Vino Desert Safari

Sanjay Swami was a punctual, friendly and knowledgeable driver. He took us around the city and showed us wonderful Bikaner. Great service, and everyone was friendly.

The homestay is simple and homely, and the owner and his family take good care of guests. They can arrange a safari, which is a short trip to a nearby dune. Our stay was okay. The main downside was the smell of cow dung from cattle in the neighborhood; otherwise, everything was fine.

We'd had a quite nice visit to Vino Guest House / Vino Desert Safari ten years earlier, so my wife booked us another stay. We looked forward to it, but when we arrived at Bikaner Railway Station on 12th November, Vino wasn't there to pick us up. We arranged our own ride. He later admitted he'd forgotten and apologized. We were still able to join the two-day safari the following day. The safari was an okay break from the usual Indian bustle, but it felt more like a countryside trip than a desert safari. We stayed on marked paths beside fences, often near houses, and regularly came across motorized vehicles, some with loud stereos. The meal stops and overnight campsite were just outside villages, and curious locals came to stare. We had hoped for a break from that, so it was disappointing. There was no complete quiet at night either: loud music could be heard in the distance until around midnight, and microphone preaching started at 4. Blankets were provided, though they weren't especially clean, and a pillow would have been welcome. Most of the guides were okay and did their job, but don't expect stories or information about wildlife, as their English was almost nonexistent. One guide was a twelve-year-old boy who seemed unable to enjoy the quiet, liked being the boss of the camels, and made as much smoke as possible at the campfire. Since the safari was already rather expensive, I didn't tip the guides. When I tried to thank them, they deliberately ignored my outstretched hand. I did tip one older guide whose name I didn't get. He spoke English, was very friendly and had done his best to look after us. Still, I felt disrespected and left Bikaner feeling rather sad. Vino kindly showed us pictures of his son, a Bollywood actor, and played us a song he'd recorded and liked to sing. But he didn't ask how we'd found the stay or offer anything to make up for the forgotten pick-up. When we left Bikaner, he gave us directions to the railway station, but at 11 pm we ended up walking and trying to find a taxi ourselves. The guesthouse didn't feel particularly warm or welcoming. The food was okay, and though the rooms were cheap, they were in poor and very dirty condition. We did appreciate being allowed a late check-out.

A quiet, beautiful place to stay in Bikaner, with clean rooms. It's only 2 km from the railway station. We also went on a camel safari with them, which was a great experience.