BADAL HOUSE
Near Jaisalmer
Live the simple village life of Khuri, in a place where guest is god.
Overview
Simplicity has it own perseverance and in that, there is a beauty.
Badal house is a minimalist place near Khuri, 35 km from Jaisalmer. Run by an honest man named Mr. Badal from last 30 years, his house has seen an influx of travellers from every country. Cause they felt the honesty and simplicity of this place.
कर्म तेरे अच्छे तो किस्मत तेरी दासी
(If your deeds are good enough then the destiny will follow you)
reads a saying written on this house.
NotOnMap has bought this place for those travellers who share rustic and honest stay above any homestay or resort. Everything is ordinary here, from the hut’s to the food, nothing fancy and nothing special. You can see the ancient wisdom of rainwater harvesting is being practiced here. Mr. Badal has build two storage tanks for water in the house which is used for most of household purposes. Witness a village life in Khuri, counterpart of the much crowded Sand Dunes .
Stay
Badal’s house is a simple house with 3 rooms and 3 huts.
The rooms are basic, as basic as Mr. Badal himself. For what it’s worth and what is good is the simple way of living. The mud houses are very reminder that how people in Khuri lived and still living. There are no fancy reading rooms or meditation rooms. The house has a quiet place to relax under a juniper tree. You may sit here with a book and see Badal’s livestock. But to sit here and do nothing has its own art because embracing the silence is not for everyone’s cup of tea. The kitchen is old school and every guest who is living under the shade of Badal house has to sit and eat with the family.
The huts has 2 beds each and the rooms are plus sized.
You can opt to sleep at the rooftop while stargazing. We suggest it more, as it’s a wonderful experience.
Food
As the stay is basic, so is the food. Expect nothing fancy and nothing out of the way. You eat and spurge what the family eats. The food served is purely organic food. Their homemade authentic bajre-ki-roti is as filling and healthy as their vegetable curry.
In Breakfast, you get Poha and curd with some masala chai. There is no lack of food here but if you looking for specific taste then we are sorry
Experiences
From Lazing around to walking the lanes of Khuri there are lot many things to do at this homestay in Rajasthan.
Bring your book and sit under the shades of tree to read it. Go to the nearby Khuri dunes and see a gorgeous sunset and if you fancy waking up then see the sunrise. The dunes of Khuri is far cleaner than the dunes of Sam. You can opt for camel safari at dirt cheap price from Badal house itself , or you can go near the dunes and bargain your way which is one of the best things to do in Jaisalmer.
Badal also offers night stay in the desert, where you stay like the gypsy people and sleep under the vastness of ‘Thar Desert’.
How to reach?
Khuri is a small village around 45 km from Jaisalmer.
By Taxi, From Jaisalmer station or Hanumant chaura taxis are easily available to take you to Khuri. Price as of Jan 2017 is Rs 800 for Hatchback, Rs 1000–1200 for Suv.
By Auto Rickshaw, You can also get auto rickshaws from Jaisalmer to take you to Khuri.
By Bus, It’s about a two hour direct bus ride from Jaisalmer. The bus leaves from a ‘bus station’ 100m east of the entrance to the lake, on rd ‘15’, just after it splits from Gadisar Rd. You’ll know you’re in the right place if there is a small shrine at the base of a sloping tree. Buses leave from that side of the road on a rough schedule, so you’ll have to ask. Warning — The ticket sellers on this route are particularly fond of overcharging (up to Rs 150 each way per person), by making up a fictitious ‘luggage charge’ and ‘convenience charge’. The price is currently Rs 50 each way (June 2017), so be sure to not overpay. Make sure to ask the price of the trip from other bus riders to make it easier, otherwise taking a photo of the offending conductor will often do the trick.
The bus to Khuri leaves from Gadisar lake between 9:30 am to 10 am and the return bus is approximately at 10:00 am and 2:30 pm from Khuri to Gadisar lake. The cost is 30 rupees, December 2012. To get to gadisar lake one can find, tempo rickshaw, referred by locals people from Hanuman circle for 10 rupees. Also tempos can be stopped on gadisar road which takes people to gadisar lake with same price. Alternatively taxis, private rickshaw, are also available for approximately 40 rupees from Hanuman circle to Gadisar lake. After arrival to Khuri, ask anyone about Badal stay and they will guide you towards the right direction.
What is NotOnMap?
NOM is a social driven initiative generating alternative livelihood & minimizing unskilled migration from traditional villages with age old cultural value system. This migration happens not by choice but due to lack of modern influence, lack of so-called knowledge & education, exploitation by middle man OR not been provided with their share of ‘Travel Economy’.
NotOnMap started working from those villages/houses where technology & travel influence has been minimal; and hence they have been cut off from getting their true share of economy.
While big organizations are busy protecting ancient cities, palaces & monuments; NotOnMap is protecting the current lifestyle of neglected farmers which will be wiped out with time if not given due attention. NotOnMap is protecting & promoting the cultural heritage of India by keeping Tourism at the CORE; and we are doing it by creating new “Model Villages”, creating new destination for travel & curating places which matches our conceptual belief.
LIVE LIKE LOCAL
Live Life As Lived By Locals in houses as old as 100 years.
‘One Stop Solution’ for rustic & rare destinations near any important city in India. It’s NOT for those who are looking for luxury but for travellers with ‘Hunger for Culture’ and want to Live Life As Lived By Locals.
