Udaipur

Udaipur is a beautiful city, and surprisingly clean compared to other places in India. The air quality is also much better so the blue sky was appreciated by us. There is no doubt that throughout India each hotel we have stayed at has been plush, palatial and extravagant. Udaipur was no different with our hotel, the Fateh Prakash Palace, sitting right on the lake with a beautiful view towards the Taj Lake Palace. For those who are interested the Taj Lake Palace was featured in the James Bond movie Octopussy.

Udaipur is known as the ‘City of Lakes’ because of its sophisticated lake system. It has seven lakes surrounding the city with five of those lakes under restoration. Udaipur is also known for its historic forts and palaces, museums, galleries and architectural temples.

Udaipur was the last stop on our trip, and the more relaxed feel of the city was a pleasant way to finish what had otherwise been a busy holiday.

Here are some highlights of Udaipur.

City Palace – the Palace was built in a flamboyant style atop a hill providing a panoramic view of the city and its surroundings, taking 400 years to complete. It overlooks Lake Pichola and several historic monuments like the Lake Palace. It is well worth a visit as some of the treasures that remain inside are quite spectacular. It is a well maintained tourist attraction.
Jagdish Temple – located in easy walking distance from the City Palace this Hindhu temple has been in continuous worship since 1651. There are 4 smaller shrines which circle the larger shrine in the middle. You will marvel at the sculptures once inside and the detail in the carvings. Local and religious customs must be observed once you enter the temple.
Maharana Vintage and Classic Car Museum – if you like vintage cars then take time to visit this museum. There is a wonderful collection on hand, with some great stories behind many of them. Well worth a visit. Credit to the owner of this web page, as there is limited public information about this museum.
Eklingji Temples – a Hindu temple complex which is located about 22 kms from Udaipur and has no entry fee. The temple is situated on the bank of the Indersagar Lake and has about 108 shrines within its walls. It is a peaceful place away from the hustle and bustle of Udaipur and offers some great photographic opportunities.
Raas Devigarh – as part of our day trip to the Eklingji Temples, we came home via this magnificent 18th Century palace located on the Aravalli Hills of Udaipur. We were treated to the most beautiful lunch whilst enjoying sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. The hotel was exquisite and we were treated to a tour of its rooms and amenities. It is located in the country and somewhat out of the way, so we are not sure how many visitors would actually head to it, and for what reason. However, it was a wonderful experience for our group.
Tour of City of Lakes – just down the road from the City Palace is the wharf where you can catch a boat tour of Lake Pichola. There are plenty on offer so it just depends on what you wish to see. Our tour took us to Jagmandir Island Palace, situated in the middle of the lake. Although the hotel did not appear to have a lot of guests staying there, it had beautiful views looking across the water to Udaipur. We think a boat trip is well worth it as it does give you a lovely perspective of the city.

Travel Tips

There is some pretty good shopping to be had in the side streets near the Jagdish Temple. They offer good souvenirs and relatively cheap prices.
Most tour operators know where to take their customers to the ‘designer’ tourist shops which offer goods specifically tailored to the tourist industry. Whilst some of these can be annoying, as you are a captive audience, they can also offer some lovely products which you would otherwise find hard to source in a city the size of Udaipur. We were taken to a lovely linen shop, and also an artisan shop where they sold beautiful paintings, wall hangings and a score of other lovely souvenirs. Whereas the prices may be a little higher, you do end up getting some beautiful mementos.
The Taj Lake Palace is one of those places that you would just love to visit and enjoy a glass of champagne on their verandah, overlooking the lake and Udaipur. Unfortunately only hotel guests are allowed such luxuries, so perhaps consider it as your choice of hotel when you visit this city.

Travel Alerts

Most of our stops in India were places where you would not walk out at night alone, or try and find local restaurants. But Udaipur was a little different in the area where we stayed. However, we still were very careful not to take too much cash on us and certainly kept our passports etc. locked in our rooms.