Today we will talk about Udaipur – the City of Lakes.
Recently I traveled to Udaipur from Gurgaon, it was an instantly planned 3D2N solo trip filled with a list of things to do, a bunch of places to visit and a bucket full of experiences to have for life.
ABOUT UDAIPUR
Udaipur is located in Rajasthan. It is surrounded by the beautiful Aravalli hills from all sides.
Located in a valley, Udaipur has a total of eight lakes, the biggest and most beautiful one being Fateh Sagar lake. Nothing could beat the experience of sitting nearby a lake in the evening, sipping through your cup of chai or coffee and enjoying the cold winter breeze. It luckily rained when I was there, making the whole experience even more memorable.
The best time to visit Udaipur is during winters, anytime between November and March.
HOW TO REACH UDAIPUR
You can reach Udaipur either by air, road or rail. The domestic airport is approximately 20km away from the main city, railway station and bus stand are located within the city premises.
I traveled from Gurgaon and preferred traveling by bus mainly because of the overnight journey plus I get to enjoy the tasty Dhaba food along the way.
Once you reach Udaipur, you can crack a packaged deal with Auto/Cab to help you visit all key places. But, if you know how to ride a scooter or bike, I’d suggest renting one, because you don’t want to be stuck in traffic that is a usual thing to find in lean lanes of Udaipur.
WHERE TO STAY IN UDAIPUR
Udaipur provides a host of options to stay, anything from affordable homestays to 5-star luxury stays are available, it totally depends on your requirement and budget.
Udaipur is divided broadly into the new and the old town, most of the popular touring spots are in the old city, so it is preferable to stay in the old city.
There’s also a Zostel in the old city, so if traveling solo you may prefer bunker beds as well. I stayed in a budget homestay in the old city that I booked via Airbnb and it cost me only 1000 rupees a day. Full paisa wasool!
THINGS TO DO
The list is long, I’ll try to keep it short.
1. Fateh Sagar lake
Many things to do here, from taking a boat ride, or sitting/walking beside the lake to enjoy the cold breeze or even taking a camel ride.
There are many restaurants/dhaba as well nearby so you can always have something to munch while you are there.
2. Nehru Garden (Island)
The best moment for me was going to this island park located in the midst of the Fateh Sagar Lake. If you are also someone who enjoys the playful sound of water with no city chaos, then you are definitely going to love this.
I didn’t take any photos as I was totally lost in the peace this island had.
3. Aquarium – Under the Sun
This aquarium is located near Fateh Sagar Lake.
Though visiting aquarium may sound boring by the name, but once you go inside there’s a host of other things to do, like thrilling VR setup and fish pedicure.
The fish pedicure was really an amazing experience and I’d recommend everyone to try this once. It was a bit scary for me first, but then I got used to the tickling.
4. City Palace
This palace is the heart of Udaipur, located on the banks of Pichola lake. It was built by the rulers of Mewar dynasty.
Coming to the point, if you are a person interested in knowing about history, museums, etc. you will definitely love this place. Otherwise, do what I did, take an entertaining guide along who could make the visit more entertaining for you.
How to find which guide could make the visit more interesting for you? First, simply walk in without paying for a guide, once you are within the premises observe which group is laughing out loud. Join that group and ask the guide to help you walk through the palace. Simple, right?
Here’s a bunch of photos from my visit:
5. Shilpgram
Shipgram is situated in the new part of the Udaipur city. It’s a great place to enjoy folk music, dance and local art.
Especially the cultural program that starts from 6 pm. Here’s a glimpse of my visit:
6. Bagore Ki Haweli
This is another haveli located on the banks of Lake Pichola.
If you’ve never been to a puppet museum, you can give this place a shot. Also, you can get some really nice photos here as well.
7. Food
I won’t go the extent of calling myself a foodie, but yes I do like different types and cuisines of food.
As it’s said, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, I thoroughly enjoyed the traditional Rajasthani food. Here are the restaurants I visited:
Khamma Ghani – Delicious food by the Lake Pichola
Chappan Bhog – for Rajasthani thali
Candlelight dinner by the lakeside – I don’t remember the name
Luckily, when I visited Udaipur it rained almost every day, thus making the experience even more beautiful.
There were several other things as well, like saheliyo ki bari, the wax museum, vintage car museum which I visited. I’ve only mentioned the ones I thoroughly enjoyed.
Hope this helps in planning your trip to Udaipur!
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