“If it’s not an official do, then almost all the celebrities prefer to remain anonymous and change their plans even at the eleventh hour” says Khem Singh who organizes horse safari’s for tourists. “ Most of them like to be on their own, designing their own itinerary and changing it, if the media catches wind of it.”

Advanced English riding skills are a necessity, but the comfort quotient runs high: luggage travels by truck, horses are tended by grooms, meals - Indian cuisine toned down for western tastes - are prepared by a cook, and lodging is in converted palaces and the best hotels. The guides and staff are extraordinarily gracious and even the most practiced equestrians find the terrain exhilarating. Tired riders have the option of traveling by Jeep and enjoying a private safari.

Courtly Canter: Rajasthan without a horse is like a sword without a blade. There is no better way to learn the old, royal routes except on horseback, cantering through open fields and pausing at forts and temples while you stay at heritage castles.

My guide the Prince: The aristocratic Khem Singh
is a Rajput living in a fairy tale like castle in Rajasthan, that land of nobles and palaces, spectacular landscapes and warm hospitality and of course Khem’s an accomplished horseman, which makes him the ideal choice for a unique Indian holiday - on horseback.
Khem is an expert on wildlife and the history of the area, so you learn as you ride. The horses are easy to handle and really need little guidance

Ghanerao Tours is outfitting exclusive vacations on horseback. The safari’s operating around Udaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan propose a unique way of touring a state rich in culture, heritage and art forms.

What better way to experience the vast spaces of Rajasthan than on horseback? All you need to be is a keen rider possessing a penchant for the outdoors. And if that’s your beat, take this exotic holiday – a horse safari in the Aravalli foothills.

On a hill we see a temple, it’s purple and blue spirals splashed onto an onion dome. Painted with elephants and flowers, it is home to Ganesh - the Elephant God.
Tribes and villagers revere all nature”, Khem tells us. “ Snakes, cows, monkeys and peacocks are all considered as well as the Gods.”
We gallop through the sunshine, making tracks across the dusty plains and revelling in the space and freedom.

40 Trips that will change your life: Rajasthan Often the best way to discover a land and it's people requires a slackening of pace. A horse safari through Rajasthan provides the perfect example. The horses you ride are pure bred Marwari or polo ponies from the stables of the noble houses of Marwar and Mewar.
On the road the rider is exposed to historical palaces and forts of cities like Jodhpur. Travelling through the Bishnoi tribal belt adds an anthropological element to the joumey where one encounters the eco-conservationists of the desert You further encounter farmland, temples and a multitude of bird and animal species as you the imbibe philosophy and way of life of India.

Riding with Maharaja’s: A fantastic sight awaits us next morning. The horses are already saddled with a unformed groom en garde at either side, recreating the fantasy of royal caravans and the images of a journey into the past. Khem Singh, belonging to the clan of Rajputs, guides our group, followed by a support group fit for a Hollywood movie. More than once we pass women clad in bright and vibrant coloured sari’s walking extraordinary long distances, full brass pots precariously balancing on their heads.