Where the desert road takes you

The living fort Jaisalmer Fort Founded in the twelfth century and still inhabited. Several thousand people live inside the walls, among sandstone houses, temples and rooftop terraces. Merchant mansion Patwon Ki Haveli Five linked mansions raised by a brocade trading family from 1805, carrying the most intricate carved facade in the city. Water and light Gadisar Lake A fourteenth century rainwater reservoir ringed with ghats and pavilions. Come at sunrise, when the birds are still on the water. The Thar proper Sam Sand Dunes The classic dune field about forty kilometres west of town. Camel and jeep safaris run late in the afternoon and most desert camps are here. Royal cenotaphs Bada Bagh Rows of domed chhatris on a ridge above an old mango garden. The last hour of light turns the whole slope amber. Twin facades Nathmal Ki Haveli Late nineteenth century, carved by two brothers working on opposite wings. The halves are almost, but never quite, mirror images. Abandoned Kuldhara Village A Paliwal Brahmin village left empty in the early nineteenth century. Roofless houses on a grid of lanes, with the temple still standing. Near the frontier Tanot Mata Temple A desert temple maintained by the Border Security Force, with a small museum of shells recovered from the 1965 and 1971 conflicts. 1971 battlefield Longewala Post The battlefield and war memorial, with armour left in place. A long straight run north west from Jaisalmer. Lake and garden Amar Sagar A garden, a tank and a restored Jain temple a few kilometres out of town. Usually quiet enough to have to yourself. Inside the fort Jain Temples A group of interlinked temples within the fort walls, built between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries and densely carved throughout. Permit required Border Viewpoint The frontier area beyond Tanot. Access is controlled and needs a permit arranged in advance, so tell us early if you want to include it.