Camel safari, watching the sunset sitting on a dune and camping in the middle of a desert – are the three things that are common in every traveller’s bucket list while visiting Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Sam is a small village near Jaisalmer, which is popular for desert camps beside the golden dunes. When in Jaisalmer, most tourists prefer to visit Sam to spend a night camping in the Thar Desert. In contrast, few others opt to spend only the evening in a desert camp after witnessing a mesmerising sunset over Sam dunes.
There is a common saying that if you do not spend a night camping in the desert while visiting Jaisalmer, your trip is incomplete. It’s true. But the tricky thing is to plan it in a way so that you can have a memorable experience to cherish forever. And when I am saying this, trust me, it really is. More so, if you are visiting for the first time. Not because it’s hard to get a booking in a desert camp, rather you will be spoiled with choices. Yet, you will have a hard time deciding on it.
Why am I saying so?
When I started to plan our first family trip to Rajasthan months before my travel date, I was very excited about spending a night in the desert. So, I searched for hours about a perfect desert camp near Jaisalmer that suits my budget. So many questions arose while I planned for it. And all these questions made me so confused that I could not prebook any accommodation before I landed in Rajasthan.
I always pre-book my hotels while planning a family trip, and so did I for my Rajasthan trip, too, except the desert camp near Sam dunes. And the funniest part is, I could only manage the booking 2 hours before my journey from Jaisalmer to Sam.
I am indeed a last-minute decision maker in most aspects of my life. But I never booked a hotel on the spot when I travelled with my parents except for Sam Desert Camp. So I thought, the questions that came to my mind when I searched for desert camping in Sam could be the reasons that may confuse many other travellers too while visiting Jaisalmer. That’s why I decided to answer those questions one by one while sharing my camping experience in Sam in between.
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Is desert camping worth experiencing while in Jaisalmer?
Absolutely. If you are in Jaisalmer, then you must experience desert camping. Do not have any doubt about that.
If you want to visit the rolling dunes or venture out in the desert in a jeep safari or eagerly waiting for your first camel ride, or always dream of spending a night in a desert under the star-studded sky, the easiest way is to stay in any desert camp in Sam or Khuri and experience them all.
Where to go for desert camping?
There are two popular villages among tourists near Jaisalmer to experience desert camping – Sam and Khuri. You can book a tent in a desert camp in Sam or Khuri and experience the hospitality.
For adventure seekers, few travel agencies arrange open-air camping in the middle of the Thar Desert away from all the crowds. I have read a few blogs mentioning Hotel Pleasant Haveli in Jaisalmer to arrange such a desert camping trip for their guests. If you are interested, then you can contact Hotel Pleasant Haveli for more information.
Where to stay – Sam or Khuri?
Let me tell you about their location first.
Sam is 40 km west of Jaisalmer, whereas Khuri is 50 km south-west of the “Golden City”. They are in two different routes from Jaisalmer.
Sam is more popular among tourists, whereas Khuri is quite new in the tourist circuit but gaining popularity quickly.
Khuri has a few basic camping resorts, whereas Sam has all kinds of accommodation, starting from luxurious glamping to budget camping.
If you like to stay in a popular, commercial place, then Sam is your destination. But if you want to visit a less crowded and offbeat place, book a camp in Khuri.
Personally, I feel, if you are on a family trip, then Sam should be your choice. And if you are travelling solo, I will advise staying in Khuri or stretching it more; you may also consider open-air camping in the middle of the desert.
Is there any other place to visit sand dunes other than Sam?
Sam dunes are beautiful, but as the place gets really crowded during high season, you may find it congested and clamorous. The dunes in Sam are spread over an area of 3 km length and 1 km wide. But during peak season, the whole place looks like a market filled with all kinds of tourists, camel owners, camel and camel carts, local folk musicians and local vendors.
The dunes in Khuri get less crowded as they are less visited, but the dunes are smaller than the dunes in Sam.
I have read a few travelogues where it is mentioned that dunes in Sundra are much bigger and more beautiful than Sam.
Sundra is 124 km from Jaisalmer towards Munabao, which is a small town at the India-Pakistan border. Munabao is the last station in India situated on the Jodhpur-Karachi rail link.
But you can not stay anywhere near Sundra or Munabao, as there are no such facilities. However, if you want to go for a road trip to Munabao in your own car, you can visit both Sundra and Munabao on your way and then go to Barmer for a night stay.
How to book a desert camp in Sam?
There are three ways to book your stay in a camp in Sam dunes –
- online booking through travel portal or resort’s own website or through a travel agent in your city / country (best way for booking during peak season).
- from the Jaisalmer city offices of the camp resorts or from your hotel in Jaisalmer.
- after visiting the camp in Sam (always opt for this during off season or shoulder season).
Which desert camp to book in Sam sand dunes?
Now, this was the toughest part for me, as I said. In Sam, there are so many camps that you will be confused to decide one if not guided by someone who already had been there. From luxury to budget, you will get all kinds of options in Sam. In Khuri, though, there are a few tents by private hoteliers, and you don’t have much of choice.
I have mentioned a few camps below that fall in each category of luxury, mid-range and budget accommodations. We stayed in Royal Desert Camp, a budget camp near the main camping area in Sam. I didn’t have experience of staying in any other camp in Sam. This list is purely made based on ranking and feedback in the online travel portal.
Luxury Camps in Sam
Mid-Range Camps in Sam
Budget Camps in Sam
Govt. (RTDC) run accommodation in Sam
What is included in the desert camping package?
The package cost is fixed on per person basis. It varies depending on the category of the camp, services included and which season you are visiting. The desert camping package usually includes –
- Night stay in a Swiss tent/cottage (not available in ODC package, which is without night stay)
- Camel safari
- Cultural programme
- Evening snacks
- Veg or non-veg dinner
- Jeep ride over the dunes
- Buffet breakfast
- One bottle of mineral water
Some Do’s and Don’ts related to the booking in a desert camp near Sam sand dunes
Do’s
- If you are not travelling in the peak season (particularly from mid-December to mid-January), book your camp after reaching Jaisalmer.
- You should visit a few Jaisalmer city offices of Sam Desert Camps before you finally book one, if you want to get the best package rate.
- Most of the desert camps in Sam are run by hoteliers in Jaisalmer. So. every hotel manager from the hotel where you will stay in Jaisalmer, will be very keen to convince you to book a package from their hotel only. Where as many hotels do have their camps in Sam, some budget hotel owners act as a tout in search of a hefty commission. Be beware of such touts. Always make a little research yourself before you book it from your hotel.
- Always check the tariff rates from different sources and also check the Tripadvisor feedback of the camp you decided to book.
- Lastly, bargain hard. They always tell you that you are the one lucky customer who is getting so much discount. But remember where they stop their discount is the base rate that you should bargain on. Except for four weeks (the last two weeks of December and the first two weeks of January), you should always get a discount on their final rate. It can be somewhere from 10% – 40% depending on the season and your bargaining abilities.
Don’ts
- You will also encounter many touts in every single tourist point in Jaisalmer who will approach you to book a package from their camps. Avoid them. They are called “Lapkas” in the local language. They may offer you a ride to your hotel or a sunset ride to a nearby camp so that you can bargain with the camp manager yourself. Do not accept these offers.
- Don’t accept a package blindfold. Discuss every little detail before you pay for it. What kind of accommodation you will get, food options in dinner, number of mineral water bottles you will be provided at check-in, how far you will get a ride on a camel, what kind of cultural programme would be arranged and whether jeep safari is included or not in the package – every little thing should be enquired before you book a package.
- During the camel ride, the camel owner will give you a proposal to go for a ride for another km or make a round around all dunes. Beware of such proposals, these are not included in your package. They will charge heavily once you finish the ride.
- Do not leave your valuable belongings inside the tent. There are reports by tourists of things being stolen while they were outside their tents.
Camel Safari Experience in Sam
It was a memorable experience for us. The ride was for approx. 1 km distance (including return journey) from our resort to the dunes. I would not say that it was very comfortable; rather, there is every possibility of getting a bum sore if you ride for too much time.
But it was a new experience for us, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. And the view from the back of the camel was the best part and gave some unique photographic opportunities.
Just two things I must mention here. The first thing is the alternative for people who do not want to sit on the back of a camel.
Camel carts are also available if you are afraid of riding on the back of a camel or you have senior citizens and children with you. Do mention it to the agent when you book your package or talk to your camp manager beforehand if you booked the package online.
The other thing is related to photography.
If you carry your camera with you while riding a camel, always preset your camera settings before you sit and always try to sit in front to get more unique frames (usually two people sit on the back of a camel; and in my case, my wife was leading from front). You should use the camera strap to hang it from your neck or shoulder apart from holding it tightly with one hand.
Jeep ride over the sand dunes / Dune-bashing
It was another exhilarating experience for me. Jumping jeep drives over the dunes is an adventure itself. The 4×4 Mahindra Thar picked us from our camp and took us to a place a little away from Sam dunes. This place was around 5 km inside of Jaisalmer-Sam road.
The back of the jeep was open with side seating arrangements. It was hard to be seated while the car rode over the dunes, though the height of the dunes was less than that of Sam.
Standing at the back while the Jeep ascends or descends over a dune gives an adrenaline rush to young blood, no doubt, but the experience can be painstakingly miserable for the elderly and kids.
So, if you have aged persons or children with you, then tell your driver to avoid riding on dunes. And people with back problems should strictly avoid dune-bashing.
Other activities to enjoy in Sam
- Visit Desert National Park
- Village tour near Sam
- Parasailing in desert
- Quad-biking
- Stargazing in the desert
Desert Sunset / Sunrise experience in Sam sand dunes
Watching the sunrise and sunset in the Thar Desert was the best experience for us during the entire desert camping tour. Personally, I enjoyed the sunrise more as the place was a little far from the main touristy area in Sam and was less crowded. But the sunset over Sam dunes was nothing less spectacular also.
Sitting on a dune in Sam and watching the sun disappearing at the horizon while the sky changed its colour from blue to yellow to orange was a blissful experience. Then when the dark started to creep in, we went back to our resort riding on the camel. At the entry gate, we were greeted by hotel staff with a welcome tikka. And the centre stage of the campground was already set for the evening cultural programme.
On the next day, we had to wake up at 4 am to get ready by 4:30 to go for a drive to the sunrise point, which was a little away from our resort. And what a gorgeous sunrise it was. The dawn started to break gradually with the sun rays appearing from the horizon and changing the sky colour from midnight blue to pink and yellow.
We were awestruck for the next 15-20 minutes until the sun rose a little above and the sky became all blue. Finally, we felt the urge for a cup of morning tea when a small makeshift shop near the sunrise point came as our saviour. After another half an hour roaming around on the dunes, we returned to our camp by 7 in the morning.
Cultural programme in the desert camp
After we witnessed an unforgettable sunset from Sam dunes, it was time for an evening cultural programme in our desert camp. The performers were ready to start the programme. But we borrowed twenty minutes from them. So I got freshened up, quickly charged my camera battery, and returned to the open centre stage. There were comfortable chairs to sit around and enjoy the performance.
I quickly set my camera on the tripod, and then the programme started. It continued for one and a half hours. They sang a few folk songs and some popular Hindi ghazals for us. The young, energetic folk dancer performed with a few folk songs. Even my wife also joined her in one song. All in all, it was a nice time spent in our desert camp.
I would not say that I was very impressed with the programme’s quality or the variety of performances. But overall, it was fun and engaging. And the evening snacks were really yummy too.
One resort staff said they even had bonfires and a good sound system to play party music for the guests. I thanked God that there were not many guests other than us. Even thinking about loud party music in the middle of Thar Desert made me irritated. I missed the bonfire, though and wished to experience it on our next trip.
Our dining experience in the camp
We had our dinner outside the restaurant, beneath the open sky. It was a candlelit family dinner under the moonlight and the star-studded sky. The food was nicely cooked and delicious too. Apart from the traditional Rajasthani dishes like Bajra ki Roti, Dal-Bati-Churma and Gatte ki Sabji, we were also served a mouth-watering Malai Paneer and a succulent Chicken Curry.
You can also have different vegetarian dishes. In fact, few desert camps only prepare vegetarian foods at dinner. As we were strictly non-vegetarian, I specifically told them to add a chicken dish to dinner. Well, that’s the benefit of making your trip in the off-season. You always have the freedom to customise everything. Our resort staffs were pleased to help us with whatever we asked for.
How to reach Sam?
Sam is 45 kilometres away from Jaisalmer. The desert camps near Sam dunes are a few kilometres before reaching Sam village. The first camp that you will notice situated beside Jaisalmer-Sam road is the Hotel Sam Dhani by RTDC.
Kanoi is another village, 10 km before reaching Sam. The newer luxury camps are mostly located around Kanoi.
We went to Sam by the reserved car that we hire for our Jaipur-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Jaipur road trip for five days.
You can reach Sam from Jaisalmer in three ways and all by road. The ways of transport are –
- drive your own car along the Jaisalmer-Sam road and reach there by an hour.
- hire a cab or a two-wheeler from Jaisalmer and reach Sam.
- hop in a public transport (shared cab) near Hanuman Circle in Jaisalmer and reach Sam by paying as less as 50 rupees.
When should you visit Sam sand dunes?
The best time to visit Sam is in Winter from November-February. Do avoid visiting in Summer as it can be unbearably hot during summer. We went at the end of September, and the maximum temperature during the day was 450 celsius.
Even most camps in Sam only operate between September-March as told by our camp manager. Only a few luxury camps operate throughout the year.
In September/October and March, which are shoulder seasons, you will get a good discount on the package.
Whereas in late December and early January, the peak season in Sam, particularly during Christmas and Newyear, the package charges even spike up to 3-4 times the usual rate.
How many days to stay in a camp in Sam sand dunes
Most of the packages are of 1N/2D. The ODC package does not include any night stay. You can customise the package as per your need. If you want to explore the Desert National Park and the nearby villages, you need at least 2 nights to stay there.
My photographic experience in Sam
A day is not sufficient time if you want to take some good photographs of the Thar desert. You need more time to spend there. And Sam is not an ideal place for photograph dunes. Its crowded, and the texture over the dunes was very random, without any consistent pattern. I could not see many classical ripples over the dunes that can be captured in a wide frame. I read a few articles mentioning that dunes near Sundra are more appropriate for that kind of photography.
Undoubtedly, sunrise and sunset are the best time for photography. So, it’s better to check the sunrise and sunset time on your date. And double-check the alarm clock before you go to bed.
I carried my tripod with me. I used a single camera body with a standard zoom lens. And I did not use any filter or polariser for any frame. I had an external flash with me, but I hardly used it except during the cultural programme in the evening.
I would suggest carrying at least two camera bodies with one wide-angle lens and another dedicated zoom lens. Changing lenses in the middle of the desert is an absolute “No”.
And please carry one or two soft small towels with you to cover your camera whenever you are not shooting. Carrying your lens cleaning kit in your camera bag would be a great idea, and an extra battery pack if you are interested in night sky photography.
Night Sky Photography in Sam sand dunes
When I went to Sam, it was near a full moon day, and we stayed in a camp right opposite the Sam dunes. There were quite a few other camps nearby. And every camp had several high power spotlights around the boundary. So the surroundings were not absolute dark by any means. Though it was a clear sky full of stars, I could not spot anything more beyond that.
So, if you are fancy to do some night photography while staying in a desert camp in the main area in Sam, I doubt whether you will be able to get any interesting frame.
Probably staying in a camp isolated and far from the main camping area in Sam would be a better idea if you are interested in star-trail or milky-way photography. And select a date close to the new moon.
Places to see en route from Jaisalmer to Sam
- Kuldhara Village
- Khaba Fort
Mistakes that I made during my visit to Sam sand dunes
- I forgot to carry mineral water bottles from Jaisalmer. Buying a bottle inside these camps cost two and a half times of the MRP. There were no roadside shops or vendors around our camp.
- We skipped Khaba Fort because of time constraint and of course, the extreme heat between 10 am – 4 pm which made us really exhausted and drained out to enjoy much of the desert during that time span.
- I booked a camp in Sam where we were the only guests in the entire camp, Though it was off-season and there were not many tourists present over the dunes during sunset, yet I think, I should check a few more camp offices in Jaisalmer before I made my booking. Yes! initially, I was a little circumspect about it, when we came back after the sunset. But eventually, being the only guests, we got all the attention and the best services by the resort staffs. And had a wonderful time there.
Few precautions to be taken during your trip to Sam sand dunes
- Drink plenty of water. The weather in Sam is dry and extreme. The day temperature during winter is well above 200 and during summer it can reach even 500 celsius.
- Carry enough woollen during winter. Night temperature during winter may drop below 50 celsius.
- Carry your sunscreen lotion always with you.
- Wear a cap and a sunglass, particularly in summer.
- Avoid dune-bashing if you have back problems and do not encourage elderly / children to experience it either.
- Don’t venture out of your camp area at night until you have a local guide with yourself.
- Do not photograph local people, especially women, without their permission. Please respect the local culture.
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Book your trip: Resources
- Flight
Use Skyscanner or Google Flights to book your flight.
- Accommodation
Tripadvisor and Agoda are perfect for booking your hotel. If you want to stay in a hostel, then Hostelworld would greatly help you find one at your convenience.
- Travel Insurance
World Nomads is perfect for travel insurance. You can get comprehensive protection from them. Let them take care of unexpected situations while you concentrate on your trip.
- Package Tour and Activities
You can book a package tour from G-Adventures and Viator. They are a reputed company arranging small group tours and customising them per your requirements. You can also use Get Your Guide to book your private transport, city tours, heritage walks, food walks and other experiences like a cooking lesson or a Yoga session.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. You will be directed to another third-party website when you click those links. If you purchase anything via those links, I will earn a referral bonus without any extra cost to you.
Thanks
Such an informative and valuable blog you have provided to us! Jaisalmer is a best place for spending holidays with family.
Travelling gives an vulnerability to different culture, places, food, languages and people. If someone is planning for a tour in Jaisalmer, then they must experience desert camping.
Woah, Great and informative blog. Thanks for sharing great information. It is an amazing travel destination.
Amazingly explained…I was so in need of this as m planning my trip in Feb end..it will be very helpful
Thanks bud
You are welcome.
wonderful article shared by you desert camping is great expirence. if you want to book camp in sam sand dunes then marvin desert camp is great for booking.
Wow, wonderful blog. thanks for sharing great information. Jaisalmer is an amazing travel destination.
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Thanks for sharing the sam sand dunes and camp near jaislmer article and check here. best taxi service for Jaisalmer sightseeing.
Fabulous amazing place beautiful pictures sharing. Thanks for sharing this informative and comprehensive blog.