Beautiful Jaisalmer is located in western Rajasthan and has all the romance you could hope for from an ancient desert fort town.
Once a major stop on the silk road, it was an important outpost and trading center, and the fort and
havelis (spectacular homes built around open air spaces, generally built by important merchants or political figures) -- built of sandstone and looking like they are a part of the desert itself -- bear testament to the town's history. We stayed in the walls of the forts and had spectacular views of the castle inside as well as the town below. This is the view a $6 room can get ya:
We spent time wandering the alleys inside the fort where homes and shops are tucked into all sorts of nooks and crannies and converted parts of the old castle and ramparts.
We also visited an incredible
haveli built by a prime minister whose home had
served as a military outpost, storeroom, family home, and political center. The house was designed to have 10 floors, each one smaller and smaller until the top floor which was just the big guy's bedroom. Later, the king of the time, affronted by the audacious scope of the home, had the top two stories lopped off. The technology that went into constructing the building was amazing ; work with the stones was incredibly intricate as well as versatile, with secret storage places, interchangeable stone decorations, and blocks which fit together almost like Legos.
Once a major stop on the silk road, it was an important outpost and trading center, and the fort and havelis (spectacular homes built around open air spaces, generally built by important merchants or political figures) -- built of sandstone and looking like they are a part of the desert itself -- bear testament to the town's history. We stayed in the walls of the forts and had spectacular views of the castle inside as well as the town below. This is the view a $6 room can get ya:
We spent time wandering the alleys inside the fort where homes and shops are tucked into all sorts of nooks and crannies and converted parts of the old castle and ramparts. 
We also visited an incredible haveli built by a prime minister whose home had
served as a military outpost, storeroom, family home, and political center. The house was designed to have 10 floors, each one smaller and smaller until the top floor which was just the big guy's bedroom. Later, the king of the time, affronted by the audacious scope of the home, had the top two stories lopped off. The technology that went into constructing the building was amazing ; work with the stones was incredibly intricate as well as versatile, with secret storage places, interchangeable stone decorations, and blocks which fit together almost like Legos.
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