Today your Rajasthan Expedition begins in earnest as we take the road past small towns and mustard fields. The highlight of the day includes a visit to a 1000 year old

step well before riding into Jaipur, the magnificent pink city. With few hours to spare, we head over to the Amber Fort Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We set off at first light to beat Jaipur’s traffic rush to wind our way through lesser known roads, past shepherds and cattle herders and with enough tea stops to share the innumerable amusing and phenomenal sightings we make.Camels and cows become common on these roads and every so often brightly attired Rajasthani’s wave past us.

Winding through the Araveli hills we reach the sacred lake town of Pushkar where after checking into our quaint and rustic guesthouse, we set out by foot to explore the ancient streets and temples around the holy lake.

By now you should be confident on your trusty Royal Enfield and navigating the Indian traffic. The smooth highway will help cover quick miles as today is the longest day in the saddle. The second half of the day will be in sharp contrast as we take an ancient back road to reach Udaipur, the “City of Lakes”. With its rich history, palaces and lively streets, it deserves a full day of soaking in the romance and charm and that is what we will do the next day.

Finally, a morning you can sleep in or take a leisurely walk around this ancient city. Connect with the friendly locals, relax in a café by the Lake Pichola, maybe shop for

miniature paintings or camel leather-bound dairies or just soak in the vibrancy of the markets. After lunch we will take a walk around the Udaipur City Palace complex, built over 400 years and then gather for an exquisite dinner by the lake.

This day takes us on small roads northward to Jodhpur, the blue city. Farmers and herds of camels punctuate our route as the Aravalli green begins to be replaced by the barren ochre of the desert. Our day concludes with dinner and two nights in a beautiful heritage palace.

Famous for the special colouring of its houses in the old city and the second largest city in Rajasthan after Jaipur, Jodhpur captivates. After some free time exploring the

massive Mehrangarh fort, you will have ample hours to explore the maze of alleys and markets in Old Jodhpur.

Today includes a long ride deeper into the Thar Desert toward the Pakistani frontier. Staying off the main roads as much as possible, we will pass camel and goat herders corralling their livestock between grazing lands. At the end of the day, we park our bikes near our tents that are pitched below the sand dunes. Replacing our riding gear with something more comfortable, we hop onto 4x4 Jeeps and drive into the dunes to behold the sunset at the western most part of the expedition. The day ends with Rajasthani traditional dinner in the open courtyard while our hosts sing songs that have sustained them and sojourners like us from time immemorial.

An hour-long ride brings us to Jaisalmer Fort where we will be staying for the night. The rest of the day is free for exploration in and around one of the few “living forts” in

the world where people have continuously lived throughout its 800year old history. No other place better evokes exotic camel-train trade routes and desert mystery.

Narrow lanes, stunning lookout points and a series of Jain temples teleport you to the middle ages.

After breakfast with our camel-herder host, we once again mount our trusty Enfield’s and turn eastward through the sandy landscapes, towards Bikaner, a dusty border town with a beautiful fort of its own.

Not yet on most tourist route, Mandawa and its surrounding towns burst with the magical site of ancient havelis, beautifully frescoed townhouses and mansions in

various states of degradation and begging for loving investment and restoration. On our final night in Rajasthan, it is apt that we stay at one of the finest and most

exquisitely restored haveli’s in the Shekhawati region.

Today we continue to ride east across miles of farmlands to reach the outskirts of Delhi. And just as the highway traffic begins to get intense, we stop for lunch. This is

where we say goodbye to our trusty motorcycles and make the final leg back to our hotel in the comfort of four wheels. We have our final meal and a round of drinks to

celebrate the completion of one of the richest experiences imaginable.