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Riding to Sambhar Salt Lake: A Flamingo Spotting Adventure in Rajasthan


Sambhar Lake is India's largest saline lake, measuring 190 square kilometres when full. It is located about 80 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of Jaipur and about 350 kilometres (220 miles) from New Delhi, where my ride was supposed to begin. It lies next to the historic Sambhar Lake town. Even after the monsoon, this vast body of glacial saline is only 0.6 cm deep on average and never more than 3 m deep. It is 22.5 kilometres long and varies in width from 3 to 11 kilometres. Its vast salt marshes, rich history, and thousands of migratory birds, particularly pink flamingos, are what make it so popular.



I'd wanted to visit the Sambhar Salt Lake for a few years, ever since I saw a photoshoot for Royal Enfield and videos of their riders riding on the lake's flat, dry terrain. Finally putting my plan into action, I contacted a friend from Jaipur to assist me in planning my trip to the lake, and he generously agreed to join me for the two-day adventure. My friend is from Jaipur, and is very proud of his city's history and culture. Thus, he advised me to include a quick tour of Jaipur before we headed to the lake. I got my motorbike ready for the first ride of the summer, packed my tent and sleeping bag and prepared to travel southwest.


I left my flat at 6:30 a.m. on a Monday, wanting to get out of town before the rush hour. The newly constructed Expressway has made it quite easy to drive down to Jaipur, but the expressway's ban on motorcycles meant that I had to take the old highway to Jaipur. At 8:30 a.m., I stopped for breakfast at a roadside restaurant, and then again at 10:30 a.m. for a quick hydration break. Breakfast was paraathas and buttermilk, and the hydration break was sugarcane juice, which was much needed in the sweltering heat. I arrived in Jaipur around 11 a.m. and met up with my friend for a quick snack.




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