Camelback in comfort - normally a contradiction in term - is feasible at Osian Camel Camp, where saddles are layered with enough quilts to give you a fighting chance of being able to walk afterwards. The rolling terrain of the Thar Desert is more verdant and unspoilt than the relentless flat scrub surrounding the traditional safari centre of Jaisalmer, and you're more likely to see gazelles, black buck and birds of prey. When you stop for a tea at a cluster of mud huts, as the camp's owner, Reggie Singh, if he can stage a camel derby ( then stand well back - these camelmen are fast and fearless). The camp itself, standing on top of a sand-dune, has the stylish simplicity of a colonial bush camp, with a classic safari bar. Otherwise, the experience is pure Rajasthan - cocktails by an open fire and feasts under a canopy of stars, accompanied by folk musicians and wailing and whirling dancers. There's little else to do except be still and drink in the desert silence.

WILD COMFORTS : Traditional white-canvas safari tents with colourful block-printed linings, real beds, generator electricity, and flush loos and showers in a zipped-off bathroom. The camp also has a swimming pool.

WILDERNESS FACTOR : Osian Camel Camp feel remote. The camp 37 miles from Jodhpur airport ( an hour and a quarter by road or rail). The journey scramble by jeep up Reggie's dune.

WOULD SUIT : Peace-seeker - anyone who's desperate to get away from it all, and wants to relax in natural, tranquil surroundings. Sleeps 60 in permanent twin-bedded tents, but mobile tents can be pitched to accommodate more if necessary. Children are welcome.

WHEN TO GO  : October to March. November to January are the most pleasant month by day, but chilly at night.