A Jaisalmer Desert Safari for a family is a fantastic experience.A Jaisalmer Desert Safari for the family is an amazing experience.
There are many aspects of the desert safari marketing that can concern parents of children whether it is an appropriate trip for their children or not, a lot of them are adventurous jeep stunts over vast dunes. In reality, the majority of family desert safaris in Jaisalmer are not that intense — it’s best to be aware of what you’re booking yourself into before you depart. Here is a realistic estimate.
Which is the best sand dune?So which is the best sand dune?
Most family safaris go to both Sam Sand Dunes (more popular, developed with many more camps and facilities) and Khuri Sand Dunes (less developed, less touristy, more peaceful for families).
Sam is typically the more convenient option for families with small children: It offers more facilities, cleaner rest stops, and shorter drives to the dunes themselves.
What a Family Friendly Safari entails
Camel ride: A brief (typically 20-30 minute) guided dune ride with a handler, usually on foot. This is not a quick and rough road; it is a slow, mostly level road, suitable for children as young as 5-6 years and even very young toddlers, except that they might be slightly uncomfortable.
For older children (10+), Jeep safari is a more adventurous dune-bashing experience (optional). This can be completely omitted for families with younger children. The most important part of the safari for most families — sunset over the dunes — is no physically demanding activity at all and is suitable for all ages.
• Cultural evening: This is usually the highlight for kids as they get to see folk music, Kalbelia dancing and a Rajashtani evening of food outside the tents.
Safety & Comfort Tips for Families.
People do not realize that timing is important. Plan to be on the dunes during golden hour and sunset (3.30 – 4 PM is a good time to avoid the midday sun).
Footwear: Closed shoes are much more functional than sandals, as they tend to get awfully hot in the heat of the summer, even late in the afternoon.
Hydration: Bring extra water than needed. Desert air is dry, and children lose water more rapidly than adults, but do not necessarily complain of thirst.
Camel ride nerves: Most operators will allow you to walk with your child if they feel uncomfortable riding the camel, ask your guide before you start riding with the camel.
• Overnight desert camp stay – If you are thinking about spending more than an evening as a safari rider, make sure the camp has appropriate toilets and children’s bedding – some operators seem to have it more badly than others.
The best time of the year for a family desert safari is the rainy season from January to April and from November to December.
November through February is by far the best time, it is a nice day for cultural show and campfire and even the nights are cool enough but if the kids are going to be outside after dark they will require a light jacket, because the desert nights are surprisingly cold. Don’t go in April, May or June with young children — the temperature is usually very high during the day and it is quite dangerous, even for a short camel ride. Making it into your travels
A Jaisalmer desert safari usually requires two travel days and at least 2 days for the desert safari and this is why we prefer to do trips of 9–10 days rather than a hurry of 5–6 day trips. If you’re creating a longer trip visiting both Jaisalmer and Jaipur and Udaipur, our team at Aryan Services can help ensure that there are no travel days that can be subtracted from your safari days, contact us here to schedule your dates.