Between Udaipur and Jodhpur sit the Araveli Hills; the oldest mountain range in India that spans for 420 miles north to south. The hills host a huge and diverse wildlife, including leopards, striped hyenas, wolves, jackals, sloth bears, and crocodiles.
The area is home to a number of historical buildings that pre-date the state of Rajisthan, which was created 76 years ago from 22 separate princely regions following India’s independence.
Kumbhalgarh Fort served as a strategic stronghold and a refuge for Mewar’s rulers, featuring high walls for surveillance, numerous gates, watchtowers, and temples, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It includes seven massive gates, seven ramparts, 360 temples, watchtowers, and palaces.
On our way to the next stop, the car was mobbed by monkeys 🐒 who peered in through the windows. They seemed friendly enough, but we weren’t allowed to take them home. We saw some crocodiles too!
The Ranakpur Jain temple, an hour north, is one of the most sacred and important pilgrimage sites for Jains, who follow a strict vegetarian diet and undertake a life of pilgrimage. Jainism, an ancient Indian religion not dissimilar to Hinduism, emphasises spiritual purity through nonviolence toward all living beings.
The temple operates a strict ‘no tipping’ rule. Despite this, Jem was fleeced by the helpers who offered to do a prayer for his family, then demanded his cash. No such thing as a free lunch 😂
is there poodle in my noodle 
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