The Birding Shop

Billion Star Hotel is the company name of a cooperative of camel drivers from the villages near the town of Kanoi, 30 km west from Jaisalmer in Western India, near the entrance to the Desert National Park (there's a map at the bottom of the page).

These are the people of the Kanoi desert, they live in the desert and know everything there is to know about the area. They make their living partly by farming and partly by looking after tourists on camel safari. Friendly and hardworking they provide a wonderful service but they live in the villages so have no way of contacting customers. The only way they can get work is by sub-contract from Jaisalmer hotels and agencies.

The Billion Start Hotel web page is part of a project to help the semi-nomadic desert tribes set up more sustainable support systems. Getting free from exploitation by the rich hotel owners is one aim of the project.

Indian cities are full of pollution and hassle but camel safari in the beautiful Thar Desert with the drivers of Billion Star Hotel is for the vast majority of people a restful and wonderful experience. There is no hassle here. My guarantee.

You write your own holiday. If you want to go to the tourist spots you tell us and we will arrange a guide to take you by jeep, or camel. If you want to disappear into the desert and not see another western face for a week then you tell us and we will arrange that too.

This is a well established company with an excellent reputation. All of our drivers are registered with the Jaisalmer Tourist Authority, all speak good English and every care will be taken to guarantee you a unique and pleasurable experience. With Billion Star Hotel you won't be cheated, your belongings won't be stolen and you won't have drunk camel drivers making passes at the women.

You will be collected by jeep from your hotel in Jaisalmer and driven to the desert where you will enjoy a few hours riding camel through the dunes and around the villages. Then, while the sun sets over miles of spectacular sand dunes your guide will prepare your dinner, Rajasthani style. You can spend the evening "laughing, joking" (as the locals say) around the campfire before retiring to sleep in tents or under the billion stars.

In the morning your guide will serve breakfast of Indian tea and toast with jam and take you off for further exploring.

Western Indian Bird List compiled by one of our company's Directors, Elizabeth Turnbull, on a 19 day trip to the region in March 2001.