Rajasthan has quietly become India’s favourite place to start a new year. Where to go, what to book and how to do it without the crowds. Last December,…
Last December, flight bookings to Rajasthan rose by around 35 percent on the year before, more than double the growth seen for Goa. Travellers are trading beach parties for forts, fireside music and desert skies, and we understand why. December days are clear and warm, around 22 to 26 degrees, and the nights are cold enough for a fire. The light is soft, the sandstone glows and the cities are at their liveliest. It is the one season when every part of the state is comfortable. A night in the dunes outside Jaisalmer is the most memorable way to see in a new year. Camps near Sam and the quieter Khuri dunes host dinners under the stars, Manganiyar musicians and a fire that burns past midnight. Desert nights drop close to freezing, so a camp with proper bedding and heaters matters more than a big stage. Udaipur is the romantic choice. Rooftop dinners over Lake Pichola, a boat at sunset and the City Palace lit up at night. It suits couples and families who want celebration without noise. Jaipur draws the biggest New Year crowds, and with reason. Amer Fort, Nahargarh at sunset and the old city bazaars make a full few days. Stay in a heritage haveli rather than a party hotel and the city feels calm even in its busiest week. If you can stay on, the Jaipur Literature Festival usually follows in late January. Our favourite winter loop runs Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur over seven or eight nights, with New Year’s Eve in the dunes. Trains and private cars both work well; the long drives are part of the pleasure. Desert camps and heritage hotels for 30 and 31 December fill months ahead, and prices climb through November. If you are reading this before December, it is the right time to decide.