Pushkar's centre: The holy lake still attracts thousands of visitors each year

Pushkar is a small and magic place, full of whitewashed houses and winding alleys filled with a relaxed mixture of shopkeepers, tourists and sadhus. It is easy to find suitable food and accommodation, but there is not a lot to do with children. So you will have to be inventive. But nevertheless, since traffic in the village is mostly pedestrian and the air is clean, it is a good place for a visit with children - probably the most suited in all of Rajasthan.
Pushkar is said to harbour 500 temples, and when you stroll through the lanes, this seems to be a mild understatement. As the ancient epics report, Brahma long ago dropped lotus flower on earth, and where it touched the ground, a holy lake sprang up. Till now, Pushkar lake is one of the holiest bodies of water in India. And even though Pushkar is in heavy development, you can still feel the holy character of the town.
The season lasts from October to March with a small intermezzo in August, when Spanish and Italians conquer the town.

You can't get lost in Pushkar, because the village is small and stretches around the the central lake. Additionally, you can spot Savitri Temple on one of the mountains from nearly every place in town.
Buses from Ajmer stop at the southeast of the town, all other buses arrive in the north, at Marwar Bus Stand. Restaurants concentrate along the main alley around the lake, whereas accommodation is scattered all over the place.

There is not a lot to do with children. Most of the day, you will have to be inventive and play with Indian children and whatever you find around.

Camel Ride: Rinding on a Camel can be an unforgettable experience. Doing the seven-days-trip to Jaisalmer will probably be too much for every child, but a three-hours-trip in the evening can be fun. The camels start from the bridge over the lake, walk into the desert behind Savitri Mountain, have a rest for sunset and return sourrounding the mountain. You will have to pay Rs 70 per hour and camel. If you or your child doesn't want to sit directly on the camel, you could opt for a decorated cart. This will cost you around Rs 100 per hour. Several operator offer this tour, so shop around to find the most suited for you.

Price: from Rs 210

Swimming in Navatan Palace Pool: Even if you are not staying in Hotel Navatan Palace, you might use the fine and clean pool. From 11am to 6pm it's exclusively open to foreigners, and the pleasure will cost you a mere Rs 50. Children are free. Planning a swim, please have in mind that the pool has no non-swimmer-section.

Price: Rs 50

Finding accommodation is easy - as long as you don't arrive in November during the Pushkar Camel Fair, when the town is packed and prices hike up five to ten times. The town is focused on tourism and budget places are easier to find than midrange places.

Ideal for kids: Huge garden with fountains

Hotel Sun-Set: The best place to stay with children, we found, is Hotel Sun-Set, with a couple of decent rooms with attached bathroom centered around a huge garden area. The garden is well-kept and includes Hanuman-shrine, fountain and shaded sitting-areas as well as a cow-stable. The entrance to hotel and garden leads through the connected restaurant, so small children can't get lost - the staff will keep an eye.

Tel: 0145/2772382, 2772725, 09828558382 (mob)
Email: hotelsunset@hotmail.com
Price: Rs 600

Children will love the huge courtyard

Alka Guest House: Directly on the ghats, this family-run place is centered around a surprisingly big courtyard. The rooms are basic and all have common toilet/bath, since attached bathrooms are not allowed in direct neighbourhood to the lake. If you don't mind this inconvenience, Alka Hotel is a good choice for parents with kids: the courtyard is huge and shaded by a big tree, the place is quiet and peaceful and from time to time langur monkeys will visit the tree.

Address: Brahm Chowk, Badi Basti
Tel: 0145/2773082, 09460901142 (mob)
Price: Rs 200

Small, cosy and often booked: Hotel Diamond

Hotel Diamond: A small place with eight room centered around a small courtyard. Nice, quiet and cosy. Children will love the small courtyard. Towards the alley, the property is closed with a gate.

Address: Holi Ka Chowk
Tel: 09828462343 (mob)
Email: josci1@yahoo.com
Price: Rs 200 - Rs 350

Peaceful, quiet and with superb view over the lake

Hotel Lotus-A: This quiet and green, but very basic Hotel-cum-Restaurant Lotus-A offers rooms with common toilet only - as all places directly on the ghats. But the place is very green, very protected and out of the busy main part of the village. It's easy to hang out with a child there. The best and biggest rooms open directly to the lake, but you'll pay with a long way to the toilets.

Address: Parikrma Marg
Tel: 0145/2773508, 3201413, 09351290316
Price: Rs 100 - Rs 250

Tiny but cosy and a little back from the noise: Mayur Guest House

Mayur Guest House: A very cosy family place run by a caring family living next door. The 10 rooms are centered around a tiny, but immaculate courtyard and six of the rooms have attached bath. The place has it's returning fans, and one of them - to the complete surprise of the family - has even set up a website for the place.

Address: Holi Ka Chowk
Tel: 0145/2772302, 09414739551
Email: mayurguesthouse@hotmail.com
Website: www.mayurguesthouse.com
Price: Rs 150 - Rs 300

Krishna Guest House: Simple Rooms, some of them with attached bathroom, centered around a nice garden. The owners private house sits in the middle of the garden. Though centrally located, this place is completely out of the noise.

Address: near Vishnu temple
Tel: 0145/2772461, 09414666683 (mob)
Price: Rs 200 - Rs 500

Aroma Hotel: This newly renovated private hotel near the Brahma Temple stands out because of it's grass-rooftop. You can sit up there, overlook the town and the lake, see deep into the desert and have at the same time the feeling of sitting in your own garden. Some of the rooms in the upper floors have windows to both sides, and in these rooms you will be able to watch sunrise and sunset as well from your bed.

Price: Rs 250-750

While eating keep the holy status of Pushkar in mind: All places are strictly vegetarian and officially even don't serve eggs. Finding good places to eat with children is very easy since everybody caters to the western taste.

Surprisingly quiet place: Little Tibet in Pushkar

Little Tibet: Though not run by Tibetans, Little Tibet serves authentic Tibetan food, as well as Indian, Chinese, Israeli and Italian dishes. The place is shaded by a huge tree-cum-shiva-temple and despite it's proximity to the main alley it feels friendly and secluded.

Address: opp. Municipality, Sadar Bazaar
Tel: 09950391078
Price: mains 50-150

Big garden and lots of space to play

Sai Baba Garden Restaurant: Situated in an open garden space with shaded eating place, this restaurant offers something for parents and children as well: The parents can enjoy the normal Indian, Israeli and Italian kitchen, the children can play around.

Address: Opp Brahma Ghat
Price: mains 50-150

Sun-Set-Restaurant: Offering a huge menu, this restaurant seems to wait for hundreds of customers to arrive a time. They offer Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Tibetan, German and Italian food and even prepare the pizzas in a wood oven. Some of numerous places are on the terrace, overlooking the ghats and the lake. It's especially romantic for sunset here.

Address: Connected to Hotel Sun-Set
Price: mains 50-10

A pool billiard and nice view on the hills come with your food

Om Shiva Buffet: One of the better buffet places with a good view over the town. You can eat a much as you can of the Indian dishes and relax afterward at a fine game of table billiard.

Tel: 0145/2772647
Email: mukesh_pushkar@yahoo.co.in
Price: Rs 60

A restaurant that keeps it's promise: The lake-view is phantastic. The food as well.

Lake View Rooftop Restaurant: This centrally located rooftop-restaurant offers very tasty Indian food together with a good view over the lake. Unfortunately it can't be recommended for smaller children, because the handrails aren't child safe.

Address: Sadar Bazaar
Price: mains 50-160 Rs

If you want to approach Pushkar by train, the nearest railway station is Ajmer, only 11km away, but separated by a small mountain range. Regular local buses (1/2 h, 9Rs) ply from Ajmer bus stand to Pushkar. Even though Pushkar has no railway station, you can book railway tickets yourself: Counter 4 in the post office serves as railway ticket counter. Timings are 8am to 8pm and it's fully computerised.

A direct railway line to Pushkar is under construction and scheduled to be ready around 2011. Then the new train station will be to the west of the town, where the Camel Fair has it's mela ground.

Many travellers use buses to go to other places. Since bus rides in Rajasthan can be long, most private bus companies offer overnight buses, either as sitting or sleeping bus buses. For information about travelling on sleeper buses with children see the sleeper bus section. Destinations from Pushkar include: