India: Jaisalmer – Jaisalmer Fort
Moving west. The beautiful “golden” city of Jaisalamer just 100km from Pakistani border in the heart of the Thar Desert is truly breathtaking. Everything here is made from yellow sandstone – every single building and wall is yellow and there is also yellow desert dust everywhere so the entire city seems like a mirage (very foggy weather added to this illusion). And then there is the absolutely surreal and magnificent ancient Jaisalmer Fort towering above the yellow city. The fort was built in 1156 and it’s a city within a city. To this day, it is populated and people live in it, making it the only “living” ancient fort in the world. The fort is 1500x750ft long (460x230m) and sits on a hill that is already 250ft high. Massive thick golden walls rise further 15ft. There are 99 bastions and four gateways and steep road up into the fort. Inside, there is the Raj Palace, many temples, and plenty of beautiful ancient haveli sandstone houses, all exclusively carved. You can stay in several heritage hotels inside the fort (and I did – literally in one of the bastions) and explore all the walls, towers, and rooftops at will – one of the most incredible experiences of a lifetime.
