Rajasthan, Romantic City, Travel, Traveling Milestones, Travelling, Udaipur

Udaipur-Romantically Yours

Udaipur- Romantically Yours.

Udaipur is one of the most romantic places in India, located in Rajasthan. It was built by the Rajputs of Mewar in the 16th century AD. It is a city of palaces havelis, temples, and museums built around the shimmering waters of Lake Pichola. Though Udaipur has 2 lakes Fateh Sagar and lake Pichola, all the action is around Lake Pichola.

The Lake Palace of Udaipur

Getting there:

Udaipur is well-connected by road, rails, and air. The easiest way is to take a flight from Delhi airport which takes a little more than an hour and is available daily. The train journey is overnight by Mewar express from Delhi. By road, it’ll take 12-15 hours approximately at a distance of 650km from Delhi.

The imposing facade of City Palace from the Lake.

Best time to visit:

Like any place in Rajasthan, winter is the best season to visit.

View from SajjanGarh

Things to do:

  • The most important thing to do is gazing at the expanse of the lake Pichola, with the magnificently shining white lake palace at its center.
  • Then there’s enormous city palace touring which will take at least half a day. There are a number of different buildings which has been added by successive rulers and then integrated later.
  • There’s also an evening light and sound show which tells you the history of Mewar and Udaipur.
  • Boating at the lake especially at sunset is beautiful and the view of different palaces havelis and ghats from the lake is indeed a delight. Jag Mandir is a small palace on the lake which can be visited by boat only.
  • Udaipur has still more palaces like the Sajjangarh or monsoon palace which is located on a hill and view of city and lakes from the top are more interesting than the palace itself.
  • There’s also a vintage car museum which displays the king’s Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, and many other vintage cars.
  • A must do is to stroll around the old city and take in the vibe. It’s a charming city with numerous antique shops, cafes, temples and plenty of tourists.
The brilliantly lit City Palace at Night

Shopping:

The city is a shoppers delight for miniature art, stone sculpture, silver jewelry and wooden toys. There are number of emporiums like the state-owned Rajasthali.

Where to stay:

There’s no dearth of options in Udaipur from high-end luxury to budget hotels. If you want to be in the center of action the stay at Lake Pichola which is much recommended, but if you want your stay to be peaceful and quiet then further away around Lake Fateh Sagar is a good option. We had a memorable stay at the Trident which a good midrange option. Look out for good deals at different websites according to your needs.

Eateries:

A lot of options to choose from Indian, continental, Italian etc. a number of rooftop bars and cafe with a good view of the lake are perfect for sundowners. I fondly remember Ambrai restaurant for its location and food. Sitting on its deck with the waters of Lake Pichola napping at your feet you can gaze at gorgeous views of the lake palace and the city palace both. Perfect place for barbeque dinners.

The City as seen from the Palace

Around Udaipur:

  • Chittorgarh- a day trip from Udaipur brings you to the magnificent ruins of the famous palace of Rani Padmavati, Vijay Stambh, and the Johar site.
  • Ranakpur Temples- a 15th-century Jain temple located one and a half hour from Udaipur city is famous worldwide for its brilliant architecture And is definitely worth a visit.
  • Kumbhalgarh fort located 64 km from north of Udaipur is the second most important fort after Chittorgarh in the Mewar region. It’s a world heritage site in hill forts of Rajasthan and is famous as the fort which was never conquered.

Why go:

Despite being a popular tourist destination Udaipur doesn’t lose its charm. There’s a palpable romantic vibe which resonates throughout the city. So visit Udaipur to relive the romance.

Pictures courtesy Mr. Sushant Ghatak. (Follow the link for more images)

Udaipur, Romantically Yours.
Click to Pin It

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *