Jodhpur eating
Love Travel Guides truly are beautiful and it is like being shown around by a good friend who introduces you to all the best spots.
However, while all inclusions are high quality experiences, some can be quite expensive, so it’s good for the travel toolkit, but best used in conjunction with other guides and tips.
Sharrell Cook does a good job of describing and appreciating the Love Travel guides. In fact her GoIndia website is very useful in lots of ways.
Best of the West – Highlights of West India Foodie Itinerary Ideas
Mumbai
Why Go?
Workers from across India, seeking to make it ‘big’ in the bright lights, bring authentic regional food to Mumbai including India’s best range of creative street food (like Vada Pav, Behl Puri and Pao Bhaji).
Try Parsi cuisine, originally from Persia…most fun at Britannia and Co.
Don’t miss the dabbawallah unwritten delivery system that takes thousands of home cooked lunches to workers every day.
Visit local food markets and Sassoon Dock fish market.
All set against stunning colonial architecture…and surprisingly innovative and creative high density living in Mumbai’s many ‘slums’.
Check out:
Reality Tours and Travel – Excellent, great value tours around Mumbai that include the famous Mumbai street food, the dabbawallah delivery system and a socially responsible, sensitive Dharavi slum tour.
Where to Stay?
Colaba is the best area to stay, and a night in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel (while quite expensive) is a once in a life time experience.
Another good spot in Colaba is the Ascot Hotel – more budget friendly prices, but still an excellent location.
How to get there?
Mumbai is a major airport in India and good airlines often have specials. Check out Singapore Airlines for regular specials.
Jodhpur
Why Go?
Dine with fantastic rood top views of the mighty Mehrangarh Fort and beautiful ‘Blue City’.
Head to the clock tower to try regional snack food favourites including the famous rich lassi, have lunch with a local village family and experience a delicious Rajasthani thali at Gypsy Dining Rooms.
Where to Stay?
But also consider Castle View Home Stay for an amazing view, very thoughtful and kind host and great prices.
How to get there?
Mumbai to Jodhpur return $186 Jet Airways (online booking).
Jaisalmer
Why Go?
Dine roof top on the massive, sandcastle-like fort that rises out of the desert, above this ‘Golden City’ and enjoy regional Rajasthani dishes in between visiting gorgeous havelis and perhaps enjoying a camel safari.
Where to Stay?
Gorgeous, well priced rooms with window seats, each a different colour and lovely roof top spot for drinks and breakfast.
How to get there?
Hire a good sized car (e.g. Toyata Innova) from one of the many car and diver businesses.
(About 4.5 hours from Jodhpur. Stop for a snack or lunch at Manvar Resort and Desert Safari Camp or Samsara Resort long the way).
Goa
Why Go?
A distinct Portuguese influenced cuisine in a setting of post colonial architecture featuring whitewashed churches and colourful villas as well as beautiful beaches.
Lunch at a spice plantation, visit local Mapusa market on a Friday and marvel at the lush greenery of rice paddies and coconut palms.
Where to Stay?
Anjuna
(home to the famous Wednesday Flea Market)
or Marbella Guest House (Candolim)
How to get there?
Mumbai to Goa return $152 Jet Airways (online booking).
Worth a stop, en route between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, is Pokaran Fort. It’s a good spot to enjoy meeting fellow local tourists and stretch your legs.
Suryagarh Hotel, 16km out of Jaisalmer, is beautiful, but isolated in the desert.
While rooms can be quite affordable, especially in the low season, food and drink is expensive, at Australian prices.
That said, the dining is very, very memorable….and there’s a few ways to stay in budget.
Welcome drinks and snacks are amazing and extremely generous.
Then, through your stay, little treats and sweets arrive mysteriously in your room.
Breakfast is included in the room price and is incredible, including a ‘chaat bar’ (make your own snacks) and traditional Indian sweets, as well as Indian breakfast foods and marsala chai served in a variety of traditional ‘tea cups’.
The setting for breakfast is lovely and peacocks wander around the courtyard.
Dinner is silver service, glamourous and romantic in the courtyard and very, very good.
Safed chicken, rice, misi roti $AUS25 Bundi ladoo
If you have enjoyed the arrival snacks and sweets that arrive in your room, then really, one main, bread and rice is enough for two people…and helps to compensate for otherwise steep prices.
The complimentary sweets are very lovely too.
Another tip to stay in budget is to take some pre-dinner drinks and snacks out with you (a welcome tip from a fellow traveller).
Gin is $AUS3 for 750ml (a bargain)
The best way to travel between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer is by road.
The road is good and the trip takes about 4 1/2 hours.
Along the way, there are two good spots to stop for a break, conveniently located about half way.
Samsara Resort and Camp (Lunch from 12:00-15:00) Mains about $AUS 8 each, Lassi $AUS3
Manvar Resort and Desert Camp (Mains about $AUS7, Lassi about $AUS2)
Kathi rolls about $AUS6
Manvar Resort also has a lovely gift and book shop and nice accommodation (it also offers a desert luxury camp 7km away).
Umaid Bhawan Palace, just outside Jodhpur, is the current home of the royal family and very impressive.
It offers some very glamorous, but expensive, accommodation and dining…. but even if that’s not what you want, it’s well worth a visit.
While you aren’t able to go inside the residence or the hotel part of the property, for just $1, you can visit the lovely grounds and get a good feel of the art deco palace from the very good museum.
Don’t miss the delicious kesar (saffron) kulfi (ice-cream) near the entrance. It’s a lovely treat in the shade of the gardens.
There’s also a vintage car collection near the entrance, that adds to the heritage ambiance.
A good stop to combine with a visit to local villages and the Jaswant Thada Temple.
Dal and Pakwan Baked yogurt, idli
Breakfast in India, when travelling, is a great opportunity to try a wide range of regional and national specialities. Often a buffet selection of a range of Indian dishes is offered so it’s easy to try a little of lots of things. If breakfast is a la carte, usually there are one of two Indian breakfast options included. And it’s even worth trying the same dish several times as each cook has their own style.
Marsala Dosa Baked yogurt and more
Pao Keema Dal Makarni and Pakwan
Dal Chakori Poha
Poha, Puri and Sambhal, Indian sweets Marsala Dosa
Chakori, Mirchi Pakora, Samosa Poha
Goan Pao bread Besan ka cheela
Medu Wada, Aloo Bonda ,Goan breads Vegetable Xacuti, Butter Pao , Aloo Pakoda, Upma, Poori bhaji, Sambhar and coconut chutney
Aloo Paratha
Just 1km from Jodhpur city is the peaceful Jaswant Thada Temple and Rao Desert Park.
Great to include, along with Umaid Bhawan Palace in a village tour.
It’s a real treat to be the only one there, so arrive at 9am when it opens.
It’s also possible to organise free early morning guided walks in the park with a naturalist.
Call +91 951271000
A great way to see rural Rajathani life is to take one of the many trips being offered, to the villages close to Jodhpur and have lunch with a local family.
Chai with a Bishnoi family, may well involve sharing amal, an opium preparation to welcome guests.
Watching lunch being prepared and then sharing it with a local family is lovely.
There’s also an opportunity to see and buy woven rugs, dhurries in the village of Salawas.
And it’s a sad account of the tragedy involving the death of 363 Bishnoi villagers who sacrificed themselves to protect their sacred Khejri trees at the memorial at Khejadali village.
The Omelette Shop is a must do stop for street food in Jodhpur. So popular, it goes through 1000-1500 eggs a day.
Not only is it incredibly great value, at less than $1 for what is really two omelette sandwiches, but this 30 year old family run business is a real treat to visit.
Easy to find at the entrance to Sardar Market (with the clock tower in the middle), surrounded by a tuk tuk stand, the marsala cheese omelettes are highly recommended.
Fine Eating 