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RAJASTHAN • WHERE LEVISTAY BEGAN
Rajasthan
Twelve destinations. Twelve completely different expressions of the same extraordinary state. This is where our knowledge runs deepest, our relationships are most personal, and the editorial standard behind every Levistay recommendation was first established.
THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING WE DO
Rajasthan Is Not Where We Started.
It Is Where We Stayed.
Most luxury travel platforms attempt to know an entire country. We chose a different path. Before recommending a single property anywhere else in India, we committed ourselves to understanding one state completely—its forts, lakes, desert camps, wildlife corridors, and the families who have shaped its finest hotels for generations. Four years later, Rajasthan continues to teach us something new.
Few places in the world contain such extraordinary diversity within a single region. Jaisalmer’s living desert fort shares little with Udaipur’s lake palaces. Jawai’s granite hills feel worlds apart from Ranthambore’s tiger forests, while Jaipur’s royal avenues and Pushkar’s sacred lake tell entirely different stories. Rajasthan isn’t one destination—it is many, woven together into one remarkable state.
Our twelve destinations were never selected to fill a map. Every destination earned its place individually, and several regions remain absent from our collection because we have yet to discover a property worthy of recommendation. Growth has never been our goal. Trust has.
Rajasthan is also where the Levistay philosophy was built. Our Five-Test Framework, collection system and personal booking approach were all refined here long before we expanded beyond the state. As Levistay grows, the geography changes—but the standard never does.
EDITORIALLY CURATED DESTINATIONS
Twelve Destinations. Twelve Different Stories.
Rajasthan cannot be understood through a single destination. Each place in our collection offers its own history, landscape and way of experiencing the state. Together, they form our editorial map of Rajasthan.
The golden dunes of the Thar beyond Jaisalmer city — where Rajasthan's most extraordinary camp experiences await.
Where ancient sandstone forts rise from the Thar Desert and golden dunes stretch to the horizon.
One of India's most remarkable wildlife destinations — where leopards roam freely among ancient granite outcrops and the wilderness stretches endlessly across the Aravalli landscape
India's most regal city — home to former Maharaja residences, world-class palace hotels and extraordinary heritage havelis.
The ancient seat of the Rathore rulers, dominated by the magnificent Mehrangarh Fort and the extraordinary blue-painted lanes of the old city.
Away from the twelve destinations everyone already knows, a scattering of lakes, forts and hunting grounds tell Rajasthan's story just as completely — simply without the queues.
Rajasthan's most romantic destination and home to some of India's most celebrated luxury hotels.
Rajasthan's spiritual heart — set around its ancient sacred lake and the only Brahma temple in the world.
The only hill station in Rajasthan — rising from the Aravalli Range with cool temperatures, and a landscape unlike anywhere else in the state
Rajasthan's most underrated royal city — home to magnificent sandstone havelis, an extraordinary fort and one of India's finest heritage palace hotels.
Home to a UNESCO World Heritage Fort with the world's second longest wall — Kumbhalgarh sits in some of Rajasthan's most dramatic landscape.
India's most famous tiger reserve — where the drama of wildlife encounters meets the elegance of Rajasthan's finest luxury lodges.
The Levistay Selection Process
One Framework. Every Rajasthan Property.
Whether we’re evaluating a legendary palace in Jodhpur, a luxury desert camp in Jaisalmer or a wilderness lodge in Jawai, the questions never change. Geography may shape the experience, but it never changes our standard.
01.
The Story Test
Every remarkable Rajasthan stay has a story rooted in its place—whether royal, cultural or deeply personal. If we can’t tell that story with conviction, it doesn’t belong in our collection.
02.
The Destination Test
A great Rajasthan hotel should feel inseparable from its surroundings. Remove it from the desert, the lakes or the hills, and the experience should lose part of its meaning.
03.
The Experience Test
We look for experiences that simply couldn’t happen elsewhere—from sleeping beneath the Thar stars to tracking leopards through Jawai’s granite hills or dining inside centuries-old palaces.
04.
The Luxury Test
Luxury goes beyond beautiful rooms. We look for intuitive hospitality, thoughtful service and experiences that justify every expectation of a discerning traveller.
05.
The Pride Test
Before recommending any property, we ask one final question: would we confidently recommend it to the people whose opinion matters most to us? If the answer isn’t immediate, it isn’t listed.
If a property fails even one test, it doesn't become part of our collection. No paid placements. No exceptions. Every recommendation must earn its place.
RAJASTHAN IN NUMBERS
The Numbers Behind an Extraordinary State
Behind every palace, desert and wildlife reserve is a story told through scale, history and culture. These numbers reveal why Rajasthan remains one of India’s most remarkable destinations.
2
UNESCO World Heritage inscriptions, spanning seven sites
Six hill forts and the Pink City of Jaipur — recognised not for one monument, but for an entire architectural language that still defines the state today.
70%
Of India's entire camel population
More camels live and work in Rajasthan than anywhere else in the country — animals still central to desert transport, trade and the Pushkar Fair itself.
7
Distinct schools of miniature painting
Mewar, Kishangarh, Bundi and others each developed their own colour, style and subject — one state producing seven entirely different visual traditions.
50+
Leopards living alongside villagers, with no fences
Jawai's granite hills hold one of the only places on earth where wild leopards and shepherd communities share the same open landscape, daily, without conflict.
19
Former princely kingdoms, unified into one state
Before 1949, Rajasthan was a patchwork of independent royal courts — which is why no two forts, palaces or traditions here ever look quite the same.
342,000+
Square kilometres, India's largest state
Roughly the size of Germany — large enough to hold a desert, a hill range, a wetland and a tiger forest, often within a single day's drive.
100+
Forts and palaces still standing across the state
From single-room outposts to entire walled cities, Rajasthan's rulers built more fortified architecture than almost anywhere else on the subcontinent.
∞
Twelve destinations, twelve completely different landscapes — and we are still discovering new reasons to recommend going further into the state we call home
Every reason to go further — we are to make it happen.
HELPFUL INFORMATION
Planning Your Rajasthan Journey
Everything travellers frequently ask before exploring Rajasthan with Levistay—from choosing the right destinations to planning the ideal itinerary.
For a first visit, three destinations across 10 to 12 nights allows genuine depth without rushing — typically a desert destination like Jaisalmer, a lake city like Udaipur, and either Jodhpur or Jaipur. Returning guests often add Jawai or Ranthambore for wildlife.
This page covers our founding collection — twelve destinations within Rajasthan, where our expertise is deepest and most personal. Beyond Rajasthan covers our newer expansion into seven further regions of India and beyond. Both follow the exact same curation standard.
Udaipur is our most frequent honeymoon recommendation for its lake palaces and romantic skyline, though Jaisalmer’s desert camps offer a more adventurous alternative for couples who want something less conventional.
Jawai offers something Ranthambore cannot — leopards living openly alongside shepherd communities with no fences separating wildlife from daily village life. It is a fundamentally different and rarer experience than a fenced reserve.
Distances vary significantly — Jodhpur to Udaipur is around 4 hours by road, while Jaisalmer to Jaipur is closer to 8 hours. We typically recommend internal flights for longer hops and private transfers for shorter ones, and we coordinate this as part of planning your journey.
Not yet, and we are honest about that. Some destinations like Jaisalmer and Udaipur have strong representation across Signature, Privé and Escapes. Others currently have fewer tiers represented because the right properties have not yet met our standard at every price point.
Dechu is a quieter desert destination near Jaisalmer’s dune system — an alternative for guests who want the Thar Desert experience away from Sam’s higher visitor traffic. We recommend it specifically for guests on a return visit to Rajasthan who have already experienced Sam Sand Dunes and want something more removed.
First-time visitors typically combine Jaipur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer for the broadest introduction to Rajasthan’s architecture, lakes and desert in one circuit. Returning guests often gravitate toward Jawai, Bikaner or Dechu — destinations that reward a second, slower visit once the major cities are already familiar.
Yes — this is increasingly common among our guests. A typical combined journey might pair Jaisalmer and Udaipur with a Kerala backwater stay, or Jodhpur and Jawai with a few nights in the Himalayan North. Tell us your full journey and we will coordinate it as one seamless itinerary.
Largely no — October to March suits all twelve destinations well. The one exception is Mount Abu, which stays pleasant through the summer months when the rest of Rajasthan is at its hottest, making it a good addition to a circuit planned outside the typical October–March window.
SPEAK TO A SPECIALIST
Planning a Journey?
Tell us your preferred destinations, travel dates and the experiences you're looking for. Whether you're planning your first Rajasthan journey or returning to discover another side of the state, we'll help create an itinerary designed entirely around you.
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Rajasthan
BEYOND RAJASTHAN
Rajasthan is where we learned what curation actually means. Everywhere else we go — we take that lesson with us.
PERSONALLY CURATED
Every Rajasthan Journey Is Designed Around You.
No two travellers experience Rajasthan in the same way. Whether you’re dreaming of palace stays, desert landscapes, wildlife encounters or slow cultural journeys, we’ll personally curate an itinerary that reflects how you love to travel.