The Charming Udaipur
I never thought that I’m going to like Udaipur so much. With great appeal and charisma this place has, I regret that we had only allotted two days on this destination. Our goal is to visit the famous Chittorgarh Fort which Udaipur is the nearest point but after landing into the state, there are just too many reasons to stay longer. It made us feel more that our short stay was really a short one.
Udaipur which is a district part of the state of Rajasthan is also nicknamed as the city of lakes. It has five major lakes. Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar are considered some of the most beautiful lakes in the state.
It is said that the city is also a favourite marriage destination. No doubt, why we got charmed of its beauty.
It was around 3:30 PM when we had landed in the airport of Udaipur. The airport which is situated in a middle of plains gave me an impression about the state that it was like deserted.
The weather in Udaipur when we came was far different from the weather of the places that we’ve been to previously. It was scorching but living in a tropical country felt it was just normal kind of weather to us.
Going out of the airport could be one of the difficulties every traveler faces. The airport of Udaipur is situated 22 km (14 mi) east of Udaipur which can be traveled by a vehicle for around 45 minutes. Because I couldn’t find a comprehensive account of how to get to the city from the airport through public buses or shuttle, we had decided to avail for an airport pick up from our hotel which costs Rs 600 one way.
It was around 5:00 PM when we reached our hotel, Panorama Guest House. The hotel is located at Chand Pole, Ambamata facing Lake Pichola. The city is famous for its lakes and amazing views so I didn’t pass the chance of not having a great view of the city surrounding our hotel thus I had booked a room on top floor with a lake view for us.
It was nearing sunset when we had decided to get out from our room and get to the City Palace.
We were able to reach the City Palace after a half an hour of walking. We then proceeded to the counter to pay for the entrance.
Visiting the massive fort will take an all day, so to avoid the hassle of transferring from one place to another we had decided to get a taxi from our hotel to take us on a tour to Chittorgarh Fort. The non air-conditioned taxi ride costs Rs 1,800.
The weather in Udaipur when we came was far different from the weather of the places that we’ve been to previously. It was scorching but living in a tropical country felt it was just normal kind of weather to us.
Going to the City Proper
Going out of the airport could be one of the difficulties every traveler faces. The airport of Udaipur is situated 22 km (14 mi) east of Udaipur which can be traveled by a vehicle for around 45 minutes. Because I couldn’t find a comprehensive account of how to get to the city from the airport through public buses or shuttle, we had decided to avail for an airport pick up from our hotel which costs Rs 600 one way.
It was around 5:00 PM when we reached our hotel, Panorama Guest House. The hotel is located at Chand Pole, Ambamata facing Lake Pichola. The city is famous for its lakes and amazing views so I didn’t pass the chance of not having a great view of the city surrounding our hotel thus I had booked a room on top floor with a lake view for us.
The double airconditioned room that costs Rs 1,200 a night was worth the price that we paid. It has a great and amazing view of the surrounding, and when you get to the rooftop, you’ll get a panoramic view of the city.
The metropolitan of this state looks like those in Morocco. It just felt amazing seeing such great sight.
Spending Sunset at the City Palace
It was nearing sunset when we had decided to get out from our room and get to the City Palace.
Because the famous spot that we will be visiting can be walked from our guesthouse, we had then decided to walk, as well as to explore the streets of the inner-city. The streets are narrow and lined up of different stores selling souvenir items, local artworks, food and other things.
We were able to reach the City Palace after a half an hour of walking. We then proceeded to the counter to pay for the entrance.
We had initially planned to visit the museum inside the palace but we weren’t able to catch its opening hours so we had just spent our entire time roaming around the complex.
The complex is one of the most visited attractions in Udaipur.
The palace complex was built by the Maharana Udai Singh as the capital of the Sisodia Rajput clan in 1559. It is situated on the east bank of Lake Pichola. The City Palace has several palaces built within its complex. It is one of the architectural marvels of Rajasthan which was built in a flamboyant style and is considered the largest of its type in the state.
Taj Lake Palace and the Sundown
Taj Lake Palace is a vintage luxury hotel floating in the middle (or constructed) of Lake Pichola.
A great view of the lake palace and the sundown can be seen from the Sunset Terrace which is situated inside the complex of City Palace.
Night Lights of Udaipur
The view of the city is equally stunning when the night fall. The urban lights and the calmness of the lake made it a perfect combination for us to get charmed even more.
Chittorgarh Fort
Chittorgarh Fort is said to be the largest fort in India and the grandest in the state of Rajasthan. The huge fort is located on a high hill near the Gambheri River in Chittorgarh. The fort lies at a distance of 112 kms from the city of Udaipur, which can be reached with a travel time of 2 hours from the centre of Udaipur.
Visiting the massive fort will take an all day, so to avoid the hassle of transferring from one place to another we had decided to get a taxi from our hotel to take us on a tour to Chittorgarh Fort. The non air-conditioned taxi ride costs Rs 1,800.
Admission fee to the fort cost Rs 100 for foreign tourists and Rs 10 for Indians.
Getting an own car or transport is advisable when visiting the fort as walking may take extremely taxing as walking around this massive fort can take a whole day.
Getting an own car or transport is advisable when visiting the fort as walking may take extremely taxing as walking around this massive fort can take a whole day.
One can also get a guide to accompany you in touring around the fort. A guide usually costs Rs 300 but our taxi driver was so kind enough to offer himself as our guide (with no additional fee) as he is also knowledgeable about the different spots and must see inside the fort.
We spent about 3 to 4 hours roaming around the fort area. We were able to visit about 5 major sightseeings.
It was around 4:00 PM when we left the fort and went back to Udaipur.
It was already nighttime when we arrived in our guesthouse in Udaipur. We still have few hours to spend before we leave Udaipur and hop into an evening train ride to Jaipur. We had spent our remaining hours lounging in the common area of the guesthouse.
At around 9:00 PM, we took an auto rickshaw going to the train station. It was going to be our first train ride in India – indeed, a different journey to experience.
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Panorama Guesthouse
At around 9:00 PM, we took an auto rickshaw going to the train station. It was going to be our first train ride in India – indeed, a different journey to experience.
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Panorama Guesthouse
Hanuman Ghat,Chand Pole, Ambamata
Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Phone No: +91-294-2431027
E-mail: krishna2311@rediffmail.com
www.panoramaguesthouse.in
I am from Indian but unfortunately never get chance yet to be in Udaipur city. I have been to Jaipur once and it was really so lovely experience. I always love to visit various historical tourist spots and Chittorgarh Fort is in my wish list. I just love you all images and content is also much encouraging for me to plan my trip. I hope I would be there very soon.