After a long day exploring on our journey from Jodhpur, we arrived at the beautiful City of Lakes, Udaipur. We arrived at the Trident Udaipur Hotel late in the evening, went through the usual temperature and health screening before checking in.
While we had the opportunity to explore the city and food scene of Udaipur, we were so exhausted we opted for dinner at the hotel. The restaurant offered a buffet option or ala carte dinner. We chose not to do the buffet and then learned that the plated dinner also included a trip to the buffet for salad and dessert – quite a bargain.
After an early night, and a good night’s sleep grabbed breakfast and headed off to explore Udaipur. The resort was beautiful, but we had a very full day.
Lake Pichola
Our first adventure of the day was a boat ride around Lake Pichola, an artificial freshwater lake created in 1362. The lake is bordered by the city and City Palace on one side, several hotels on the other, and beautiful hills off to one side.
The leisurely morning boat ride took us past gazebos lining the water, some where locals came to bathe.
We also circled the incredible Jag Mandir, the Lake Garden Palace, in the middle of the lake. We’d absolutely love to stay there!
As we made our way to the city side of the lake, we boarded a bus for a quick tour of the city before heading to the City Palace.
A Royal Procession
As we approached the City Palace, we passed a procession for the Royal Family leading up to the palace. The procession included beautifully decorated horses, bagpipers, and drummers, gifts for the Royal Family.
While we were still inside the bus with no place to stop, we managed to grab a quick video.
However, while I was off exploring the palace, Chuck was chilling in the courtyard when the procession arrived. He captured some great images, the brilliant colors were pretty amazing.
Udaipur City Palace
City Palace Udaipur Entry Fee
30 Rupees per person for Adults (approximately .40 US)
15 Rupees per person for Children (approximately .20 US
The City Palace was built over 400 years, beginning in about 1553. The palace complex is actually a series of structures that include 11 small palaces. The entire complex is made of granite and marble.
The palace is very ornate and considered the largest palace of its type in Rajasthan. It sits on the top of a hill overlooking the city, Lake Pichola, and several historical monuments. You might actually recognize some of it from the James Bond movie Octopussy, filmed back in 1983.
The Garden of Maidens
Entry Fee
50 Rupees per person for Foreigners (approximately .67 US)
After spending the morning at the Udaipur City Palace, we headed over to Sahelion Ki Bari, also known as the Garden of Maidens.
The gardens were designed by Maharana Sangram Singh II for the entertainment of royal ladies and their maids of honor. The gardens were peaceful and quiet and are filled with fountains, kiosks, and a lotus pool with marble elephants.
It was a great way to end our too-short visit to Udaipur.
Taking Flight For Mumbai
A majority of our India adventures were on a tour bus, putting us at ground level for the diverse Indian countryside and gave us the ability to stop at unique sites.
For the last leg of our journey, we headed to Udaipur’s Maharana Pratap Airport. Our departure and flight to Mumbai were uneventful. But after that, life and our Indian adventure were about to change.