Sujan The Serai

a traditional and elegant tented camp

Set in a rural position around 30 km to the east of Jaisalmer in the west of Rajasthan, Sujan The Serai is a wonderfully polished and intimate property.

This upmarket tented camp sits on a large 40 hectare (100 acre) plot of desert scrubland. It is designed to imitate the kind of lavish caravans that used to be used by royalty when travelling through Rajputana.

Whilst the property can certainly be used as a base from which to explore the local area, the focus here is very much on relaxation, with a stay here often being included at the end of a busy exploration of Rajasthan.

The property therefore includes a large swimming pool and an extensive spa facility, with regular yoga and meditation sessions. A range of gentle activities in the immediate vicinity combine to provide a subtle and elegant safari experience.

The property is a member of the Relais Chateaux portfolio.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Sujan The Serai is in 21 luxurious tented rooms, similar in style to the safari tents of East Africa, pleasantly decked out with military-style campaign furniture, with large four-poster beds and air-conditioning.

All rooms are designed for two adults, but can usually accommodate a third adult or two children.

• Luxury Tent : x14 : These entry level rooms are large, stylish and spacious.
• Luxury Tented Suite : x6 : The Luxury Tented Suites each have a heated plunge pool in a private garden.
• Royal Tented Suite : x1 : The much larger Royal Tented Suite has its own spa, outdoor pool, dining and lounge tents, all contained within a large walled enclosure.

Activities

Sujan The Serai offers a range of guided activities …

• historic tours
• desert explorations
• cultural interaction
• artisan craft activities
• spa treatments

The Rajasthan region is usually explored as a private-guided overland safari, starting and ending in Delhi.

We often start these trips by flying from Delhi to either Udaipur or Jodhpur in the south, which are more rural and relaxed, before weaving a route north by road back to Delhi.

Jaisalmer is a long way to the west and therefore only tends to be included in very long trips. We usually start by flying from Delhi to Jaisalmer, then work our way back through Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur and various rural stops in between.

Seasonality

The best time of year to visit the Jaisalmer area is generally considered to be during Oct-May, although the conditions here are arguably more favourable to year-round travel than most parts of northern India, thanks to the low rainfall and humidities.

October is the transition period between the end of the monsoon rains and the start of the cool dry season. During the month the daytime temperatures usually rise to around 31C/88F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures drop to around 11C/52F. However the rainfall usually drops away completely. Sunshine is around 10 hours per day (around 90% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are usually clear.

Nov-Feb is the main cool dry season. During this period the daytime temperatures usually rise to around 25C/77F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures plunge to around 5C/41F. There should be virtually no rainfall. Sunshine is around 9 hours per day (around 90% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are usually clear.

During February Jaisalmer hosts a Desert Festival, in which there are various camel races and colourful cultural events, including the famous fire-dancers.

Mar-May is the hot season, the often uncomfortable build-up to the main monsoon. During this period the daytime temperatures can climb steeply to around 37C/99F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures are up around 23C/73F (much alleviated by lower humidities than in most areas). Rainfall usually remains almost negligible. Sunshine is around 9 hours per day (around 85% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are usually clear.

Jun-Sep is the main monsoon season and is generally considered to be the least favourable time to visit, although the rainfall here is far lower than in most areas. During this period the daytime temperatures drop off slightly to around 40C/104F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures remain up at a stifling 26C/79F (made all the more uncomfortable by the increased humidities). Rainfall only climbs to around 50mm (2”) per month. Sunshine drops to around 8 hours per day (around 60% of daylight hours), meaning that skies can remain overcast.

Getting there

The Jaisalmer area is usually reached by road, connecting into trips as follows …

• Jaipur : 500 km to the east
• Jodhpur : 225 km to the southeast

only tends to feature in very long trips