The Indian City That Must Be at the Top of Your Travel List

A retreat that will enrich mind and soul

“When the mind is silent like a lake the lotus blossoms.”- Amit Ray

Do you know what’s the beauty of going to places which take your breath away?

You remember them all your life.

If you have travelled to over fifty countries, sometimes you miss out on highlighting the prominent part of your own culture. I realized I haven’t taken the opportunity to share about my favorite travel destination in my country by birth. The land of the brave and the adventurous, India.

Picture this — you are sitting with a cigar in hand by a lake and enjoying the sunset from your palace. You hear birds chirping and you enjoy the light sound of the flute in the background.

This is how I’ll remember Udaipur, the city of lakes in the state of Rajasthan, in India that I visited sometime back.

Read on if you’d like a virtual tour.

Let Me Paint A Picture

You take a moment to admire the architectural marvel of the beautiful palaces and the lake, Pichola with Aravalli mountains in the background.

This was an out-of-this-world royal experience in the city of my ancestors.

That’s right! I am a half-Rajput and my ancestors are the natives of Udaipur. Maybe I come from the family of some Rajput kings. I don’t know that for sure. I could have easily been a distant relative of a king or even a commoner. This is not important, but the connection I felt to this place is.

Even if I am a commoner, it certainly didn’t stop me from undertaking the royal experience of staying at the grand Taj Mahal Lake Palace turned into a five-star hotel.

It shouldn’t stop you either. This palace-turned-hotel is my Number 1 recommendation to stay because it’s in the middle of the lake, unlike other palaces which are on the nearby land.

The Experience

The first day when we reached the Taj Lake Palace, the hospitality made us feel like royalty. Add to that the magnificence of the Lake palace and the beautiful terrace providing an amazing view of the lake and city palace making the entire experience truly breathtaking.

You can enjoy folk dance performances in the evening and there was also a flutist who played every morning and evening. I found the locals to be amazingly hospitable and simple.

As the evening came, we could take a place by the windows and admire the views of the city from the lake taking in the breeze.

You can soak in the calm and the serenity of the place as you watch the sunrise and the sunset.

Next day, sitting by the lakeside pool, reading a book, I enjoyed the majestic views of the Jagmandir Palace and the City Palace. Like this.

Attention Foodies

Udaipur has an excellent culinary scene, one that’s not to be missed.

We explored the restaurants in Taj Lake Palace. One was called Jharokha, which is multi-cuisine and has a beautiful location.

Another is Neel Kamal, which is Indian cuisine and we shared a traditional thali and tasted some of the local foods such as Lal Mass and Galauti kebab, which will appeal to meat lovers. I also loved the spinach mangodi, a local fried vegetarian dish. The highlight of the dinner was the rose-flavored kulfi ice-cream, which I still find hard to forget.

The other recommended restaurants to try are Raaj Bagh, Navidya, and Myra.

We also enjoyed dining at Shiv Niwas palace hotel one day and on another day, a candle-night dinner at Jagmandir Palace. Jagmandir Palace also had a beautiful garden on the lake.

For international guests, please be mindful of the spice levels and check specifically with the staff. The spice level can be even high for Indians here. So if you want mild, ask for no spice and if medium, then ask for mild to avoid any upsets.

Exploring the City

We also took the time to explore the city. We were captivated by the beauty of The City Palace as seen from Lake Palace, and to visit it in person was glorious. The opulence of the palace even until this day gives you an idea of the wealth the kings must’ve had.

The sound and light show told the story of the city through generations of Rajputs and served as a reminder of the lessons learned from history.

Rajput kings went through several wars amongst themselves and with outsiders for territory. Some of them became well-known for their bravery and never surrendered to the Mughals or the British Empire, while some were happy keeping up the appearance of the ruler while being under the external rule.

No matter which stories you like more, this show is an amazing peek into the rich cultural history of the city.

The City Palace Museum has an impressive collection of silverware, palanquins, furniture and art of the period, unlike anything I have seen across the world.

One thing you should not miss is the crystal gallery at Fateh Prakash Palace. It is unarguably the best crystal collection in the world.

Many international tourists spend 2–3 days monitoring the local museums.

Tying It All Together

The palaces, food, lake, peace, serene life and lovely locals of Udaipur will etch in your memories long after you leave.

Our batteries became fully recharged as we ended the trip to catch a flight back to the big city life.

This will be a thoroughly relaxing holiday for you, because you’ll enjoy the culture and the nature both.