To the ones that are unaware, Rajasthan, one of the largest states in the Indian Subcontinent, is divided into 3 major parts – Mewar, Marwar and Shekhawati. We explored parts of the Marwar and Shekhawati region a few years back and set to explore the mighty Mewar this time around.
Kumbhalgarh fort – Also known as the Great Wall of India, this fort has the worlds second longest boundary after the Great Wall of China and is a major tourist attraction. Though however, apart from this little detail, this fort failed to match the grandeur of the Chittorgarh fort. Be prepared to put on your walking shoes though!
We dint hire a guide here, so we had less of listening and learning to do here but a whole lot of picturesque photography.
Udaipur City – Our fourth and final day in Udaipur was all about the local sight seeing. City palace, FatehSagar Lake, Udai Vilas, Taj Lake Palace, Lake Pichola, et all.
Let me tell you, The City Palace has an entire room adorned with finely cut coloured glass [that by far was the thing that made the obsessive glass lover in me the happiest there!]
That was about our first day in what we like to call from now our King’s Landing [GOT runs in my blood, Valar Morghulis!]
Some key take -away’s from Udaipur
- BARGAIN BARGAIN BARGAIN – If you can’t bargain – stick to Uber.
- It’s always good to make an auto-wallah friend there, who appears like a genie whenever you call him in the traffic laden by lanes of the city. Our’s was called TAHIR !
- Always carry cold meds with you, as the dust can clog your nose to bits and you may have to run to chemists every day! [we had almost seen all the chemists in our area much to Tahir’s curiosity as to why we needed a drugstore every night. 😛 ]
- Don’t get conned into shopping anything from ‘Government Stores’. They will most certainly con you.
- There is a rope-way in Udaipur which is entirely misable. Please dont waste your time there.
- Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh are day trips away from Udaipur and hence can be managed in a rented car. Always rent cars from local travel agencies. We rented our car through an uber driver who picked us from Udaipur Airport [yes, that happened!], and we are sure we overpaid.
- Sit by the promenade on Fateh Sagar Lake, Bombay peeps get all the marine drive feels here.
- When it comes to dressing – ladies wear what you want, no fuss! [I wore shorts throughout Rajasthan]
- Dont forget to dine at Raas Leela, and Ambrai Haveli, 1559 AD and Upre. You will need to book these places, but its worth the splurge!
- Udaipur is not very famed for its shopping, so dont fuss over it here.
- The guides at all these forts have enviable photography skills! just hand them your camera and feel like a runway model. They make you pose, and also chide you when you dont pose well 😛
So, thats about the first half of our trip – watch the next part, for what happened once we left Udaipur , and where we ended up.
Our stay in Udaipur was Club Mahindra Holidays courtesy Prateik Sachdev which greatly reduced our per day cost [INR 1000 -1500 per day guys!!!].
and lastly a very big thankyou to my gang – PS, MP, NK, AG and RT … my holidays are incomplete without you guys!
As a parting note, treat yourself to some ghoomar [rajasthani folk dance] from me and mine, to you and yours :-
