there.
After Bhinder the countryside becomes wilder again, sometimes the Nilgai antelope can be spotted.
Today's camp will be situated near Badwei Lake, where many water birds such as ducks, teals, flamingos or kingfishers can be observed. In winter, European storks migrate to Badwei where they stay till March. Another highlight is the sighting of Sarus Cranes, one of the largest birds in India. They are regular inhabitants of the Badwei Lake. Badwei is a small paradise for bird lovers who can spot many different varieties.
Overnight stay in our safari camp at the lake shore..
Day 6 Badwei - Boheda
Another day ride through a fantastic countryside. The soil is now so fertile that Opium is grown in the small fields. It flowers between January and March, with many pretty small white flowers.
You will cross the small railway line that connects Barisadri with Mauvi once a week by steam engine. Around here the villages are much richer than anywhere else in Rajasthan, largely due to the prosperous soil. Most farmhouses sport grandly ornamented entry gates and even the bullock carts are made of attractive carved wood.
Arrival in Boheda around 4 pm. After arrival you can visit Boheda rawla, an old village fort and the ancestral home of our family.
Day 7 Boheda Sita-Mata Sanctuary - Boheda
Today you will ride through the Sita-Mata Wildlife Sanctuary, a wild and untamed piece of land, home of the last leopards of this region of India.
The wildlife sanctuary is situated far away from all touristic circuits and very few visitors find their way to this natural jewel. That is one of the reasons why it is the best place for sighting animals.
With a little luck the riders can observe in their natural habitat the cheetal and sambar deer, Nilgai antelopes, monkeys, gazelles, mongoose and many smaller animals and birds, including the majestic peacock, the national bird of India.
Return to Boheda is around late afternoon. If possible, a bullock cart ride through the village is arranged in the evening.
Day 8: Boheda - Barisadri
Another day ride through the unique countryside.
Our camp today is situated in the former garden of the Barisadri royal family. Before independence, the women used to spend their days here wandering besides jasmine hedges and sitting in marble pavilions. Today, some parts of the gardens are used for farming, however other parts of it are still grand reminders of the glorious days long gone by. After arrival the riders will visit Barisadri Palace.
Day 9: Transfer back to Udaipur
After a morning ride you will be taken back to Udaipur. In the afternoon sightseeing and overnight stay in a middle class hotel.
Day 10: End of the program after breakfast.

Other Info
Meeting: Udaipur
Airport: New Dehli - Udaipur
Transfer: Udaipur

Winter: 28.3 degree C (Max.) 11.6 degree C (Min)

Rainfall: 61 cms

Clothing: Summer: light tropical

Mewar Safari

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