Bundi – Tiger and Leopard prevent the hike

10. + 11. January 2026

 

 

On my first day in Bundi, I didn’t do much. I had already been here once in 2010 and remembered the town as quite pleasant. It still was. However, back then there were many more Western travelers around; this time there were hardly any. I wondered whether everything has now become even more concentrated on just a few main destinations?

I still felt a bit under the weather and unmotivated. I did manage to pull myself together to visit the Raniji ki Baori. Online it’s advertised in rather bombastic terms, and the entrance fee seemed to match that hype — but the reality didn’t quite live up to expectations. It was nice enough, but also quickly seen..

 

 

I also went to the other stepwell, Dabhai Kund. At least it was free of charge, but it wasn’t particularly impressive either.

 

 

I found a really nice little place with a dedicated, calm owner, where I spent a lot of time indulging in my health-related whining. And I lay in bed with my drinking bottle turned into a hot-water bottle. Result: the next morning I felt much better again, and apart from a slight cough I had no physical aches or pains left.

 

 

I remembered the great fort in Bundi as one of the best forts, because it hadn’t been overly restored and felt more original, offering much more room for exploration. In my memory there was either no entrance fee at all or only a very small one. That has changed. I learned that Rajasthan significantly increased entrance fees as of 01/01/26 – for Indian visitors sometimes twice as much, and for Western visitors more like three to four times higher than before. The justification is that the additional revenue is needed to create better infrastructure and conditions. However, there is little visible evidence of that so far. I think I’ll address the issue of money and tourism again in a later blog post with some afterthoughts.

 

The Taragarh Fort was still bombastic, but it no longer felt quite as inviting to explore. What I found interesting was that at the entrance I was registered in a logbook with my nationality – and even my next travel destination. Here are my photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, there is a path leading up from the fort to a spot with great views. But it was closed off, with a guard posted in front. Tigers and leopards had been seen there. Dangerous, dangerous. A pity, a real pity.

 

 

So I went back down.

 

 

There is a relatively large old town in Bundi, with lots of narrow lanes. I first popped in briefly, ran into a construction site, was invited to look around (a new hotel was planned there), and was also supposed to be lured into a shop. That didn’t work. Instead, I went for lunch, where I met two solo male travelers from Colombia and France and chatted with them for a while. Afterwards I set off again, explored a lot, and took many, many photos.

 

 

 

 

From here on I only took snapshots with my phone and made short video clips. I liked that better than constantly holding a camera up to my eye. I find the difference in color rendering quite interesting – in sunlight I prefer the camera, but in the shade or on cloudy days I tend to like the phone more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then I reached the big market, where I wandered around as well. I bought some peas (I love eating them straight from the pod), and at one point it got a bit dangerous when two cows went wild and charged through the area, sending everyone jumping out of the way in alarm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back, I remembered that I once started a kind of photo series where I photographed small shops next to each other. These neighborhoods—often existing for decades—fascinate me, and I’d actually love to know more about what the relationships are like. Do people mostly sit alone in their shops, or do they chat often? Do they get on each other’s nerves, or do they simply coexist side by side?

 

 

 

After this long walk, I felt quite content—this is the India I like, with its many everyday discoveries and small encounters. I watch and reflect, wondering what such different lives might be like behind those walls.

 

And the next day, I felt the urge to move on again. I didn’t find it particularly cozy or relaxing to linger any longer—and it was still too cold for me. I also felt a bit homesick and lonely. I wasn’t really in the mood for new impressions, making decisions, or meeting new people. On the other hand, I was here now, and there are always plenty of things to explore to better understand the places for travelers.