Back in 2021, right in the middle of the pandemic, one of my best friends and I went on our first – and only – trip. We visited Udaipur and discovered some of the best things to do there.
Okay, I am definitely exaggerating when I call myself a walking, talking travel guide to Udaipur. Yes, I fell in love with the old city’s rustic charm and its rich history, but I’m definitely no expert. However, I do believe that the City of Lakes brought me closer to myself in ways I probably hadn’t imagined.
Why Udaipur, you ask?
In 2021, when we were emerging from a year of lockdowns and work-from-home, my college best friend and I decided we had to make use of the now-relaxed travel restrictions and leave the city for a bit. I was in a hectic media job, and her studies were taking a toll on her. Also, Udaipur was a destination I’d been wanting to visit for a while, and for her, it’d be her maiden trip to my home state, Rajasthan. Of course, the introduction had to be good!
Day 1: Reaching Udaipur and the Mad, Mad Rush that followed
No, I’m not exaggerating when I call it a mad rush. We boarded an early morning flight to Udaipur, and reached our accommodation, Banjara Hostel, by 9:00 am. Unfortunately for us, the room wasn’t ready till about 11:00 am, and there wasn’t much we could do except wait.
As soon as we got to the room, we quickly freshened up and headed straight for lunch. Natraj, a restaurant specialising in Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis, was most recommended, and our meal was more than satisfactory!
City Palace and Pichola Lake are among the top places to visit in Udaipur
We had hailed a full-day autorickshaw, and the auto-wale uncle dropped us straight to our next destination, the City Palace in Udaipur. There’s so much I want to write about the City Palace, but alas! It won’t fit in a mere para or two.
Lalit, our guide, took us around the whole palace, detailing the history of the magnanimous structure. From a room dedicated to armour to rooms adorned with Belgian stained glass and a museum-esque space dedicated to the erstwhile Maharani’s clothes, the palace transported us to a time begone. And the views? I cannot write enough about it.
Attached to the palace is the regal The Oberoi Udaivilas, a stunning palace stay featured in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. As we left the palace to head to our next destination, I could only look at the hotel and imagine a staycation there, since it was way out of budget for my broke soul!
Our day’s itinerary next took us to Lake Pichola for a boating expedition – among the best things to do in Udaipur, for its mesmerising views. Here, we saw the Taj Lake Palace (another palace-hotel) from afar and admired the old-world charm of the city. The boat ride was peaceful, but unfortunately, there’s not much to write about, because we were largely fixated on the location we were headed to next – Karni Mata Temple, reachable by a trolley ride.
Sunset Views at Karni Mata Temple and a beautiful Rajasthani folk performance
The temple is among the few spots in Udaipur known for its stunning sunset views, and we definitely didn’t want to miss it. So after the boat ride, we ran to the trolley, got our tickets and rushed up the hills. The temple itself is a small entity – peaceful, like you’d find these spaces where not many people reach. The views? Mesmerising, to say the least.
From there, we moved on to Bagore ki Haveli, where an hour-long cultural show called Dharohar awaited us. It was complete with katputli, ghoomar and other regional Rajasthani crafts, and the star of the show was the final act – a Kalbeliya performance.
Dinner that night was a scrumptious meal of Laal Maas and naan, accompanied by views of the lake at Hari Garh, served with a side of wine.
Day 2: Saheliyon ki Badi, Fateh Sagar Lake and one of the best meals we ate on our Udaipur trip
After a night’s sleep and sipping morning coffee by the window in our room (which showed serene views of the Old City and Gangaur Ghat), we ate a quick breakfast and headed to our first stop of the day – Saheliyon ki Badi (or Bari).
Saheliyon ki Bari
The ornate garden structure was created by Rana Sangram Singh for his queen and her maidens. Meant as a place of relaxation, the complex features ample greenery, fountains, and seasonal flowers, which not only enhance its overall beauty but also serve as picnic spots for families and friends today. Its fountains, our guide informed, were gravity-fed back in the day, drawing water from Fateh Sagar Lake and draining into another lake nearby (whose name, I’ve unfortunately forgotten). What intrigued us most was the space where the fountains sounded like raindrops!
Our next major plan for the day was to visit the Sajjangarh Fort, but the best time to visit it was in the evening. So, we decided to kill time by roaming around the city. There was a small hillock that our auto uncle informed us of, and while we were not really dressed to trek, we still decided to go. Enroute we found a small badi, overlooking one of the many lakes in Udaipur, and stop for pictures (mostly of ourselves, since the lighting there is perfect!). We then headed back to Ambrai Ghat to dip our feet in water, while we waited for the right time to head to the fort, taking a quick snack break in between.
Sajjangarh Fort views
As the evening arrived, we started our journey to Sajjangarh Fort. Our auto only took us to the base, from where we hired a local car to take us up to the entrance of the fort. It wasn’t quite sunset yet, and the views were what we were there to see, so we spent some time walking around the fort and finding the best spot for pictures.
Sajjangarh Fort was built by Maharana Sajjan Singh as a monsoon and hunting lodge. One can see vast expanses of Udaipur from this spot, making it ideal to enjoy nature, and that’s what we witnessed, too – just that nature, now, was interspersed with views of the White City. The sunset here was truly stunning, and we couldn’t decide whether the views were better here or at the Karni Mata temple the day before.
As night descended, we tucked into a comforting meal of bhuna mutton and garlic naan, as a live musician sang our favourite tunes.
Day 3: Kumbhalgarh Fort, Ranakpur temple and the day we finally had dal baati in Udaipur
Day 3 began relatively early, as we had to travel two hours to the Kumbhalgarh Fort. Known for housing the second-largest man-made wall in the world (after the Great Wall of China), the fort is so well-hidden that it was almost impossible for us to spot it until we were hardly 200 metres away from it!
Built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century, this relatively inaccessible fort served as refuge to the Mewar rulers. Its topography allowed the kings to spot enemies from afar and fight. The fort was also where Maharana Udai Singh II was secretly kept under safeguard for two years.
We were told that the fort, which is among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites that exist in Rajasthan, will test our fitness – and it did. It was huge, requiring uphill walks, and it tested our patience amidst the February heat. We were already tired from two days of constant travelling but still, as we explored the fort more, a lot of our initial enthusiasm returned. Our guide pointed towards the vast expanses of the wall, which he claimed separates the Marwar and Mewar regions in Rajasthan. The tour was undoubtedly fun – it made us marvel at the architecture and engineering of the time, and the thought that went into each space – in keeping indoor regions cool while we stifled in the heat outside.
Once we were done exploring, our cab took us to Ranakpur, where we wanted to explore one of the largest Jain temples.
The white marble structure is engraved with intricate, symmetrical designs. The temple is quite revered, we were told, and we could feel why.
There was a certain sense of peace we felt as we walked about the temple – a quiet energy that drew us in, even though both of us hadn’t really been to a Jain temple before (we both come from different faiths).
We spent a good hour at the temple, before heading back to the city. We were hungry by now, and at the market, I began my search for Dal baati churma – a favourite I’d been craving since I set foot in Rajasthan. We did find a small joint selling some, but it wasn’t good enough to satisfy my cravings. Locals informed me that ker-sangri and Dal baati are delicacies I wouldn’t find in that market – it may be because of the time of the year we were there, but my culinary cravings remained unsatisfied.
By the next morning, I’d woken up with a terribly runny nose, and panic struck. I could only think that I’m down with COVID, but it was just me overthinking. We checked out and headed to Bagore ki Haveli to explore it in broad daylight. This is one of the locations that Karan Johar’s Dhadak was shot at (the Haveli served as Ishan Khatter’s character’s home + restaurant), we were informed. The Haveli overlooks Gangaur Ghat, and we spent hours marvelling at the sights (and also, witnessing pre-wedding photoshoots happening at the Ambrai Ghat, which we could see from the terrace!).
Soon, we were headed to the airport, tired but enriched with the memories of our first (and so far, only) overnight trip together. It’s been almost five years, but the memories are still as fresh as they were back then.
(Image Credit: Rimjhim Agrawal/Unsplash)
Read more about my maiden trip to Orchha here
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