Another day, another early start. This time the local bus was waiting for us in front of the hotel, which made the commute easier. It was still cold but not as cold as the local train. The chair were very comfortable also and between sleeping and snaking on Chocopie biscuits, the 8 hours ride from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur passed faster.
Prepare your trip to India with the Lonely Planet guides. Click on the photos see the more details:
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We arrived in Jodhpur in the afternoon and we didn’t have a lot of time before arriving to the hotel and leaving for the Mehrangarh fort. We were to have only half a day in the second biggest city of Rajasthan and the plan was to zip-line at sunset. I hesitated because of my fear of flights but in the end I told myself that it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to “fly” above a fort in India so I did it.
The zip-line centre is located inside the fort and by doing this at sunset you get to wonder around a bit alone, without the tourists inside, at the end. Flying Fox has been operating in Jodhpur for over 10 years now and they appear even in the Lonely Planet as one of the best activities in the area. They have 6 zip-lines that sum 300 meters in total and pass over 2 lakes. We also trekked through the Rao Jodha eco-park while going from one zip-line to the other and enjoyed stunning views of the fort. The adventure comes with a high prices though, 1800 rupees, which for India is a fortune.
The training was simple and fast, we got to test how the equipment works in a beautiful garden, between two trees. Then we climbed some stairs and arrived on an edge of the fort, our starting point. The first line was going over a lake and the distance to it was pretty high. My heart was jumping out of my chest and my hands were already sweaty. I waited and see how everyone else was going while I couldn’t seem to get the courage to be next.
And there is was…. my turn. I didn’t think I got the chance to take a deep breath as the guide pushed me and the journey begin. I screamed and then I opened my eyes and saw the beautiful sights around. It felt that I was sliding very slow, even if it probably took less than a minute to get to the other side.
I started to get used to it by the last line, which took us back to the fort. It was a great experience and an awesome feeling!
At the end we enjoyed the sun setting down over the city. About Jodhpur I can’t tell you a lot due to the fact that we only spent an afternoon there. It is not known why the city is painted blue: some people believe that the color is associated with the Brahmin Caste, India’s priestly caste, and the people living in the blue houses belong to it; other people believe that painting the house blue was a way to keep termites away, due to the chemicals in the paint.
Our guide mentioned that a scene the Batman Dark Knight Rises was filmed at the fort.
*Pictures taken with Samsung Galaxy S4
wow this must be a real fun! I have never tried ziplining before but I would love to try it soon… I just love all your shots here… I can visualize how great it feels like viewing the stunning city while on a zipline! thanks for sharing your experience with us
Holy smokes this place looks absolutely beautiful!!! What a fun adventure! Definitely adding this to my bucketlist!
As if ziplining isn’t adrenaline rush-inducing and exciting enough, you had to do it in the Blue City! I’ve heard a thing or two about the beauty of its architecture before, but it looks really distinct and out of this world from your photos.
ooooh ziplining during sunset ? A wonderful and unforgettable experience indeed. ? Cheers to more adventures ?
Your pictures are amazing! Captured the beauty I imagine India to be. I don’t like heights at all, but I always push myself out of it so I can experience things like this. It looks like an amazing thing to do 🙂
Whenever I visit your page I can’t help but envy you. All the beautiful sights you seen, your pictures are breathtaking like they say a picture paints a 1000 words. It’s so important to retain some of our history for future generations to benefit. One thing I love about India is it’s history it’s still so present and they cherish it.
The architecture of establishment/building is a masterpiece. The place looks magnificent, it’s perfect for zipline.
The pictures are absolutely breathtaking, I never thought India was so beautiful definitely on my list now. And big bravo for conquering your fears, i am also scared of heights but I would love to do zip lining.
Love the pictures, it feels like I am almost with you in your trip. This is lovely experience.
Wow this looks beautiful. Such wonderful photos too. This is something I’d love to do one day.
Ami xxx