Sawai Madhopur
Sawai Madhopur is in the Bharatpur Division of Rajasthan.
Understand
Sawai Madhopur was founded by and named after Sawai Madho Singh I in 1763. The current population of the city is approximately 125,000 people. It is generally used by travelers as a place to stay while visiting Ranthambore, 11 km away.
Get in
By plane
The nearest airport is in Jaipur.
By train
There are direct connections by train between Sawai Madhopur and Kota (1.5 hours), Jaipur (2 hours), Bharatpur (3 hours), Ajmer (4 hours), Delhi (4+ hours), Agra (5 hours), and Mumbai (13 hours).
- 1 Sawai Madhopur Junction railway station.
By bus
Buses to Jaipur (6 hours) leave several times per day from a bus stand located near the overpass.
Traveling by bus from Jaipur to Sawai Madhopur is not recommended. The buses are very slow, dirty and uncomfortable; the train is clearly a better option.
Get around
The city can be explored by foot.
See
Most visitors to Sawai Madhopur visit nearby Ranthambore, which has a fort and a famous national park.
However, there are several attractions within the city:
Temples
- Chouth Mata Mandir.
- Trinetra Ganesh Temple, Opposite Hotel hill View Ranthambore Road (take a car or Jeep from Sawai Madhopur railway station; the distance is 12 km), ☏ +91 9587030211, tigeroath@gmail.com. Ancient temple, dating back to 1299.
Museums
- Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum of Natural History.
- Chamatkar Temple (3 km from the railway station). A Jain temple.
- Bhairon Temple (on top of the hill).
Do
Take a safari to the national park in nearby Ranthambore.
Buy
- Dastkar Ranthambhore, ☏ +91 7462 252051, support@dastkarranthambhore.org. A project to provide income to local women by having them produce and sell handmade works including beautiful blockprints, bedsheats, covers, and clothes. Items can also be purchased online from the website.
- Dhonk Craft, Ranthambhore, ☏ +91 91661 67005, divz333@gmail.com. 9AM-5PM. Similar to Dastkar, this is a project that provides local Mogya women an opportunity to earn income by producing crafts. Items can also be purchased online from the website.
- Ranthambhore School of Art, ☏ +91 7462 223797, ranthambhoreschoolofart@yahoo.in. An NGO founded by M. D. Parashar, you can buy paintings of tigers produced by the founder.
Eat
Budget
- Manisha Restaurant, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 96102 22361. Vegetarian café popular with the locals. Mains: ₹80-160.
Mid-range
- Ranthambhore Chokhi Dhani, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 98282 14049. Popular for daal baht.
Splurge
- Restaurant @ The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 74622 23999.
Drink
Almost every hotel and restaurant serves alcohol and coffee.
There are also several alcohol stores on ranthambhore road near the hotels.
Sleep
Many hotels are located on the edge of the city on Ranthambhore Road. Safari operators will pick up from these hotels by jeep for visits to Ranthambore. It is best to book online on local indian websites like goibibo, which include more hotels and often much cheaper rates.
Budget
- Ankur Resort, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 7462 220792, reservations@ankurresorts.com. 40 cottages and 20 rooms. Popular with tour groups. ₹1,600.
- Pink palace, right after the "T" shaped overpass south west of the train station. asking 800 for clean AC double rooms. IT's actually in the city which might be a plus.
- Green Valley Ranthambore, Ranthambore Road, ☏ +91 81301 74421. Cheaper rates can usually be found online, making this one of the cheapest hotels in the area. Single ₹2,000-2,500; double ₹2,500-3,000.
- Hammir Wild Life Resort, Ranthambore Road, ☏ +91 7462 220 562, info@hammirwildliferesorts.com. Basic hotel. Double ₹1,800-3,500.
- RTDC Hotel Vinayak, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 7462 221 333, vinayak@rtdc.in. Operated by the Rajasthani government. Basic but well-priced hotel. Single ₹1,600 in offseason, ₹2,300 in high season; double ₹2,600 in offseason, ₹2,990 in high season.
Mid-range
- Jhoomar Baori Castle, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 7462-220495, cjb@rtdc.in. Former summer rest house of Jaipur rulers. Operated by the Rajasthani government. From ₹3,600.
- Jungle Niwas, Village Sherpur, Khiljipur, ☏ +91 98102 26091, jungleniwas@gmail.com. Luxury tents. Off the beaten path and a bit harder to find. Single ₹6,700; double ₹7,700.
- Pugmark Resort, Village Khilchipur Ranthambhore (Next to the Nahargarh Ranthambhore), ☏ +91 7462 252 205, resort@thepugmark.net. Nice setting with a pool, but the rooms are dated. Single ₹7,500; double ₹8,500.
- Raj Palace Ranthambore, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 98282 99948, reservations@rajpalaceranthambhore.com. Swimming pool. ₹3,000.
- Ranthambore Forest Resort, Ranthambhore Road (Near Vivekanandapuram Colony), ☏ +91 7462 221 120, reservations@ranthambhoreforestresort.in. Friendly and welcoming; good Indian food in the restaurant. ₹7,800.
- Ranthambore Haveli, Ranthambore Road (Opposite FCI Godown), ☏ +91 90015 76609, res@rhhaveli.com. Built to resemble an old hunting lodge.
- Ranthambhore Regency, Ranthambore Road, ☏ +91 7462 221 176, ranthambhoreregency@gmail.com. Great rooms, décor, food, and service. Single ₹6,500; double ₹7,500.
- Sanctuary Resort, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 7462 224 890, directorsanctuary@gmail.com. ₹2,500-5,000.
Splurge
- 1 Aman-i-Khás, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 7462 25205. Luxurious tents, with a private butler to assist you. Very expensive. From ₹60,000.
- Anuraga Palace, A Treehouse Palace Hotel, Ranthambhore Road, ☏ +91 97183 13838, sales@treehousehotels.in. Daily music and dancing. Great service. From ₹11,500.
- Nahargarh Ranthambhore, Village Khilchipur, Ranthambhore Road (Just northeast of Sawai Modhopur, 8 km west from Ranthambore), ☏ +91 7462 252 281, alsisar@sify.com. Single ₹9,300-13,300; double ₹10,800-18,000.
- Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambhore Road. 25 tents with tiger motifs. From ₹38,500.
- Sher Bagh Resort, reservations@sujanluxury.com. Luxurious tented camp designed to mirror the experiences that 19th-century princes had while on safari. From ₹36,000.
- Vivanta By Taj Sawai Madhopur, ☏ +91 7462 22 0541, vivanta.sawaimadhopur@tajhotels.com. It was built in the 1920s as a hunting lodge for the Maharaja of Jaipur. Art deco style. 12 acres of gardens.
Connect
Almost every hotel in Sawai Madhopur offers free Wi-Fi access.