The Udaipur Diaries

My husband and I recently celebrated our first wedding anniversary. The occasion called for a celebration and what better celebration than going on tour! The first destination that came to my mind was Udaipur. I visited Udaipur in 2017 and instantly fell in love with the city. Udaipur's history and heritage fascinated me as an avid history lover. And I knew that I would come back one day. My description of Udaipur convinced my husband to finalise it as our holiday (experience of working in travel sales came in handy and how!)

Now that the destination was finalised, it was time to look at the accommodation. We decided to explore the city as much as possible so we decided to stay in a travel hostel (which was located just 1 km away from the City Palace and had several attractions at walking distance) for 3 nights and a lavish lake-side venue (Right next to the City Palace and overlooking Lake Pichola) for 1 night. The whole purpose was to spend most of our time outdoors exploring the city. We even ditched booking a cab for our everyday commute and opted for the local transport and experiencing the city on foot. With everything in place, our adventure began!

Our journey began at Eklingji Mandir, a divine temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, just a short drive from Udaipur. The intricate carvings and an even interesting history, made us realise that we did the right thing visiting here first. Udaipur is filled with temples, ghats and history. We realised that in the course of our stay there. When we came back from Eklingji, we discovered a Ghat called “Ram Ghat” that was just 200 m away from our hostel.

On reaching there, we came to know that the Ram Mandir on the Ghat was the oldest in Udaipur hence the name – “Ram Ghat”. Udaipur's ghats stole our hearts. From the serene vibes of Gangaur Ghat to the quiet beauty of Ram Ghat, each one had a unique story to tell. The sunset at Gangaur Ghat was indeed memorable.

The City Palace is nothing short of a masterpiece. As our guide took us on a journey back in time, we could imagine the grandeur it had in the yesteryears. The tales of bravery and honour left us in awe. Later, we proceeded to take a boat ride from The City Palace to Jag Mandir. And boy was it beautiful!

We were right in time to witness the sunset. As we came back to the Palace and looked behind, we could see the serene lake against the backdrop of the sun setting and turning the sky almost purple. And there is no exaggeration when we say that it was easily the best sunset we have seen in our lives.

The ropeway ride to Karni Mata gave us a different perspective of Udaipur. And going to Chittorgarh and exploring the fort, we were taken back in time as we heard stories of incredible valour and faith. Every corner of Udaipur has stories to tell of the past. Every turn has a small temple/monument that dates back to decades and centuries even! Every local we met, showed immense pride in their culture.

The hospitality of Udaipur is something that we will never forget. From the smallest of the café to the lake-side fine dining restaurants, everyone made sure that we were comfortable, were given the best of what they had to offer and even went a step ahead just to make sure that we had an unforgettable experience. When thanked, they proudly said that hospitality and guest service are in the blood of Mewad.

Speaking of café and restaurants, Udaipur surprised us in the best possible way! The city has adapted to the palette of every visitor. From your local superstar Dal-bati churma, pyaaz kachori, ghewar and malai ghewar, to avocado toast, smoothie bowls, spinach crepes, millet pizzas, gluten-free and keto dishes, anything you ask, you get! The coffee culture of Udaipur deserves a segment of its own. From fancy lake-side cafés to a hole-in-the-wall café the coffee game was very strong. It was a culinary adventure we didn’t expect to have but were glad that we did!

As we explored the city on foot and rickshaws we met people from different nationalities. French, British, Australian, South Korean and more. They all had stories to tell and suggestions to ask. While conversing, we realised that every single one of them was having a wonderful time and was here to explore India for 3-4 months. It filled us with pride to know about people loving our Incredible India and its culture.

Our Udaipur holiday turned out to be even better than expected. And it was all because of the wonderful people, those colourful streets, mouth-watering food, the ghats that gave us the prettiest sunsets and experiences that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. We explored so much but it never felt tiring. Probably because our minds were filled with the serenity of the city. Udaipur, you were lovely! Here’s hoping that we get to meet again. Until then, Khamma Ghani!