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|  Wanderlust
Other | 4th October 2008 | | Cool Udaipur | Overview of the destination
A quaint, quiet old town with a plethora of historical monuments to visit. Udaipur, derived from the former ruler Maharana Udai Singh of Mewar, has adjusted to the times and has now customized itself to tourist requirements.
So, the old part of the city, consisting of a labyrinth of close buildings (many of them in fact adjoining each other - common wall) has been converted into ?Tourist Hostel? or its equivalent. Each of the buildings has renamed itself as a haveli and converted to a hotel. Since most of these haveli hotels are easy on the pocket (amazingly so in fact, especially when you compare the rates to the 5-star hotels nearby) the area is choc-a-bloc with foreign tourists wearing sunglasses and the mandatory backpack and looking pleased as punch with their surroundings. The food is accordingly overpriced and multi-cuisine. I was amazed to find every cuisine from Italian to Spanish on the menu of even the simplest of havelis. Additionally, the people who cater to tourists are extremely polite and well-mannered ? a pleasure to see compared to most places frequented by foreign tourists where hotel personnel are very perceptibly if politely rude to those who have a non-white skin.
I loved the weather of Udaipur. Cool and pleasant, it is a complete contrast to that of the rest of Rajasthan. The sun does not burn you to a cinder as it does in the rest of the state. Although it is still advisable to stay out of the sun from say 11.00 am to 5.00 pm.
Although I saw only three of which two were interconnected (Lake Swaroop and Lake Fateh Sagar), the water does lend coolness to the atmosphere of Udaipur.Food, sight-seeing and shopping
The main attractions are the City Palace which takes around 1.5 hours to visit with a guide and the Monsoon Palace which has a fantastic view of the sunset as it is situated around 3000 sq. ft above sea level. Additionally, the Fateh Sagar lake is a don?t miss. The lake is a lovely blue with patches of green that can be seen from the Nehru Park. You can either hire a boat for Rs.300 (around 9 seaters) or pay Rs.80 per seat in a normal boat. The hired boat will take you around the lake for 45 minutes and wait for you while you explore the extremely cute and well-manicured Nehru Park. This is a garden which is right in the middle of the lake, fountains and all and makes for a very pleasant break in the middle of the day. The normal state owned boat will take you to Nehru Park and back without the 30 extra minutes around the lake.
Do wander around the ?Tourist market? in the old city as well as ?Gandhi market? in the main city. Rates are most reasonable at ?Gandhi market? which is near Hathi Pol.
Another attraction is ?Saheliyon ki badi? but I didn?t find it exactly attractive. It is a garden which had a pretty deserted look when we visited mid-day ? possibly that time of the day was too hot for touristy walks around open-air gardens.
Lake Pichola is supposed to be another attraction but the cost prohibited us from enjoying the attraction. Rs.325 per person for a boat ride around the lake and a visit to Jag Mandir which apparently is not a mandir (temple) at all. But I couldn?t verify this.
Hotels are aplenty in the old city area next to Lake Pichola at rates that are easy on the pocket and have the advantage of being close to the main attractions. There are hotels on both sides of the lake, so you have a vast pick. The four and five-star hotels are a little further inside the city while there are a couple on the Fateh Sagar lake which are very beautiful but seemed likely to have transportation problems since they are a little farther away from both the city or the attractions. Activities & things to do
Not much to do besides sight-seeing and shopping but that is enough to keep you occupied for the trip. Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.
There's a lot of walking and climbing of steps to do in Udaipur. As the old part of the city is built on a slope, even the simplest of walks becomes an uphill climb. So - be sure to take a pair of good walking shoes along! | |
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Udaipur Forums on HolidayIQ XChange |
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| Recent questions on Udaipur - Answer them now! |
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 Advice on touring Udaipur hotspots | | Hi
What is the best way to visit all the tourist spots in Udaipur city in 2 days ? Do we have guided tours from rajasthan Tourism covering all the places, or do we have to visit each of them on our own ? If we have to visit on our own, can we cover some attractions on foot and avail taxi for others | | | Good hotel in Udaipur | | Hai,
Can you help me in getting the telephone Nos. of some of the reasonably good budget hotels in Udaipur for our visit during Oct. Range at rs.1000/- per day.
thanks | | | Advice needed on Hotel stay | | Hi folks
I am searching for a good hotel to stay for my visit in October. I would like a lake-side hotel, so want to know if its better to stay in Lake Pichola hotels or Lake Fatehsagar hotels ? I prefer a less crowded area, which shouldnt be too far from the main city and tourist areas. I will be staying with my wife. My only criteria is that the room should be good - clean, fairly large and a view of the lake. I read that some hotels beside lake pichola offer dirty views of nallah-like water or people bathing/washing clothes.. which would be a turn off for me
Based on my search I shortlisted Tiger hotel, Kankarwa Haveli and Lakend, Lake View Villa homestay. Please advise
Also, how is weather in October, is AC required or will it be too cold ? | |
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Experience Rajasthan |
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 |  Wildlife
Rajiv and Viveka Talwar made a trip to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in the month of November as the climate would...
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| | |  Rajasthan Havelis
Meenu and Ajit Prasad drove from Jaipur on a haveli tour in the Shekhawati region, just a few hours drive away...
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Experiences in Rajasthan Coming Soon..... | |
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Destinations in Rajasthan (Where to go in Rajasthan ) |
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| Articles and Blogs | | Udaipur Blog - Blog about a trip to Udaipur with Photographs. | | Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Udaipur - The desert city of Udaipur is famous for its royal palaces, tranquil lakes, and scenic rocky hills. | | Official Websites | | Government of Rajasthan - Rajasthan Government portal covering diverse topics including health, tourism, culture, climate, Tenders and e-Governance.
| | Rajasthan Tourism - Rajasthan Tourism Government portal - Official website of Dept. of Tourism, covers Rajasthan Entry formalities, Places of Interest in Rajasthan, List of Tourist Guides in Rajasthan and Transportation in Rajasthan.
| | Other Useful Links | | Weather - Weather forecast for Udaipur with a fast, easy to use interface. Includes weather maps, graphics and radar images. | | Introduction to Udaipur - Udaipur, the "City of Sunrise," described as the most romantic city in India, was built around 4 lakes. |
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