Visiting Mandawa
Situated in the silk’s route this area is less monumental and opened to tourism, but it has plenty of naïf paintings that are starting to attract visitors.
And that means… development.
Podar Haveli Museum
The highlights of the Shekhawati region are the thousands of typical residences (havelis) with naif paintings. In Nawalgarh a palace has been carefully restored and is now a museum.
Without the splendors of the maharajah’s palaces, it surely deserves the trip, showing another India, as a passage opportunity in silk’s route.
Website: Podar Haveli
Camel Ride
There’s not much to see and do at Mandawa.
Being so, the castle provides a complimentary ride on camels (at least we had it). It’s a trip with about one hour, across the town and surrounding fields, where the most interesting thing is, really, the fun of the group joking with the uncomfortable movements of the camels.
Hotel Castle Mandawa
Hotel Castle Mandawa
1001 Nights
We were worried, when we were told that we had to leave the bus, because it couldn’t reach the hotel. The luggage was moved to a jeep, and we walked a little, across town, before entering a 1001 nights castle. We understood the hard work needed to transform the place in a comfortable hotel. Not totally succeeded, but… almost.
They tried to preserve as much as possible the old architecture and furniture, thus presenting several rooms all totally different.
There, only the air conditioned device contrasted with everything, with its modern look and noise. The heavy doors and windows were hard to close, the bathrooms were functional, and cleanliness was good in the rooms – not so much in the outdoors space, were dust was easily noticeable. The camel walk was an extra, in a interesting night in such an exotic place. And, as everywhere in India, we got no idea about the price.
