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Hiking in Jaipur

What Makes A Hike Along Dhok Tree Trail In Jaipur Alluring?

Even though Jaipur is a thriving & growing city there are still pockets that provide a breather by way of the natural landscape. And it is possible to hike in these parts of Jaipur. I’m able to experience this opportunity every now & then. As mentioned in my previous post I have just resumed hiking in Jaipur after a brief hiatus. I decided to explore a short hiking trail in Jaipur which allows a fast commute from the city. It is not a popular trekking place like Hathni Kund rather this is a peaceful serene spot to enjoy the blissful nature in Jaipur. This blog chronicles my hike in the Dhok tree trail hiking spot in Jaipur.

At dawn, the roads are empty & devoid of any traffic. All you can see is just a few people at tea stalls.

empty roads of johari bazaar in night
A picture clicked while driving out of Jaipur

It took us a few minutes to drive out of town & we reached the base of the trail around 6 AM. This trail doesn’t have much of human activity. Leopards have been sighted in these forests & for this fact, we made sure there was sunlight before entering the forest.

sunrise-in-jaipur-forest-aravali-hills
Action in the sky!
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The start of the trail

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The start of the hike wasn’t too great; the moment we entered the forest area there was a terrible stench of a dead animal. I’m not sure if this was prey or otherwise.

I have never been on this trail before and it turned out to be a splendid trail. The path traversed through a ridge lined with the Dhok trees which are also known as Anogeissus Pendula.

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These are resident trees of Aravali hills, Rajasthan, and can be found from Gujrat-Rajasthan in the south to Haryana and Delhi, in the north. I have already written a post on Dhok trees a few years ago when I started this blog.

Read The Resident Tree Of Aravali Hills: Anogeissus Pendula

The trail is incredibly beautiful and it is hard to believe that human settlement is only a few kilometers away!  It offers a great morning workout as it is unhurried initially and the steep section surfaces later. Unlike many other trekking routes in Jaipur, this doesn’t have a nuisance of thorns, an essential feature of the local topography.

jaipur-trekking-route-blog

The valley on the left was alluring but gave this idea a rest because the bushes and trees were quite dense. Maybe some other day and some other season.

Thirty minutes after we started, it was time for the sun to wish us a good morning! Here is a picture of the sunrise along with the silhouette of the ramparts. Look deeply and spot the hikers!

stunning sunrise in jaipur at the fort

By now the sun was beaming down on us. Here is a view from the top.

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With soft sun lighting the entire trail, it looked even more beautiful. It definitely is a great hiking trail for the autumn season. It was time to head back.

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What I liked about this hiking place in Jaipur?

Walking through the stunning landscape amidst the resident tree of Aravali – Dhok.

places-to-hike-in-jaipur-trekking-route

best-trekking-places-in-jaipur

The forest department has planted a large number of foreign tree variants in the hills around Jaipur and it is difficult to find indigenous trees. A forest full of Vilayati or Israeli Babool trees is bad for a hike because the trail is lined with spikes shed from the trees. At times the hikers end up with bruises on the skin due to the thorns on branches.

prosopis-juliflora-jaipur-rajasthan-india-thorns-vilayati-kikar-tree

The Dhok or Anogeissus Pendula tree looks even more graceful during the winter season. I hiked in another forest with many Dhok trees in the month of January and it looked beautiful. Come winters, would love to traverse this trail, again.

Have you hiked in Jaipur? If yes, which is the best trekking route in your opinion?

anogeissus pendula tree in Jaipur forest rajasthan

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135 thoughts on “What Makes A Hike Along Dhok Tree Trail In Jaipur Alluring?”

    1. Raj, the green cover you see will transform into brown-grey landscape within next few weeks. Because these are monsoon forest, they undergo massive change. I have already written a few post to highlight the feature of these forest near Jaipur. 🙂

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      1. True… once they are green… hike becomes difficult… unless one goes for the photography purpose in mind. I think your timing is the best for serious hiking.

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      2. Raj, This is greenest you will find and I feel this is the best season too. Once the cover turns brown it exposes pricky stems and thorns. Watching the transformation is a great thing. It is unlike South India where the green cover is ubiquitous. 🙂

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  4. What a beautiful morning hike! Sometimes people forget that even big cities have hiking opportunities not too far away, often still within the boundaries of the city or just outside of it. In NYC, people forget this about the Bronx, about Staten Island, about the Palisades just across the Hudson River (in New Jersey). This was lovely! 🙂 Na’ama

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    1. Thanks, Na’ama! You are right. I was surprised during my visit to Hong Kong that there are many hiking trails in this small island country. You are right, there are many such opportunities for outdoor and adventure. We just need to look around. I was not aware that even NY has such opportunities. Do you hike?

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      1. I love taking walks, sometimes hikes (though I cannot manage the more demanding one anymore). This summer my family and I were hiking in Thailand, in the jungles of Chiang Mai (with a guide…). Anything my 7 year old niece could manage, I could, too … 🙂

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      2. Haha! Nice way of putting it, Na’ama! I was considering hiking in Thailand a few years ago but I gave up the idea because the terrain is similar to the one in India so I didn’t find it convincing. Well, a walk is equally refreshing and works well! I’m happy you lead an active life. 🙂

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      3. Active is a relative term … but living in a walk-up building (no elevator, so one takes the stairs) is a good start … And in Manhattan people do walk just about everywhere, so that helps, too. (I have one leg that is a little weaker following a spine issue, so anything uphill — or up a trail for that matter — tends to involve a walking stick …).

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  5. Looks like a beautiful hike. Maybe I’ll have time to do it in January! But wow – what a different experience to have to consider leopards as a part of your planning!

    Also, those thorns are huge! They look a little like honey locust thorns I used to see in Missouri. They are known to be able to go through the sole of a boot and in to your foot. Something to think about, I’m sure, as I consider cycling in rural Rajasthan. Clearly I will need to bring extra tubes and a patch kit!

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    1. Hey, Todd! You are welcome. I’ll take you through this trail whenever you are here. Well, leopards are not in my plan but that’s a part of topography! In fact, we are “traveler” in their territory. Yes, these thorns are huge and at times, we had to pull out these from a fellow hikers sole using a swiss knife! I doubt you will encounter them on the rural roads. But I can’t vouch for that because I haven’t cycled much in rural areas. But extra kit won’t be a bad idea! Do you cycle regularly, Todd?

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      1. That would be really fun!

        I do cycle a lot here – most summers I’ll do a week or so long bicycle trip – maybe 500-1000 km. This summer it didn’t work out. But I’ll likely do 3-4 day trips from Jaipur. The bigger dream is to take a month or two and do a longer trip – maybe something like Jaipur to Mumbai – or better still, Leh to Kanyakumari!

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      2. wow! that’s a great idea. cycling to Leh demands a lot of stamina and fitness but certainly doable. Do keep me posted whenever you are here in Jaipur. We should meet! 🙂

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  7. Morning hikes are a blessing, with cool breeze wafting around and hues of sky that change every moment…a delight for nature lovers and photographers! Your hike sounds to be quite pleasant arv, and those are some beautiful pictures that you have shared. I am amazed at the thorny tree, never seen such big thorns! 🙂

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    1. You have detailed it out so well that I have very little to add. Well, no amount of pictures and words can truly recreate the experience. Yes, the sky changes every few seconds. Well, these particular tree species have big thorns but there are many others that have very fine thorns like needles. I guess everyone who loves outdoor here has to accept that these are an essential part of hikes in Aravali hills. I have never asked you before (I think so) have you undertaken hikes?

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  11. Thank you for giving us the free tour to see another beauty of Jaipur, Arv. Hiking here could be a lovely option to spend the quality weekend in Jaipur. I love the pic of the sunrise. The spread lights made it looks so magical…

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  15. Hey Arv!
    reading your post has always been for me an exhilarating experience.Walking in the midst of nature where the green bushes in nature are as striking as stars shine in its burnished light in a universe that is dressed in black,every picture you took and every syallable that you penned down here is no less near to hiking experience.
    You should be on Fox life,I am thinking you as Bunny from Yjhd,the passion for travelling in you is just like him.

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    1. Thanks, Neha. You are too kind! I don’t think I lead that kind of life. 🙂 Thanks for making my day, though 🙂
      I agree that the landscape is a visual treat. I will credit this to the weather and Dhok tree.

      Do you also love to walk in nature?

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    1. It is a great one because you get to experience beautiful landscape. How have you been Nicole? Undertaken any hike post European family holiday? 🙂

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  19. It does look like a very beautiful walk. It must be nice to have something like this that you can get to every now and then. You sunset shots look great – I always love being on a hike as the sun comes up.

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    1. Paul, Indeed… it is! Well, that’s a sunrise shot and not sunset. So we’re on a same page.. hiking around sunrise! Where are you based? Do you have enough hiking options in your city?

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  20. Never paid attention to this side of Jaipur as much as I got to see it through your lens! The pictures are amazing and had fun learning about Dhok Tree Trail for the first time. The path on the trail looks so beautiful. The resident tree of Aravali – Dhok compliments the landscapes so well. Look forward to go in it when we visit Jaipur next.

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    1. That is because most people only associate Jaipur with Hawa Mahal and Amer. But there is more to it. Indeed, the trail is beautiful. If you love nature then you will surely enjoy this trail. 🙂

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