Udaipur Rajasthan

This beautiful city is one of the most attractive and romantic cities in India. It is known as the “Venice of the East.” Udaipur has attractive, landscaped gardens and beautiful lakes, impressive palaces, havelis, and temples. The city palace, a popular tourist site, is located high over the waters of Lake Pichola. The city is about 610m (2,000 ft) above sea level.

Udaipur is a pleasant, hassle-free place, where the people are friendly and helpful. It is enjoyable to wander around the streets of the old city. Udaipur is popular with foreign tourists and it is definitely worth a visit.

Udaipur was named after Maharaja Udai Singh, who founded the city in the middle of the 16th century after his former capital of Chittorgarh was sacked by the Mughal emperor, Akbar. The Maharaja of Udaipur is the leader of the Mewar Rajputs, and he is the highest-ranked Rajput ruler. The Maharaja is known as the “Sun King” and has the emblem of the sun on his standard.

The city was once completely surrounded by a wall, but all that remains now are the gates and some pieces of wall in the city’s upper areas. The wall surrounding the old city has five gates with iron spikes on them to protect against elephant attacks.

During the Mewar Festival there is a lake parade, music, dance, and fireworks.

Information and Tours
A wall surrounds the old city. The bus and railway stations are outside this wall in the southeast part of town. Most of the accommodations and the City Palace are near the Jagdish Temple, which is a landmark that all the rickshaw drivers know.

The Tourist Office (241-1535), Fateh Memorial Building, close to Surajpol, is in the northeast part of town, outside the city walls, about 1km from the bus stand. Open Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm. There are tourist counters at the south end of the City Palace, the airport (265-5433) and the railway station (8 am to 11:30am & 4 pm to 7 pm. RTDC, at the tourist office, rents cars for the day (around Rs 1100)

.Out and About magazine (free) has useful information about Udapur including hotel and restaurant info.

Udaipur Website http://www.udaipurdiary.com

There is a daily city tour (5 hr, Rs 50) that begins at the RTDC Hotel Kajri at 8 am. A Rajasthan Tourism afternoon tour goes to Nathdwar, Eklingji, and Haldi Ghati (Rs 90). It starts at the Kajri Tourist Bungalow at 2 pm and ends at 7 pm.

Poste restante is collected at the City Post Office at Shastri Circle. It is not far from the RTDC Hotel Kajri. It is not suppose to be such a good place to recieve poste restante.

Internet at Comfort Travels, just outside the entrance to the City Palace Museum. Also most of the hotels have Internet services for around Rs 40 per hour.

Bicycles can be hired next to the Hotel Keerti on Airport Rd. Heera Cycle Store, 86 Gangaur Ghat rd, has good rates for renting a bike (Rs 30 per day0. They also rent out scooters and small motorcycles at reasonable princes.

Some established travels agencies are Haveli Tours and Travel (523-525), Gangaur Ghat Marg, near Lalghat, who deals with airline tickets; Rajasthan Tours (525-777); and Shrinath Travels (524-333).. Comfort Travels (241-9746) inside the City Palace. Gangaur Tours (241-1476), 28 Gangaur Ghat Marg.

Taldar Travels), near where the private buses depart from and the Town Hall, sells tickets for private buses.

It is possible to use the swimming pool at the Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel (Rs 150) or at the Shipli Restaurant in Shilpigram (Rs 100).

Mayur Book Paradise, 60 BC Rd, has books in various languages and magazines. There is a good bookstore just within the entrance of the city palace.

Udaipur Hospital (242-0223), Uaipol, is a good, modern private hospital with 24-hour emergency service.

Money
You can change money and do cash advances on credit cars at the Bank of Baroda, Town Hall Rd;.

State Bank of India, Hospital Rd; State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, Chetak Circle. Some travel agencies also change money.

Thomas Cook (241-1663) in the City Palace compund, is the best place to change money (9am to 8 pm)

City Palace
This is the largest palace in Rajasthan. Udai Singh began construction in 1559, but additions have been built over the years. It is now partly the residence of the present Maharaja, part museum, and part luxury hotel. There are great views of Lake Pichola and the city from the upper balconies and terraces.

The museum is divided into two sections, the Mardhana Mahal (men’s palace) and Janana Mahal (women’s palace). The Mardhana Mahal is much more interesting, and many people do not even go to the Janana Mahal.

Visitors enter the north gate of the palace, Tripolia Gate (1725), which has eight marble arches. Upon entering the museum part of the palace, you come to the Raja Angan Chowk (the Royal Courtyard). Around it are rooms filled with Udaipur miniature paintings. There is one painting that appears three-dimensional when viewed from a distance. There is a white, life-sized marble bust of Maharaja Rana Pratap, and a 400-year-old suit of armor once worn by his horse, Chetak.

The palace has inner patios, courtyards, and marble balconies. Rooms have mirrored walls, ivory doors, colored glass windows, and much more. One room is covered with painted miniatures.

The Mor Chowk (Peacock Courtyard) has glass peacocks made up of thousands of tiny colored glass slivers inserted into the wall and convex mirrors. Krishna-vilas, which contains excellent miniature paintings, is dedicated to Krishna Kumari, a sixteen-year-old princess who was betrothed to two princes and who chose to kill herself in order to stop almost certain war. The Manak (Ruby) Mahal has porcelain and glass figures. Chini Mahal has decorative tiles. Moti Mahal has fine mirrorwork. Bari Mahal has a garden. There are elephant stables capable of housing twenty elephants.

Outside the main building there is a small, interesting museum displaying old sculptures. There is also the Janana Mahal (queen’s palace) near the entrance gate. It is not as interesting as the main palace and not so well-maintained, but it has a nice exhibit on the upper floor, on the right side of the complex. It houses Maharaja Bhopal Singh’s 1922 Rolls Royce.

The palace is open daily 9.30 am to 4.30 pm; admission Rs 50, camera Rs 100, video Rs 300. Tours are Rs 100 and are good. Tours are provided in English and several other languages. This place can be busy, and should be avoided on weekends.

Part of the palace has been made into two luxury hotels: Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel and Shiv Niwas Palace. In the Fateh Prakash Palace there is a remarkable Crystal Gallery. It has a great collection of Maharaja Sajjan Singh’s Osler’s crystal, brought from England in 1877. There are crystal tables, chairs, and beds. Open daily 10 am to 1 pm and 3 to 8 pm. Next door is the Durbar Hall, which has impressive chandeliers and portraits of the former maharajas.

Jagdish (Jagannath) Temple
This is a Vishnu temple built by Maharaja Jagat Singh I in 1652. It is nearly 24m (80 ft) high and is located about 200m north of the entrance to the city palace in the Old City. There is a black stone Deity of Lord Vishnu as Jagannath, Lord of the Universe. It also contains a large bronze statue of Garuda. This beautiful temple is the largest and finest temple in Udaipur. There are stone elephants on either side of the steps leading to the temple.

Bagore-ki-Haveli
A beautifully restored 138-room haveli that was built in 1751 by Mewar Amachand Badwa, the prime minister.Has antique, musician instruments and a modern art gallery.Located to the right of the Jagdish Temple towards Gangaur Ghat.

Admssion Rs 10; Camera/Video Rs 10/50. It has been restore by the West Zone Cultural Centre (WZCC) (Web Site: http://www.udaipurplus.com)

Lake Pichola
After founding the city of Udaipur, Maharaja Udai Singh II expanded the lake by building a dam. The lake is 4km long and 3km wide. The city palace is next to the lake. South of the palace, running along the lake, are beautiful gardens. North of the palace, there are interesting ghats.

You can take a very pleasant boat ride on the lake. You get the boat at Bansi Ghat (Rs 125 for an hour, operates daily 2 to 6 pm) or a 30-min boat cruise for Rs 40 (operates 10 am to noon and 2 to 5 pm). The boat stops on Jag Mandir Island.

Jag Niwas Island— Lake Palace Hotel
Jag Niwas Palace is located in the middle of Lake Pichola. It was once the summer palace of the royal family. It is now an impressive luxury hotel. The palace grounds are remarkable. There is white marble inlay, corner towers, and turrets. It has stained glass windows, painted ceilings, and antique furniture. The palace was used as a set in the James Bond movie, Octopussy, which explains why this movie is shown in several restaurants in Udaipur.

You can eat at the Jag Niwas restaurant. Non-quests are not usually allowed to visit the hotel unless they eat in the restaurant, which must be reserved in advance. The dinner buffet costs about Rs 500 and is popular. The palace has a coffee shop and shopping arcade which are open to visitors.

Jag Mandir Island
Shah Jahan stayed at the red sandstone Jag Mandir Palace in 1623-24 while he was staging a revolt against his father, Jahangir. Construction on the palace was begun by Maharaja Karan Singh and finished by Jagat Singh (1628-52). It is made of yellow sandstone and has inlaid marble There is a great view of the city palace and the city from this island. There is a splendid chhatri and large stone elephants at the boat landing.

Fateh Sagar Lake and Nehru Park
Fateh Sagar is a beautiful lake north of Lake Pichola. There is a pleasant road that runs along the east bank of the lake. Hills and parks overlook the lake.

Nehru Park is located in the middle of Fateh Sagar Lake. It is one of the best maintained gardens in Udaipur. It is very popular, which ruins much of its peaceful atmosphere. It is an outstanding park, with fountains, palm trees, and flowers spread over a fairly open area. Open 8 am to 6.30 pm; admission Rs 3. You get a boat to Nehru Park at Moti Magri for Rs 8 return.

Saheliyon-ki Bari (Garden of the Maids of Honor)
This pleasant, 18th century garden was built by Maharana (Maharaja) Sangram Singh for the maharani (queen) and her friends. It has a lotus pool, fountains, and palm-tree-lined walkways. It can be quite a tourist site, so may not be so peaceful. It is located 2km north of town.

Admission Rs 4 and there may be a small payment to turn the fountains on.

Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal Folk Museum
The Folk Museum is a center for the preservation and distribution of Rajasthani tribal folk arts. It has several rooms with a variety of exhibits, including clay diorama figures depicting local festivals, colorful painted masks, and life-sized models of people from different tribes.

They have a collection of kathpurli—traditional Rajasthani string puppets, which are dressed in colorful, traditional costumes. There is an expertly performed puppet show every half-hour with musical accompaniment.

There is a dance school here and dance performances between 6 and 7 pm; admission Rs 20. Open daily 9 am to 6 pm; admission Rs 7, camera Rs 5; phone 529-296.

Shilpigram
Shilpigram is a rural arts and crafts complex located off Lake Fateh Sagar, a few km west of Udaipur. Located here are the representative houses of the tribal and rural communities of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa. Each house has a plaque with details about living in these communities. They have a shop where they sell village handicrafts. They also have live folk cultural performances. Potters, musicians, and dancers often come and live here for a while.

There is a festival here around early December.
Open daily 9 am to 6 pm; admission Rs 10, no performances between 11 am and 5 pm. There is no public transportation here. A rickshaw here cost Rs 50 each way. You can also ride a bike.
Shilpi Restaurant, next door, has good Chinese and Indian food. There is a swimming pool here (Rs 100).

Other Places
Sajjan Niwas is an excellent park and is popular. It is on Lake Palace Rd. Nearby is Gulab Bagh (Rose Garden).

On top of Moti Magri (Pearl Hill), overlooking Fateh Sagar, is Pratap Smarak, which is a statue of Maharaja Pratap, who challenged the Mughals. There are nice gardens on the path up to Pratap Smarak. The park is open 9 am to 6 pm; admission Rs 5.

Monsoon Palace is located on a mountain, overlooking the city. The palace is closed, but the views from the mountain are spectacular. It takes a couple hours to get to the palace and back from Udaipur. The palace is floodlit at night.

Shopping
You can get excellent picchwais, colorful wall-hanging paintings, in Udaipur and Nathdwar. This art originated at Nathdwar as backdrops for the Nathji Temple. These painting are usually of Krishna’s pastimes. Udaipur is a good place to get Rajput–Mughal miniature paintings.

The Rajasthan Government Handicrafts Emporium is at Chetak Circle. Hathipol Market is a good general place for shopping. You can get handicrafts at Ganesh Handicraft Emporium and Shreenath Emporium on City Palace Road and Chelawat Art Gallery on Jagdish Road.

Where to Stay
The Jagdish Temple area is the main tourist area in Udaipur and is a pleasant area in which to stay. Many of the hotels in the area have a great view of the lake, and the area is quiet. As far as I am concerned, it is the only area in Udaipur worth staying in, unless you stay at a place that has a pool. When you arrive in town, the auto-rickshaw drivers will try to bring you to a hotel that is not in the Jagdish Temple area, but to a hotel where they get a commission.

The hotel area by the bus station is both noisy and very polluted. The hotels at the bus station area could be used if you are just traveling through and need a quick place to sleep.
Home Stays

To stay in a person’s home, contact the tourist office. Rooms range from Rs 150 to Rs 700, depending on the quality. There are over 200 families participating.

Lower—Jagdish Temple Area
Lalghat Guest House (252-5301; fax 241-8508), right next to the lake at 33 Lal Ghat, is a good place with a courtyard. Rooms are Rs 125/150 with common bath and Rs 250/350 with bath, and dorm beds are Rs 75. There are better rooms with bath and a view of the lake for Rs 300. There are great views of the lake from the rooftop.
Lake Ghat Guest House (252-1636; fax 252-0023) has rooms for Rs 200/250 with common bath and Rs 500/600 with bath. There is a good view from the terrace. It is a friendly place with a good restaurant. Among the lower priced hotels, I believe these two places are about the best for atmosphere and location. Both places are popular and very close to the lake. They are good places to meet people.
Evergreen Guest House (252-7823), next door, has rooms with common bath for Rs 175 and Rs 200/300 with bath. The management is friendly. Free hot water in a bucket. There is a nice terrace area and a rooftop restaurant.
Nearby is the popular Badi Haveli (241-2588; Email: hotelbadihaveli@yahoo.com), a little north of the Jagdish Temple on Gangaur Ghat Rd, which is a nice 350-year-old place having rooms with common bath for Rs 200/250 and Rs 450 with bath. There is a courtyard and a good view of the lake from the roof. A very good value. As they don't give commisions the rickshaw driver may not bring you here, but you can have them bring you to the Jagdisa Temple and it is down the hill
Lehar Guest House (241-7651), next door, has simple rooms, some with a lake view, for Rs 175/200 up to Rs 350
Anjani Hotel (252-7670), nearby, has modern rooms with common bath for Rs 200 and Rs 400/500 with bath. Some rooms have a view of the lake.
Jheel Guest House (242-1352), by the ghat, is in an old, well-maintained haveli with a nice atmosphere. Rooms are Rs 125/175 with common bath, Rs 250 for a room with a view, Rs 300 with a bath and a deluxe room with a view of the lake is Rs 700. The annex across the street has better, newer rooms. There is a rooftop restaurant with a view of the lake.
Lake Corner Soni Guest House (252-5712), near the lake, has basic rooms for Rs 125/150 with common bath and Rs 175 with a bath. There is a vegetarian rooftop restaurant with a good view of the roof.
Jag Niwas Guest House, near the lake, has clean rooms with bath for Rs 250 to Rs 700.
Nukkad Guest House, 56 Ganehsi Ghat, has clean rooms with bath for Rs 110/150 and Rs 150/200. It has a rooftop restaurant. It is a friendly, good place.
Shiva Guest House, 74 Nav Ghat, next to the lake, has nicely decorated rooms with common bath for Rs 200/300.

Lower—Lake Palace Road Area
Ranjit Niwas Hotel (252-5774), Lake Palace Rd, has rooms with bath for Rs 300, with common bath for Rs 225, and Rs 60 for a dorm bed. It is a family-run place and has a courtyard with a garden.
Hotel Mahendra Prakash (241-9611), Lake Palace Rd, has singles for Rs 4000 and Rs 800/1000 for an air-cooled double with hot water. It has a good-sized garden, a pool and a central courtyard. Nice furniture in the rooms. There is a good view of the City Palace from the roof. A good value.
Chandra Prakash (252-8109), Lake Palace Rd, has clean, good-value rooms. It is well-managed and friendly. Recommended.
Kumbha Palace (242-2702), 104 Bhatiyana Chotta, near the east wall of the place, is a good, clean place. It has a good rooftop restaurant with a view of the lake.
Hotel Shambhu Vilas, right next door on Lake Palace Rd, has singles for Rs 225 and Rs 350/450 for an air-cooled double. You can get a discount if you stay a while. It has a good rooftop restaurant.
Monalisa (256-1562), 104 Bhatiyani Chohatta, City Palace Road, down from the Jagdish Temple, is good budget place run by a nice family. Rooms with bath range from Rs 150 to Rs 300. It is a good value and is quiet.

West Side of Lake Pichola
Lake Shore Hotel (243-2480: Email: lakeshore007@yahoo.comis in a peaceful area next to the lake, near the Lake Pichola Hotel. It has fairly basic rooms with a beautiful view overlooking the lake for Rs 150/175 with common bath and Rs 450 with bath and a lakeview.
Natural Hotel (243-1979; Email: hotelnatural@hotmail.com), in a secluded area near Raj Bridge, Rang Sagar, has basic, large, clean rooms with common bath for Rs 125/200 and Rs 175/225 with bath. Some rooms have balconies overlooking the lake. It is a fairly popular, friendly, peaceful place.

Lower—Bus Station Area
If you are passing through on your way to Nathdwar or other places, there are a good number of hotels by the bus station.

Hotel Apsara (242-0400) is a big place set back from the road, so it is fairly quiet. It has double rooms for Rs 200 and higher and also dorm beds. It is one of the best places in the area.
Hotel Yatri (252-7251), across from the bus stand, has rooms with hot water for Rs 250/300.
Hotel Welcome (485-375), across the street, is a better place with good double rooms for Rs 150/200.
Gokul Palace Hotel has good double rooms for Rs 300 and A/C rooms for Rs 500.

Other Area The Pratap Country Inn (258-3138; fax 258-3058), Airport Rd, Titadhia Village, 7km from city center, has comfortable rooms ranging from Rs 350 to Rs 1000. They have a pool and horse riding. It is a secluded, quiet, relaxed and beautiful place. You can arrange your stay here at the Keerti Hotel, on Airport Rd. in Udaipur. An auto-rickshaw to this place is around Rs 50.
Mewar Inn (252-2090; fax 252-5002; Email: mewarinn@hotmail.com), 42 Residency Rd, away from the center of town, has rooms for Rs 60/75, bigger rooms for Rs 110/150 and dorm beds for Rs 30. It has hot water and cheap veg meals. They rent bikes. It is a very good value. Popula with backpackers. Travels facilities.
Hotel Kajri Tourist Bungalow (241-0501), near Shastri Circle, has good-size rooms with bath for Rs 400/500, with air-cooling for Rs 550/700, and with A/C for Rs 850/1050. Dorm beds for Rs 75.

Where to Stay—Middle
Jagat Niwas (242-0133; fax 252-0023Email: mail@jagatniwaspalace.com), Lal Ghat area, on the lake shore, has rooms for Rs 450 to Rs 650 with common bath and rooms with bath for Rs 1200 to Rs 2000. Rooms have character and a well-restored. It is a recommended 17 century haveli. It has a quiet courtyard and a rooftop with a good view of the lake. Cushioned window seats.
Kankarwa Haveli (241-1457; fax 252-1403; khaveli@yahoo.com), next door at 26 Lal Ghat, has good clean comfortable rooms for Rs 550 to Rs 1400 (rooms with views of the lake). There are good views of the lake and it is well-maintained old haveli. Has character.
Hotel Raj Palace (241-0364; fax: 241-0395), 103 Bhatiyani Chotta, down the road from the Jagdish Temple, is a good place with either air-cooled or A/C rooms for Rs 500 to Rs 1400. Nicely design. Garden Courtyard. The front rooms can be noisy.
Hotel Sai Niwas (25204909), 75 Navghat, near the City Palace by the ghat, has well decorated rooms with traditional furniture. Rooms are Rs 550 to Rs 1150 with bath and hot water. The better rooms have balconies with a lake view. It has a good atmosphere and is well-managed.
Ratan Palace Guest House, near the Sai Niwas, has clean, spacious, comfortable rooms with hot water for Rs 350/500 to Rs 700/850. There is a great lake view from the terrace. It has good food. This place is a good value and is recommended.
Rang Niwas Palace Hotel (252-3890/1: fax: 252-7884; Email: rangniwas75@hotmail.com), Lake Palace Rd, is good friendly place with large rooms with common bath for Rs 600/700 and Rs 900/1050 with attached bath. It has A/C suites for 2300/2600 with hot water. Formerly a small palace, this relaxing and peaceful place has a large garden and a pool. This place is a good value, but is away from the lake. It has a vegetarian restaurant.
Hotel Lake End (241-5100; fax 252-3898), by Fateh Sagar, has a pool with a good garden by the lake. Modern comfortable rooms are Rs 1650/1600 and Rs 1800/1800 with A/C.
Gulab Niwas (252-3644) is in a nice old building that has a good well-kept garden. Rooms are Rs 1200/1400. It is a nice place.
Chandralok Hotel (2560-011), 123 Saheli Marg, is a good place that has A/C rooms for Rs 1400/1600.
Rani Village, Rani Rd, Sanjay Park near Fateh Sagar, is a peaceful place with a nice garden.
Hotel Ram Pratap Palace (252-8700; fax 252-0168), close to the lake in a quiet location, is a modern haveli. Rooms with bath start at Rs 1200/1500. Many of the rooms have balconies with a lake view. It has a good restaurant and is a good place.

Where to Stay—High
Lake Pichola Hotel (243-1197; fax 243-0576; email: reservation@lakepicholahotel.com; Web Site: http://www.lakepicholahotel.com), Chand Pol, on the other side of the bridge from the Jagdish Temple, has a great location next to the lake. It is a well-managed place with well-maintained rooms with A/C, bath, and hot water for Rs 1500/1700 and rooms with a balcony and a great lake view overlooking the ghats and the City Palace for Rs 170/2000. The rooms with a lake view are much better. Has chandeliers in the hall. It has a good restaurant. Accepts credit cards. Arranges boat rides. Room service. This place is an excellent value and is highly recommended.
The four-star ITDC Laxmi Vilas Palace Hotel (252-9711; fax 252-3536; E: grnlvp@jp1.dot.net), on a hill between Fateh Sagar and Pichola Lake, is a luxurious place with a pool and rooms for $125/150 up to $325 for the Maharani Suite. This place was built as a royal guesthouse. It is best to book this place in advance, as it is often full.
Hotel Anand Bhawan (252-3256; fax 523-247), next door, is a first-class place that has rooms with hot water for Rs 950/1100 and deluxe rooms with a lake view for Rs 1200/1500. It is a very good value. Has great views from the terranceand lawn.
Hotel Rajdarshan (252-6601; fax 252-5887), 18 Pannadhai Marg, next to Swarup Sagar, has modern, central A/C rooms for Rs 1900/2700. It has a pool and a good restaurant. It is a good value.
Hilltop Palace (243-2245; fax 243-2136; Email: hilltop@datainfosys.net), above Fateh Sagar, has modern rooms for Rs 1975/2700. It has a beautiful garden & pool and there is a great view of the city from the rooftop terrace. Some rooms have swing seats.
Shikarbadi Hotel (258-3201; fax 258-4841), about 3km from town on the road to Ahmedabad, is a secluded, peaceful, beautiful place. It used to be a royal hunting lodge. It has a pool, deer park, horse riding, three restaurants, and a small lake. Comfortable rooms are Rs 2100/3300. Has a good restaurants. At 4:30 pm deer, monkeys and wild boar come to be fed.

Where to Stay—Luxury
The famous Lake Palace Hotel (252-8800; fax 252-8700; fax: http://www.tajhotels.com http://www.lake-palace-udaipur.com), located in the middle of romantic Lake Pichola, is one of the best hotels in the world. It looks exactly as you would expect a maharaja’s palace to be like. It has a central swimming pool, lotus ponds and nice courtyards. Rooms start at $300 and suites go up to $500 to $1000 for the top suite. It is in high demand, so it is advisable to reserve a room in advance. It can be fully booked months in advance, because it is very popular with tour groups.
The grand Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel (252-8016/7; fax 252-8006; Email: gmsnp@udaipur.hrindia.com), which is part of the City Palace, is also excellent and has rooms starting at $110. There are also rooms and outstanding suites with a terrace that cost from $300 to $700. It has an excellent marble pool (Rs 350 for non-resdients) and was formerly a guesthouse for the Maharaja. It can be heavily booked, but there are sometimes cancellations.
Hotel Fateh Prakash Palace (252-8016; fax 252-8006; Email: sales@udaipur.hrhindia.com), also part of the City Palace, is an excellent place that has rooms with a view of the lake for $140 and suites startomg atr $350. The rooms are lavishly furnished and have some original Mewar paintings. It has two good restaurants with great views of the lake. Both of ties place and the Shiv Niwas are excellent alternatives if you cannot stay at the Lake Palace Hotel. The rooms with a terrace are excellent. They were both full when I went there, but I was told that a room might be available if I came at 9 am in the morning.

Where to Eat
Natural View Restaurant, on the roof of the Evergreen Guest House, has Indian and Continental food and great views of the lake.
Anna Restaurant, 15 Jagdish Temple Rd, has good Indian and Western food. Octpussy is shown at night in the back. Rooftop view.
16 Chef Restaurant has good vegetarian Indian, Chinese and Continental food. Spaghetti is Rs 35.
Café Hill Park, on a hill overlooking Lake Pichola, south of Sajjan Niwas Garden, has Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisine. It has a great view of the lake.
Berry’s Restaurant, Chetak Circle, has good Indian food.
Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel has good Indian and Continental food, and a great view of the lake. Open 7 am to 2 pm and 6 to 10 pm.
Sai Niwas Hotel, 75 Navghat, has good food served on a terrace overlooking the lake. It is not cheap.
Roof Garden Restaurant, Lake Palace Rd, is a popular rooftop restaurant that has a view of the palace. There is live Indian classical music at 7.30 pm.
Mayur Roof Café, Shakti Palace Hotel, has good Indian, Continental and Chinese food.
Kumbha Palace (242-2702), Bhatiyani Chotta, has a good rooftop restaurant serving good Indian and Western food including pizza and baked potatoes.
Amantran, Hotel Rajdarshan, next to Swarup Sagar, has a good Indian lunch (Rs 175) and dinner (Rs 200) buffet.
Hariyati Restaurant (521-888), Lake Palace Rd, is a good vegetarian place with South Indian, Continental and Chinese food. It has a laid-back garden and terrace dining.
Gayitri Dosa Centre, Lake Palace Rd, has a wide selection of dosas and other snacks.
Shreeji Garden Cafe is a very good vegetarian place with cheap prices. It is run by a nice Brahmin family—the wife cooks and the husband serves you. It is located a little down the road from the Rang Niwas Palace Hotel on a lawn next to the owner’s house. It is a good setting for an evening meal, but it can be hot during the day. Recommended.
Garden Hotel, further down the road toward the bus stand, serves Gujarati thalis for Rs 50.
Mayur Cafe, opposite the Jagdish Temple, serves South Indian food and some western preparations. It seems to be the best veg place in that area.
Hotel Natural has a good rooftop vegetarian restaurant serving Indian, Mexican, Tibetan and Chinese food. It has a lakeview.
Gallery Restaurant in the Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel has very good Continental and Indian food. The restaurant has a fantastic design and the view over the lake is great. There is live classical Indian music at night.
Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel has very good Indian food and live classical Indian music at night. You dine in a great setting, in the courtyard next to the pool. It is best to book in advance.
Lake Palace Hotel (252-8800, ext 3202) is an excellent place to dine. There is a lunch buffet from 12.30 to 2.30 pm (Rs 700) and a dinner buffet 7.30 to 10.30 pm (Rs 800). The dining room is impressive and it is a great experience. Candlelit diner. You must reserve in advance and usually you can only get a reservation if the hotel is not full.You should be dressed nicely, or when you get there you may be told that the place is full

Local Travel
You can go to most places in the city for Rs 25 by auto-rickshaw, for example from the bus station to the City Palace.

Udaipur is a nice place to ride a bike. The rate is around Rs 3 per hour or Rs 20 per day.

Travel
Air The airport (265-5453) is about 25km east of the city. A taxi into town costs about Rs 250.

The Indian Airlines office (241-0999) is on Dhan Mandi, off Ashwani Rd, near Delhi Gate. (Mon-Sat 10 am to 1 pm, 2 pm to 5 pm)

Jet Airways (256-1105), Blue Circle Business Centre, 1C Madhuban (Mon-Sat 10 am to 6 pm

There are flights to Delhi (1 daily, $120), Jaipur (1 daily, $95), Mumbai (1 daily, $140), Jodhpur (3 daily, $60) and Aurangabad (1 daily, $130). The trip to Aurangabad by train or bus is a tedious trip that takes as much as 24 hours, so a plane trip is worth considering even for a budget traveler.

Train The Ahmedabad-Delhi Sarai Rohila Exp #9944 (8 am) goes to Delhi (23 hr) via Chittorgarh (4 hr), Jaipur (16 hr) and Ajmer (13 hr). The overnight Chetak Exp #9616 (6.10 pm) takes 20 hours to reach Delhi, via Chittorgarh (3½ hr), Ajmer, and Jaipur (12 hr). The Delhi-Ahmedabad Exp #9943 at 7 pm to Ahmedabad takes 10 hours. There is a metre-gauge train to Jodhpur (220km).

Bus The buses operated by the private companies are best for long distance trips. Express buses go to Jaipur (10 hr), Ajmer (7 hr), Ahmedabad (7 hr), Mumbai, Delhi (4 pm & 7 pm, 17 hr), Mt Abu (6 hr), Agra (15 hr), Mathura (15 hr), Vadodara (10 hr), Kota (6 hr), Chittorgarh (3 hr), Jodhpur and many other places. Most of the private bus companies have offices on Khangipur Rd, which is the road the bus station is on.

You can arrange private buses to many places with the many travel agencies in town or at your hotel. These buses should be booked in advance.
There are many buses to Nathdwar (2 hr), including two express buses.

If you know of a informationthat is not correct or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:

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