Manvar’s idyllic resort, desert camp, palatial luxury camp and exotic private camp are ideally located at the trifecta of Rajasthan’s oldest cities – 110km from the fortress city of Jodhpur, 170km from the Golden city, Jaisalmer and 200km from the princely town of Bikaner with excellent roads and airports connecting to major Indian cities.
It was founded by Moti Singh Rathore, whose family has a continued, illustrious legacy of being the sentinels of the land and people for generations. A serendipitous event brought a gushing lifeline of water, enough to irrigate half the villages of Shergarh pargana. Moti Singh envisioned Manvar as a showcase of the region with cultural conservation and economic emancipation of the populace.
Thar has the place of pride as the most ecologically rich and diverse desert in the world. Access to underground water in the recent past is undoing the shrub-based desert wilderness. Although a superficial exuberance of green owing to agricultural practices, it is detrimental to unique flora and fauna of the desert. Manvar is on a mission to reclaim some of this agricultural land, repurposing it for organic cultivation of indigenous produce and dairy, while the rest will be eventually turned into a desert shrub forest creating a sanctuary for the niche flora and fauna.
400 acres of pristine desert land and dunes has been earmarked as a reserve for desert flora and fauna to flourish. The desert ecosystem is a fragile and beautiful one with highly specialised species of flora and fauna. Elsewhere invading foreign species of flora have undone this fine balance wiping out entire ecosystems. Manvār Desert Reserve is dedicated to conserving the indigenous species whose interdependence is an experience in itself.
The Manvar Monsoon Desert Experience gives the guests a glimpse of the Thar way of life, just the way it was centuries ago. One of the key highlights of the Experience is an enthralling Desert Excursion in the Thar desert in rugged four-wheel-drive jeeps. This gentle 1.5-hour long drive is a great way to get a glimpse of Rajasthan’s wildlife. One can enjoy seeing the lovely Chinkara (Indian Gazelle) wander freely across the plains and dunes, often dipping to drink within this conservation-led sanctuary resort. If you are lucky, the rare Desert Fox, found only at this place in the country, might also make an appearance. Guests can also enjoy Camel Excursions on the back of the desert’s most famous inhabitant – The Dromedary Camel.
Another key feature of the Manvar Monsoon Desert Experience is a 45-minute drive from Manvār to the village of Khichan, where thousands of migratory birds, especially Demoiselle Cranes, drop anchor from October to March every year. During winters, 8,000 to 10,000 birds make this village their home. The phenomenon has gained strength due to the pioneering endeavors of one villager, Ratan Lal Malu Jain. He began to nurture these visitors several years ago by feeding them twice a day. As the number of birds slowly increased, he sought the help of his fellow villagers, who rallied to ‘adopt’ these birds. The number of cranes that migrate here is said to be increasing by 10 to 15% annually, and currently, it takes over 600 kgs of grain to feed these birds each day. Khichan is a shining example of the conservation efforts of a local community, without external support and the guests can interact with the villagers and learn more about this initiative during their visit to the village.
Guests will also get to experience authentic, rural Rajasthan during their stay. Village walks are an age-old tradition at Manvār. To a rapidly modernizing world and its denizens who often seek a stress-free break from their bustling cities, the village walk at Manvār is just a small window into a world of simplicity and adaptability. This Walk allows guests to experience village life at close quarters against the captivating beauty and tranquility of the vast desert. Guests can visit the homes of the traditional inhabitants (Bishnois, Rajputs, Meghwals) or take a peek into the homes and lives of the desert craftsmen such as carpenters, metal-smiths and cobblers.
The ‘Manvar Monsoon Desert Experience’ package starts from INR 14,400 (+taxes) per room per night.
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