In the 16th century, traders in camel caravans crossed the mountains to the North along well trodden paths, laden with precious jewels and spices. Today's camel safaris attempt to recreate something of that spirit of adventure. The Thar desert with its vast stretches of sand, dotted with dunes and its own specially adapted shrubs and wildlife is ideal territory; the guides are expert navigators and the villages and villagers on the way add colour to an unforgettable experience if you are prepared to sit out the somewhat uncomfortable ride

The charming desert outpost of Jaisalmer is the starting point for camel safaris into the surrounding wilderness. These can be one day, one week or longer, eg. an 11-day trek to Bikaner. There are day long trips which usually include the Sam sand dunes. The usual tours take 4 days and 3 nights and are on a circuit around Jaisalmer via Mool Sagar, the Sam sand dunes and Lodurva. En-route you will pass through a few Muslim, Rajput and tribal villages, occupied and abandoned. You will see fields of hardy millet and come across flocks of sheep and goats with their tinkling bells.

Some tours cover a lot of ground in 2½ days by taking you one way by jeep with a guide, . A typical one might start from Jaisalmer at 1500 by Jeep, visiting the chhattris at Bada Bagh and a typical village on the way, before reaching the dunes at Sam (40 km) at around 1700, in time to see the sunset. You eat supper around a fire (a home-cooked meal is sometimes simply warmed up!) before spending the first night on a mattress, under the stars in a clear sky.

Next morning, after breakfast , the safari proper begins on camelback, starting with a gentle walk working up to a fast trot. Midday meal will be cooked by the camel driver on an open fire though that evening, when you stop to camp for the night, another meal from Jaisalmer is brought to be warmed up over the camp fire! Next Morning after breakfast you resume the gentle journey back to town.