Mr Desert

Indian Model and Safari Operator all rolled into one!

Once upon a time there was a young man. A truck driver in the Thar Desert. Uneducated and not super ambitious either. While hanging with friends at some point, it was suggested to him that he might want to try a different job. Perhaps head into the nearest city, Jaisalmer, and try his hand at a business geared for tourists. They went on to suggest being a travel agent of some sort, since he would not need to have his own guest house or camels to get started.

The young man rented a small store at the base of Jaisalmer Fort, hung a sign and waited for the tourists to find him and chose his services. They didn’t. After recognizing his failing in this business he informed his friends that he was not able to make a go of it and was going back into the desert. “Have you tried meeting the incoming trains at Jaisalmer Station and selling yourself to the tourists as they come in?” his friends enquired. “That is the way to get business.”

Off he went. On entering the station and witnessing the dozens of safari operators and guest house owners harassing the tourists as they disembarked, he felt out of place. According to him, accosting people in this way just wasn’t in his nature and therefore, he once again felt the tourism business was not his calling.

A day later and quite by chance, two freelance photographers found him in his office and requested he sit for pictures. They set a time to come back the next day and he agreed to pose for them.

About 10 days later he received word that the largest cigarette company in India wanted his face on the front of the their product and all their advertising. He received a modest amount of money for this. Shortly thereafter another 4 or so large corporations also selected him - among them Coco Cola, India! He went on to make several more ad’s and took a minor role in a movie too.

One day two tourists walked by his office and noticed the cigarette ad, laminated and hanging above his desk. He sat below it. Intrigued, they came in to chat and ended up booking a camel safari with him. Within a week, their rave reviews back at their hotel had earned him another six customers. From there his business grew… just pure and simple word of mouth. The way he liked it.

In the early nineties, the Desert Festival was just getting started. One of the many competitions was the

Mr Desert contest. I gather it to have been some sort of beauty contest for men. The young man in his colorful turban, impressive Rajasthani moustache and striking green eyes won. He won four years in a row… until it was decided a change of rules was needed. They crowned him Mr Desert and granted him the lifetime title, but from that point forward decreed the winner could not enter the contest again in future years. He was instead to be a contest judge, gong forward.

The man we now only know as Mr Desert has had a thriving camel safari business of 23 years. Never once has he advertised or harassed tourists. You will find him behind the same desk in the same office he started with. The laminated advertisement, now heavily faded, still hangs behind him on the wall, but he pulls out another, in better condition for photographs if you ask. Along side it are numerous travel magazine covers, featuring him.

He won our business in the same, simple way he wins all his business…

He is recommended by pretty much every foreign guide book.

His practice is to give you info on a customized trip and a fair price. Then encourage you to go away, check out others and think about it. Come back if you are happy!

He treats his employees fairly and sends only the most experienced, English speaking ones out with his customers. Guaranteeing a successful trip, that is both great value and tremendous fun.

I, for one, highly recommend Safari Travels and Mr Desert. I would again request Mr Bangali and his trusty camel, Rocket the next time I make it to Jaisalmer. And I really do hope to return!