Udaipur

City of Lakes

15.07.2009 37 °C

So called the Eastern Venice, Udaipur was the stage for the film Octopussy and is very different to the India we have seen so far. Green, surrounded by mountains, and as clean as it can be, we could not believe our eyes when we saw it. The main attraction of the city is Pichola Lake, which does not hold any water due to the drought. In the centre, the great Palace Hotel stands out and is only accessible to the guests.

Most of the guest houses and hotels have roof top restaurants, which give you a splendid view of the lake and the hotel. Our hotel, the Udai Niwas, was no exception! We met some Brit travellers and chilled out in the terrace with them both nights. It was nice to exchange opinions about the country and we got some good advice on what to do in Jaipur and Agra. It has been the first stop where we have felt more like chilling out and enjoying a conversation with locals and foreigners, rather than visiting temples non-stop. Either way, we did visit the biggest palace in Rajasthan, and it was worth it.