Jawai's three seasons
Where it sits: Godwar, the farmland at the western foot of the Aravallis, in Pali district.
The climate of Marwar: a short monsoon, long sunny winters and a fierce summer.
- Main season
- October to March
- Summer
- April to June, often above 40°C
- Monsoon
- July to September
- Migrant birds
- From November
- Region
- Godwar, Pali district
- Why the weather matters more here: safaris are in open jeeps at dawn and dusk.
- Two extremes: a January dawn drive is bitterly cold until the sun clears the hills; a May evening drive is hot until the last light. Both can bring superb sightings.
- The reservoir as a calendar: it fills in the monsoon, stands wide and full through winter, and shrinks through the hot months, exposing banks and islands.
- Watched closely: the people who depend on it follow its level carefully.
Winter, October to March
The main season: the one we recommend for most travellers.
The weather: warm, sunny days and cool to cold nights, with soft golden light on the granite at both ends of the day.
- The land: fields green with wheat and mustard, the reservoir full after the monsoon, and migrant birds from November.
- Dress for it: December and January dawns are properly cold in an open jeep.
- Book ahead: this is when the camps are busiest.
Summer, April to June
The heat: it builds fast from April, and May and June are often above 40°C.
The land: fields bare after the harvest, scrub dry, water scarce.
- The leopards: often close to shade and water, and resting on the rocks in the evening. Some photographers come for exactly that.
- The rhythm: drives in the coolest hours, the middle of the day in the shade.
- Closures: some camps close for part of the season.
Monsoon, July to September
The change: rain turns the hills and fields green, the streams run and the reservoir begins to fill.
The mood: beautiful, quiet and humid.
- The catch: rain can cancel or shorten drives, tracks get muddy, and thicker vegetation makes leopards harder to spot on the lower slopes, though they still use the high rocks.
- Camps: several close or run reduced seasons.
- For those who come: Jawai is at its most peaceful.
Jawai, month by month
- Makar Sankranti
- 14 January
- Holi
- Late February or March
- Gangaur
- March or April
- Teej
- July or August
- Navratri, Dussehra
- Usually October
- Diwali
- Late October or November
January, cold dawns and clear skies
The coldest month: dawn drives start well below the comfort line, with frost on the jeep some mornings.
By mid-morning: pleasantly warm, with clear skies and superb light for photography.
- The reservoir: crowded with migrants, bar-headed geese in the fields and ducks and cranes in the shallows.
- Crocodiles: muggers bask on the banks in the morning sun.
- Makar Sankranti: on 14 January, celebrated in the villages, and evenings around the fire are the best of the year.
- Pack: proper winter layers, a warm hat and gloves. Our Rajasthan in January guide explains the wider month.
February, the sweet spot
Our favourite month: mornings crisp but no longer bitter, afternoons warm, light clear and golden.
Still here: the birds stay on the reservoir for most of the month.
- The fields: green and yellow with wheat and mustard.
- The leopards: active on the rocks at both ends of the day.
- Book early: it is a popular month.
- The whole route: excellent weather if you are combining Jawai with Udaipur and Jodhpur. Our Rajasthan in February guide has more.
March, Holi and the turn of the season
Pleasant to warm: the month starts mild and ends warm.
The land: the migrants leave, the wheat is harvested, and the fields turn gold, then brown.
- Easier sightings: as the vegetation thins, leopards can be easier to see.
- Holi: Holi falls in late February or March, with colour and drums in the villages. Join in only if invited, and with a local guide.
- Quieter camps: a good shoulder month, with comfortable evening drives and lovely light. Our Rajasthan in March guide explains it.
April, heat and good sightings
Hot by midday: but mornings and evenings are still workable.
Leopards near water: with fields bare and scrub dry, they often stay close to water and shade, which can make them easier to find.
- Gangaur: the festival of Gangaur falls in March or April, when village women worship the goddess Gauri.
- Plan for: early starts, long rests and late evening drives.
- Bring: a hat, light long-sleeved clothes and plenty of water. Our Rajasthan in April guide has more.
May, for the heat-hardy
One of the hottest months: often above 40°C, with hot winds through the afternoon.
Closures: some camps close.
- For those open: drives start at first light and end at dusk, and leopards can be very visible on the evening rocks as the heat breaks.
- Who it suits: committed photographers and wildlife enthusiasts who handle heat well.
- The camp: choose one with good cooling and a pool, and rest through midday. Read our Rajasthan in May guide before booking.
June, before the rains
Hot and hazy: with afternoon dust storms and the first clouds towards the end of the month.
- At its starkest: water at its scarcest and the reservoir at its lowest.
- Closures: many camps are closed, and we don't recommend it for a first visit.
- If you do come: drives can still be rewarding, and the first storms over the granite are unforgettable. Our Rajasthan in June guide explains the month.
July, the monsoon arrives
Usually early July: rain comes in bursts, the heat breaks, and within days the hills and fields turn green.
The senses: peacocks dance in the fields and the air smells of wet earth.
- On drives: they may be cancelled or shortened by rain, and tracks can be muddy.
- Teej: Teej, the festival of swings and green clothes, falls in July or August.
- Check first: many camps are closed or run reduced seasons. Our Rajasthan in July guide has more.
August, the greenest month
Mixed days: rain on some, sunshine on others.
- Most lush: the streams are running and the reservoir is filling.
- Leopards: still here, but harder to see as vegetation thickens on the lower slopes and the cats use more of the landscape.
- Who it suits: travellers who love green landscapes and do not mind uncertainty. Our Rajasthan in August guide explains the month.
September, the land refreshed
The rains taper off: the reservoir is at its fullest, the land green and the air clear, though it can be humid and warm.
- Camps reopen: towards the end of the month, and by the last week the season begins again.
- Value and calm: a good shoulder month, with clear light after the last storms.
- Navratri: it sometimes begins in late September. Our Rajasthan in September guide has more.
October, the season opens
The main season begins: warm days, cooling nights and land still green after the monsoon.
- Leopards return: the scrub can be thick early on, but the cats go back to their favourite rocks and sightings improve week by week.
- Festivals: Navratri and Dussehra usually fall this month, with music and worship at the hill shrines.
- For photographers: clear air and dramatic skies. Our Rajasthan in October guide explains the month.
November, the birds arrive
One of the best months: warm, sunny days and cool nights.
The first migrants: on the reservoir and the village tanks.
- The land: winter crops sown, a patchwork of green fields and granite.
- Diwali: Diwali falls in late October or November, and the villages glow with oil lamps.
- Book well ahead: camps are busy, particularly around Diwali weekends. Our Rajasthan in November guide has more.
December, fire and frost
Cool and clear: cold dawns and pleasant days.
Peak birds: with superb light and long evenings around the fire.
- The busiest weeks: Christmas and New Year, when the best tents book out months ahead.
- Our advice: come in the first half of the month for the same weather with fewer people.
- Nearby festivals: the Kumbhalgarh Festival in winter, and the Mount Abu winter festival further south. Our Rajasthan in December guide explains the month.
Leopards, birds and crocodiles through the year
Leopards in every season: usually in the first and last hours of daylight on the granite.
Winter: they bask on the rocks in the morning sun.
Summer: they stay closer to shade and water and come out in the evening.
- Leopards
- All year, dawn and dusk
- Migrant birds
- November to February
- Crocodiles
- All year, easiest in winter
- Patchier sightings
- Monsoon and just after
- Monsoon and after: thicker vegetation and plentiful water let them use more of the landscape, so sightings can be patchier.
- Your chances: whatever the month, two or three nights with a good naturalist gives an excellent chance. Our journal piece on the leopards of Jawai tells more.
- The great seasonal show: from November to February the reservoir and village tanks fill with migrants from Central Asia and beyond.
- Who comes: bar-headed geese, ruddy shelducks, pintails and shovelers, demoiselle and common cranes, sometimes greater flamingos, with painted storks, spoonbills and waders.
- Residents of the rocks: eagle-owls, raptors, larks and partridges, here all year. Our birding page explains how we plan a birding morning.
- Mugger crocodiles: in the reservoir all year, easiest to see basking on cool winter mornings.
- In summer and the monsoon: they spend more time in the water, and rising levels cover many of their favourite banks.
- The shyer animals: striped hyenas, jungle cats, Indian foxes, porcupines, mongooses and nilgai live here all year, but sightings are never planned.
- Listen at night: in any season, a patient night at a camp may bring the eerie call of a hyena.
The reservoir through the year
An old idea: the dam was first proposed in the early 1900s and finished after Jodhpur state had become part of independent India and Rajasthan.
The biggest in the west: it is the largest man-made reservoir in western Rajasthan.
- Built by
- Maharaja Umaid Singh of Jodhpur
- Work began
- May 1946
- Completed
- 1957
- River
- Jawai, a tributary of the Luni
- Bird season
- November to February
- After the monsoon: at its fullest in September, wide and calm through the winter, when the migrants arrive.
- Through the hot months: it shrinks, exposing banks and islands, and is at its lowest in June.
- Every evening: fishermen work the water from small boats and cattle come down to drink.
The village year around the hills
After the monsoon: farmers sow the winter crops, and by December the land between the granite domes is green with wheat and yellow with mustard.
Irrigation: water from the reservoir and the wells feeds the fields, and the villages are busy.
March and April: the harvest comes in, and the Rabari and other herders graze their flocks on the stubble.
- The hot months: the land is bare, herds move further for grazing, and village life slows in the afternoons.
- When the rains come: the monsoon crops go in, and for a few weeks everything is green again.
- Wedding season: in the cool months you may see a procession, hear a village band at night or pass a groom on horseback.
- Akha Teej: in April or May, one of the most popular wedding days of the year across Rajasthan.
- Hill shrines: festivals bring families up the long flights of steps, and during Navratri in autumn the goddess temples are full.
- A herding year: a walk with the Rabari shows how the seasons shape a family's life. Read our Rabari herders page.
Light for photographers
Winter: the most reliable light, with clear skies, a low sun, long golden hours and clean air once the monsoon dust has settled.
October and November: often the clearest air of all.
- Summer: the light is harsh within an hour of sunrise, so you work in short windows at dawn and dusk, with haze in the distance.
- The monsoon: dramatic skies and the greenest backgrounds, but more cloud and less predictability.
- Think wide: the best Jawai photographs are often a leopard small on a great dome of rock, with fields, a village or a temple below.
- Lenses: bring a long one and a wide one.
- Planning for light: our photography tips and our photography journey.
Crowds, camp seasons and booking
The busiest weeks: Diwali, Christmas and New Year, and long Indian holiday weekends in winter, when the camps fill and more vehicles are on the tracks.
When ethics matter most: in these weeks, a camp that holds back from crowded sightings counts more than ever.
- Busiest
- Diwali, Christmas, New Year
- Also busy
- Long winter holiday weekends
- Lighter
- February, March, early October
- Camp season
- About October to March or April
- Lighter pressure: February to March, and early October, with good weather.
- Camp seasons: many operate from about October to March or April, and some close in the hottest months or the monsoon.
- Check first: dates vary from year to year and camp to camp.
- Choosing a camp: our guide to luxury hotels in Jawai explains how we do it, and our SUJAN JAWAI guide covers the leading camp in detail.
How we shape a safari day in the hot months
Dawn drive: leave at first light and return to camp as the heat builds, usually by mid-morning.
Midday: a light breakfast and lunch, plenty of water and buttermilk, and rest or a swim.
- Evening drive: as late as the naturalist suggests, when leopards come out onto the cooling rocks.
- What to wear: light, long-sleeved clothes and a wide hat, with a wet scarf for your neck in the jeep.
- Walks and climbs: skip them in the afternoon and keep them for the first hour after sunrise.
- The camp: good shade, cooling and a pool, and check that it is open before you plan.
How many nights, season by season
October to March: two nights gives four drives and a good chance of sightings. Three nights adds the herders, the reservoir and a day trip without missing a drive.
- October to March
- Two or three nights
- April to June
- Two nights
- July to September
- Three nights
- Holiday weeks
- Three nights
- April to June: two nights is usually enough for keen photographers, because drives are short and the heat tiring. Plan long rests between them.
- July to September: allow three nights, so a drive or two lost to rain does not leave you without sightings.
- Christmas, New Year and Diwali: three nights, because sightings are shared with more vehicles and the best moments come to those who wait.
What to pack for Jawai
November to February: thermal layers, a warm jacket, a woollen hat, gloves and a scarf for dawn drives. A moving open jeep is far colder than you expect.
March to June: light, loose, long-sleeved clothes in neutral colours, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen.
- July to September: light, quick-drying clothes, a rain jacket and shoes that cope with mud.
- All year: binoculars for everyone, a buff or scarf for dust, closed shoes for walks on the granite, and a head torch for the walk to your tent.
- Colours on drives: khaki, olive and brown are best. Avoid white and bright colours.
- Villages and hill shrines: modest clothes, with shoulders and knees covered. Our packing guide has full lists.
Our advice by traveller
A first safari, or with children: November to February, when the weather is easiest and the camps fully open.
Birders: December and January, when the migrants peak.
- Heat-hardy photographers: April and early May, with leopards near water and fewer vehicles.
- Lovers of quiet and green: September or early October, as the camps reopen.
- In winter: Jawai pairs perfectly with Jodhpur and Udaipur, and with Ranthambore on our big cats and birds journey.
- Planning the days: our Jawai itinerary, and our best time to visit Rajasthan guide compares the whole state.
Pairing Jawai with the season's best elsewhere
October to March: Jawai sits perfectly between the forts of Jodhpur and the lakes of Udaipur, with Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh on the way.
Winter birders: add Bharatpur for the wetland birds.
- The hot months: pair it with the hill station of Mount Abu, which is noticeably cooler.
- The monsoon: Udaipur and the Aravalli hills are at their greenest, and Jawai makes a short, quiet extension to a Mewar journey.
- Built around the seasons: our monsoon in Mewar and winter in Rajasthan journeys.
Responsible safaris in every season
Winter's temptation: in the busy weeks, operators may crowd a known sighting.
Summer's temptation: when leopards gather near scarce water, getting too close.
- Vehicles
- Registered and GPS-enabled
- Banned
- Night safaris, baiting, lights, drones
- Also banned
- Gathering near leopard caves
- Our own
- No chasing, engines off, quiet
- The court ruling: since 2026, a ruling of the Rajasthan High Court requires safari vehicles to be registered and GPS-enabled.
- What it bans: night safaris, baiting, artificial lights, drones and the gathering of vehicles near leopard caves.
- Our rules too, every month: no baiting, no chasing, no crowding, engines off at a sighting and quiet in the jeep.
- What we will and won't book: our ethical animal encounters guide explains it.
