Rajasthan FAM Tour Report from 07-14 April

Mr. Amarjeet Singh and Mr. Veer Taneja (Manager - Inbound Tours and Strategy Marketing Department)

To All,

Amarjeet and I recently conducted a FAM tour across Rajasthan covering Mandawa / Nawalgarh, Bikaner, Nagaur, Khimsar, Osian, Jodhpur, Rohet / Mihir Garh, Jojawar, Ranakpur and Kumbalgarh. The objective of the trip was to evaluate destination strength, hotel quality, routing, experiences and practical suitability for different client profiles during the quotation stage.

Overall, the trip was very useful as Rajasthan offers a strong mix of forts, havelis, rural experiences, luxury stays and event properties. However, the destination quality varies sharply, so the below observations should help the team select the right hotel and experience based on client profile, budget, room requirement and expectation level.

Overall Highlights and Quick View

·         Strongest destinations overall: Jodhpur, Bikaner and the Rohet / Mihir Garh belt.

·         Top experiences: Bishnoi Village Jeep Safari, Mehrangarh Fort, Bikaner Old City Bazaar Walk, Mandawa Haveli Walk and Ranakpur Jain Temple.

·         Top hotels seen: Mihir Garh, RAAS Jodhpur, Narendra Bhawan, Mount Batten Lodge, Gulab Haveli by IHCL, Rohet Garh, RAAS Stepwell rooftop for meals and Ranvas for experiential heritage.

·         Weak / limited areas: Jojawar village walk, Maharani Bagh, Ranbanka Palace, Kumbalgarh for foreign FITs, and Midway Haven.

Midways and Route Stops

The midway infrastructure is mixed. Good comfort stops should be selected carefully, especially for foreign clients where clean washrooms and decent seating matter.

Mandawa / Nawalgarh

Overview Opinion: Mandawa is a small Shekhawati heritage town focused on painted havelis, old courtyards and walking exploration. It works best as a 1-night cultural stop, not as an activity-heavy destination.

Key Highlights:

·         Nawalgarh Poddar Haveli is a good enroute heritage stop with fresco work and storytelling, though the museum is average.

·         Mandawa heritage walk is the core experience - compact town, havelis, Ladia Well and Chokani Twin Haveli.

·         Market is okay for a walk but should not be oversold as a shopping destination.

·         Holi or group events can work well if planned around Vivaana Culture.

Hotel Inspection:

Bikaner

Overview Opinion: Bikaner is a strong and practical heritage destination with a beautiful fort and authentic old city experience. It works well for 1 night and can be stretched to 2 nights for clients interested in deeper city walks and hotel experiences.

Key Highlights:

·         Junagarh Fort is a must do - very well maintained, strong stories, rich interiors and arms collection.

·         Old City Bazaar and Haveli Walk with auto ride is a highlight - spices, bangles, sweets, vegetables, havelis and local life in one compact walk.

·         Camel Breeding Farm is interesting but optional; best time is around 3 pm when camels return in a group.

·         Narendra Bhawan and Laxmi Niwas Palace hotel history walks are useful experiences to include.

Hotel Inspection:

Nagaur / Ranvas

Overview Opinion: Nagaur works best through Ranvas, which is a large restored fort experience rather than a typical city stay. The arrival drive, restored ruins and multiple event locations make it a strong experiential heritage product.

Key Highlights:

·         Ranvas fort walk and small museum are useful while staying at the property.

·         Lamp-lit dinner setup is a strong evening experience.

·         The property is spread over 30 acres with restored ruins and multiple havelis.

·         Good for small groups, luxury-leaning heritage clients and event possibilities.

Hotel Inspection:

Khimsar

Overview Opinion: Khimsar is good for relaxation and a fort-plus-dunes combination, but it has limited external sightseeing for foreign guests. The best use is to combine Khimsar Fort during the day with Khimsar Dunes for sunset.

Key Highlights:

·         Khimsar Fort has good food, spacious rooms, pool, spa, indoor games and vintage car / superbike collection.

·         Khimsar Dunes is 7 km away and gives a semi-luxury desert stay with huts, bar, restaurant, bonfire and waterbody.

·         For foreigners, use as relaxation or as a fort plus sunset dunes experience.

·         Strong for groups and MNC events due to large event spaces.

Hotel Inspection:

Osian

Overview Opinion: Osian works as an experiential desert and event stop, especially through Reggie's Camel Camp. The property has a memorable arrival and strong event possibilities, though the sundowner setup needs quality improvement.

Key Highlights:

·         Camelback entry from main fort gate to hotel is a strong arrival experience.

·         Dune sundowner includes jeep transfer, short camel ride, food and alcohol setup.

·         Folk culture, jazz music and courtyard fire experience can be organized.

·         Venue has already hosted a large royal wedding of around 800 attendees.

Hotel Inspection:

Jodhpur City

Overview Opinion: Jodhpur is one of the strongest destinations on the circuit with Mehrangarh Fort, the blue city walk, stepwell and strong luxury / upper-mid hotel inventory. It works very well for foreign clients and should be treated as a core Rajasthan destination.

Key Highlights:

·         Jaswant Thada is clean, well maintained and convenient next to Mehrangarh Fort.

·         Mehrangarh Fort is a must do - well managed, clean, great stories, views from the top, shops and cafe.

·         Old City Walk is a must do - blue city, stories, old shops, local life and auto ride to Clock Tower.

·         Clock Tower and Stepwell are good short stops, with shops around the stepwell.

Hotel Inspection:

Rohet / Mihir Garh

Overview Opinion: This belt was one of the biggest highlights of the trip because the experiences were authentic and very well executed. Rohet Garh and Mihir Garh can be used as primary stays, with clients visiting Jodhpur from here.

Key Highlights:

·         Jeep Safari to Bishnoi Village was one of the top experiences - well executed, clean spacious jeep and quality guide.

·         Bishnoi home visit, Brahmin village opium ceremony, pottery demo and black buck spotting made the experience complete.

·         Mihir Garh gives ultra-luxury suites in the Thar with private pools and excellent food.

·         Rohet Garh gives a beautiful heritage stay with strong rural experiences.

Hotel Inspection:

Jojawar

Overview Opinion: Jojawar is a quiet rural stop but did not feel very appealing overall. The train ride is pleasant and short, but the village walk and hotel experience are average and should be used selectively.

Key Highlights:

·         Rural Train Ride is a nice 1 hour old-style train journey with mountain views.

·         Hotels should organize tea / coffee / sandwiches on the train to improve the experience.

·         Jojawar village walk felt average and nothing stood out strongly.

·         Use only for 3 star / rural routing needs, not as a highlight destination.

Hotel Inspection:

Ranakpur

Overview Opinion: Ranakpur works well as an enroute temple stop and, with the right hotel, as a luxury experiential stay. Ranakpur Jain Temple is beautiful, clean and easy to include enroute.

Key Highlights:

·         Ranakpur Jain Temple has beautiful architecture, neat upkeep and good parking.

·         Mount Batten Lodge is the clear standout luxury product in Ranakpur.

·         Experiences around Mount Batten include leopard safari, horse safari and forest walk.

·         Maharani Bagh is not recommended despite greenery and lawns.

Hotel Inspection:

Kumbalgarh

Overview Opinion: Kumbalgarh is more hotel-driven than experience-driven and has become a wedding destination, especially for Gujarati domestic tourism. The hill drive is scenic, but for foreign FITs the destination must be used carefully.

Key Highlights:

·         Drive to Kumbalgarh is scenic with a good hill section.

·         Many new hotels are coming up and the town is strongly event / wedding driven.

·         Raajsa Taj and Radisson Blu are clean branded resorts but domestic heavy.

·         Aodhi has a sweet heritage vibe but maintenance has gone down.

Hotel Inspection:

Final Recommendation Summary

·         For luxury FITs: Mihir Garh, RAAS Jodhpur, Narendra Bhawan, Mount Batten Lodge and Gulab Haveli should be prioritized.

·         For experience-led Rajasthan: build around Jodhpur, Rohet / Mihir Garh, Bikaner and Mandawa.

·         For events and groups: Vivaana Culture, Castle Mandawa, Narendra Bhawan, Laxmi Niwas, Ajit Bhawan, Ranvas, Khimsar Fort, Reggie's Camel Camp, Raajsa Taj and Radisson Blu are relevant depending on segment.

·         For caution / avoid: Midway Haven, Vivaana Museum as primary stay, Maharani Bagh, Ranbanka for foreign clients, Jojawar as a highlight destination, and Kumbalgarh for foreign FITs unless routing requires it.

Udaipur

Overview Opinion: Udaipur remains one of the strongest FIT destinations in Rajasthan because of the lake setting, heritage hotels, walkability around the old city and strong palace / lake experience. Works extremely well for foreign FITs, couples and luxury-oriented Rajasthan programs.

Key Highlights:

·         Lake Pichola area remains the core attraction and best hotel zone.

·         Most boutique heritage hotels near City Palace and Jagdish Temple work very well for walking exploration.

·         Ambrai restaurant at Amet Haveli is a major strength because of the direct lake and City Palace views.

·         Jagat Niwas and Amet Haveli both offer strong heritage charm and lake-facing experience.

·         Udaipur works best as a 2–3 night stay destination.

Hotel Inspection:

I hope you will find this information useful. Please feel free to reach out if you need any more details or destination-specific recommendations.

Veer