Udaipur is in no doubt in India, there is traffic, there are people, there is something happening everywhere you turn. But, for us it was a little piece of relaxation within the chaos of Northern India. After spending a few days in Delhi and catching our first overnight train we were ready for a slightly slower pace.
Known as the city of lakes, Udaipur is surrounded by seven different lakes and you can see the water from most places in the city. We spent as much time as we could by the water, watching the water and we even went onto the water. Our favourite place was the Rainbow Cafe, a relaxed rooftop cafe serving great food and drinks, including beer! A wonderful place to sit as the sun sets, with a great view out over one of the lakes. A must visit if you’re in Udaipur.
You can get out onto the lake in a couple of different ways, there are boat tours and there is a hotel situated right in the middle. We opted for the much cheaper option and took a boat tour.
City Palace
One of the other top things to do in Udaipur is to visit the City Palace which is situated on top of a hill. It was super hot the day we went and it was pretty busy. If you’re interested in the history of the palace then it’s worth opting for the audio guide, it contains a lot of information. Otherwise it’s a nice place to wander around with lots of pretty places for photographs. In the centre of the palace is a peaceful garden where you can sit and relax for a while.
Cultural Show – Haweli Ki Bagore
In the evenings you can watch a cultural show at the Haweli Ki Bagore. It was an hour long show which was fun to see, the highlight being the ladies balancing pots on their heads and the dancing puppets. Not exactly a must do but it’s a fun way to spend the evening.
Jagdish Temple
One must do that I would suggest is visiting the Jagdish Template which is right in the middle of a cross road. It is a beautiful template made of carved stone in a pyramid shape. One of the nicest things is you have to walk around barefoot, which to me makes you feel more connected to a place. It’s safe to say it has a spiritual feel about the place.
While we were making our way around an old man came out of what looked like a cave and asked if we wanted to see some of his paintings. I’m always a little weary of this type of interaction but it was actually great. Awesome little shop with carvings and silk paintings. He wasn’t particularly pushy which helped, and actually convinced us to buy a couple of silk paintings.
Udaipur was by far my favourite place we visited on our short trip to India. Of course it doesn’t have the huge ticket sites like the Taj Mahal or Varanasi, nor does it have the beaches of Goa but it’s still a fantastic place to visit with a great vibe. I wouldn’t question a second visit!
