A trip to Rajasthan’s oldest living fortified city of Jaisalmer is like taking a step back in time to the days of the Arabian knights. The first thing any visitor to the ‘Golden City’ will notice is the impressive yellow fortress woven into the top of the hill that dominates the centre of Jaisalmer. The Golden Fort, as it’s known due to the yellow sandstone used to build the fortress, still has a quarter of the city’s population living in it and is by far the highlight of a visit to this city. Within the fort are some of Jaisalmer’s most important historic and religious sites, as well as a living tapestry of what life could have looked like a thousand years ago when the city was a major stopover along the classic Asian caravan routes.

Today, the Golden City keeps itself going primarily through tourism, although it also acts as the hub for traditional handicraft production in Rajasthan. Wandering the bazaars in the fort will give you myriad lasting memories, and provide more photo opportunities than you can handle. Frequently called a ‘museum city’, Jaisalmer’s narrow cobbled streets are lined with timeless haveli houses, palaces, temples and traditional shops. The city and the fort are easily covered by foot, making this one of the best pedestrian cities in India.

After you’ve explored the fort, head out of town to experience the reality of life at the edge of the Thar desert. Sam Sand Dunes is a good place to start: amid endless waves of sand dunes, visitors can take a camel trek or just absorb the great emptiness of the desert. Gadsisar lake, with its pleasant blend of nature, water and ancient Jain temples, is another must-see.

Jaisalmer is a great destination any time of the year – except perhaps the blazing hot summers – but the city really kicks into gear in January and February when the annual Camel Festival and Desert Festival bring the town to life. Good food, a wide range of comfortable hotels and a decent tourism infrastructure make Jaisalmer a superb travel destination for those seeking to experience another facet to the gem that is India.

The legend behind Jaisalmer is that Lord Krishna, head of the Yadav Clan, declared that a future descendent of this family would someday build a remarkable kingdom atop Trikuta Hill. The prophecy came true in 1156 when Rawal Jaisal, a member of the Yadav Clan, established the city of Jaisalmer on that exact hilltop.

Like something out of an Arabian Knights tale, Rawal Jaisal built a strong fortress atop Trikuta Hill and began to levy taxes on the camel caravans travelling along the nearby route. Laden with exotic spices and precious silks, these trading caravans were en route to cities like Delhi or Sind, but had to pass directly through Jaisalmer. This strategic location continued to serve Jaisalmer well, as it laid right on the two main routes connecting India with Persia, Egypt and farther west. Even through medieval times, the original Bhatti Rajput rulers continued to control this pass, and became very wealthy by extracting levies.

Jaisalmer’s remote location also served to keep it out of the immediate interests of more powerful foreign rulers who considered it beyond the range of control. In the middle of the 13^th century the Turk-Afghan king of Delhi attacked Jaisalmer because the Bhatti Rajput looted one of his royal coffers. This siege lasted 9 years, and when it looked inevitable that Jaisalmer would fall, the Rajput women all killed themselves to avoid capture.

Duda, a son of one of the Bhatti Rajput rulers, was the local hero of this long siege with Delhi. He died in the battle, but his descendants went on to rule Jaisalmer under a new agreement with the Mughal rulers of Delhi. Eventually though, the powerful Emperor Shah Jahan gave the city of Jaisalmer to Sabala Simha as a reward for his valour in the Battle of Peshawar.

The city’s reputation as a tough customer continued into the modern era. Jaisalmer was last of the Rajputana royal clans to sign the British ‘Instrument of Agreement’, a precursor to British colonial rule. When Indian independence came in 1947, the city signed a document agreeing to stay part of the newly autonomous India. Since that momentous occasion, Jaisalmer has developed itself into western India’s cultural hub as well as a major tourist destination. With its unique scenery, vibrant trading centre and colourful history, the Golden City of Jaisalmer seems set to be a popular spot for centuries to come.

Jaisalmer is by all means a typical desert city. The climate is reliably dry, hot and dusty throughout most of the year – but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With a distinct lack of precipitation, Jaisalmer enjoys low humidity and clear skies, two factors that make nights quite pleasant even in the heights of summer.

The most comfortable weather arrives in the winter months from November through February. During Jaisalmer’s peak season, the temperatures are a deliciously idyllic 24˚C during the day under bright blue skies. At night, the clear desert air dissipates whatever heat there was during the day, resulting in genuinely chilly conditions that often drop to 7-8˚C. January and February are great months for a visit, as they coincide with the main annual desert festivals.

Jaisalmer’s long summers, which stretch from April until August, are another story. This is the least enjoyable time of year for a visit, as daytime temperatures regularly reach 42˚C and higher. Fortunately, because of the lack of rain, the clear skies allow the temperatures to drop to a more comfortable 25˚C during the nights. Even though the city lies within the Thar desert monsoon path, it rarely receives more than 15cm of annual precipitation. When it does rain in Jaisalmer, it’s a really wonderful event.