Beautiful Indeed. Review on Udaipur

The four lane highway winding through the rolling hills, lush greenery on both sides of the road, people dressed in such vibrant colors. I knew I would love Udaipur even before I reached the city. Udaipur like most other cities in Rajasthan is divided into old city and new city. The moment you step into the old city, you are transported a few decades back. Narrow lanes with magnificent havelis, the beautiful lakes against the backdrop of the hills, the completely laid back atmosphere, amazingly hospitable people, but what sets Udaipur apart from the other tourist spots is the history combined with all these.

If you ask me the best thing to do in Udaipur is to do nothing. My favorite thing to do there was to sit on one of those roof top restaurants and just chill. The lal ghat section of the city has numerous roof top restaurants, each one providing excellent view of Lake Pichola and the famous Lake Palace. The city palace of Udaipur is one of the prime attractions. The Palace consists of eleven palaces built by different rulers at different times and is the residence of the current Maharaja. Guides charge about 150 for the tour and takes about 1.5 hours to complete the entire tour, you can opt for audio guides also. There are boat rides from the city palace around Lake Pichola with a stop in JagMandir temple set in the lake. The ride takes about one hour and costs anywhere between 300 to 3000. Fathepur Sagar is another beautiful lake in the city and I recommend a drive around the in the evenings. The monsoon palace which is on top of a nearby hill is known for its view. It is this one place from where you can view the entire city, the place is mesmerizing during sunsets.(There are reasons why Udaipur has a reputation of being the most romantic city in India).

There are a lot of other gardens like Sahelion ki Bari and Gulab Bagh that you can visit but a different experience is the cultural show that happens in Bagore ki haveli in the evenings around 7 pm. The folk dances in the courtyard of an 18th century haveli is just so surreal. A lesser known attraction in Udaipur are the horse rides and I am not talking about the pony rides that you get in hill stations. The Princess Trails is an organized trip o a horseback across the beautiful country side of Mewar. The ride can be anything from half an hour to full day and there are options for everybody, from a beginner to a jockey. The horses are well trained and the trail is very scenic. The information on Princess Trails can be got from the hotels in Udaipur.

The best place to stay in Udaipur would be in the old city, it is here that the havelis have been converted into hotels. The food is excellent in Udaipur and liquor is slightly expensive. There are quite a few French restaurants too. The Lake City is connected by road, rail and air to the major cities in Rajasthan.

I went to Udaipur with a lot of expectations and for once I was not disappointed. The city has a soul.