If you are looking for a royal place and want to feel like a king or a queen, Udaipur is the place to go. Once the capital of the Mewar kingdom, it didn’t lose any of its flair. And there is a lot to do in Udaipur! The city is built around one big lake, called Lake Pichola, on which there are a hotel and a palace, this makes the scenery even nicer.
Around Udaipur you can visit a lot of other lakes. One of them is “Tiger Lake” (photo on the right), a very clean lake. It is situated in a valley and the northern side is surrounded by a half-drowned temple. One part of it still sticks out of the water and offers a great opportunity for a jump into the lake. On the eastern part of the city, perfectly reachable with a horse, is “Lotus Lake”. This one is in the middle of palm trees and water lilies and less crowded, only indigenous people or horse riders come here from time to time.
You can get a horse and a guide at one of the stables. “Pratap Country Inn” will charge you 1000 Rps (around 16$) for a two hours ride. “Princess Trails” is a little bit more expensive and just around the corner. The horses you will ride there are the ones of the earlier reigns, Marwati horses. They are famous for their ears which are curved to the inside making it look like a heart sometimes.
Another lake is “Tiger Lake” which earned its name because of the tigers who are wandering around this area. It became a big problem for the people living there because at night they eat all the goats, sheep or dogs. Smaller lakes are everywhere and Udaipur is therefore also named “Venice of the east” or the “City of Lakes”.
Another big attraction is the Udaipur City Palace. It´s located on the eastern side of the lake. They started building it after 1559 and the royal family lived in there. The architecture is very typical for Rajasthan and you will see a lot of mosaic and colorful paintings on the walls, as well as on benches or floors. The palace also offers a lot of gardens, so take your book and relax for a bit, enjoying the beauty of Rajasthan! For those who are more interested in history or archaeology, the palace provides heaps of museums inside where you will see real guns and fighting utensils as well as long family trees and paintings or photography. The entrance to the city palace is 250 Rps (around 4$). After a long day at the city palace you can pay 300 Rps (around 5$) more to enter the City Palace Pool which is situated in the City Palace Complex (photo on the top right). In the evening the best place to watch the sunset is the “Sunset Point”. A 20-30min walk from the main area it leads you through nice street food areas and up the hill to another lake. From here you can start your journey by going for a boat ride or taking the cable car up to the Sunset Point which is on a high wall and plateau with a temple. From there you’ve got a panoramic view over Lake Pichola, Udaipur’s buildings and the City Palace complex.
More Stories
The Value of Travel
The Real New Orleans Experience
Moko Jumbie Magic