"Udaipur" Udaipur by JohnniOmani

Everyone in this city will remind you on a daily basis that the Bond film was shot here years ago. Despite being home to a Bond movie Udaipur is quite different than any other city in Northern India and I found it a pleasure to visit despite the high time in the tourist season. There are nice white buildings lining the edge of Lake Pichola with the fantastic Lake Palace in its center. The city is a great place to wander around the sloped lanes and shop and take in some of the temples and city palace. All the brochures and locals say it is the most romantic city in India (I wouldnt go that far) but Udaipur was a breath of fresh air after visiting the cities of Rajasthan.

The City Palace

Palaces usually bore me because they are generally the same but the city palace in Udaipur was refreshing and despite taking 30 min to find my way out (oops) I really enjoyed the complex. The imposing City Palace has countless balconies and towers and the palace towers above the lake. It is Rajasthans largest palace and despite being home to countless treasures stored by numerous Maharajas the palace has some form of organization. The palace itself requires a few hours but I refused to pay the extra fees for the city palace museum. (I have a major problem with seperate entrance fees to one site but that is another story). Overall, the palace was great fun and one of Udaipurs finest sites.

Chaotic but peaceful streets

Udaipur has winding lanes and alleyways that go in alot of different directions but one of the main things I enjoyed about the city was walking around and souvenir shopping. Udaipur has a more peaceful vibe than other cities in India and walking around the city was a pleasure. Nobody really hassles you and the locals have a chilled out vibe in comparison to their fellow countrymen. If you get a chance to visit this city make sure you go down near the lake and watch the women cleaning and washing their clothes with the traditional bats they use. It is a great eye opener into the local life in Rajasthans sleepy city.