Les meilleurs hôtels à Jaisalmer

Perched on the edge of the Thar Desert, Rajasthan''s second largest city was once known as Marwar, the Land of Death, because of its harsh desert climate. Today, with its jumble of bustling, narrow streets and colorful bazaars clustered around the old city''s tall clock tower, modern-day Jodhpur is truly a fascinating place to wander and definitely worth a little desert grit in the eye. Founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, the city flourished as a trade center in the 16th century and gradually grew around the stunning Meherangarh Fort that looms above the old city atop a 125-meter sandstone bluff. With its luxurious palaces, massive gates and breathtaking views, Meherangarh is one of Rajasthan''s most impressive remnants of its turbulent and decadent past. Today it houses the Meherangarh Museum. From Jodhpur, travelers can explore rural Rajasthan and its desert villages, where the rare black buck, an antelope indigenous to the region, is protected by the Bishnoi people, a local tribe renowned for their environmental concern. In desert dwellings, visitors can taste traditional foods and purchase Bishnoi handicrafts. Also near Jodhpur is Rajasthan''s largest group of early Jain and Hindu temples on the outskirts of the small oasis, Osian.