I have been to Udaipur many times for official work. I had seen Udaipur from the eyes of a professional, but this was a trip to feel Udaipur as a tourist.
It was a mini vacation in offices as well as schools due to the weekend merging with Dussehra holidays, making it a four-day break from routine life (08th Oct 16 to 11th Oct 16).
Before this mini vacation started, there was a lot of buzz in the office as to where to spend this golden mini vacation. I too started to indulge myself in the flow and began research on holiday destinations. I knew that the time was not too long (4 days) to plan any major trip. Kerala is still on my "to-be" list, but 4 days are not enough for that magnificent place. I had in mind a place where we could go and come back with a relaxed mood within four days from Vadodara.
I had already made and given a plan for Udaipur to a colleague once, so that plan was already with me. Thus, we planned for this nearby destination.
As our parents stay in Ahmedabad, before starting our trip to Udaipur we went to visit them. We actually started the trip to Udaipur on 9th Oct, spending 8th Oct at Ahmedabad.
Day-1: 09.10.2016
After an early breakfast at my parents’ home in Ahmedabad, we started our road journey to Udaipur at 7:00 AM in our Swift Dzire.
We took the route of NH48 to Udaipur via Shamlaji.
The road is a very well-maintained 4-lane highway. You can enjoy the landscape throughout your journey. It becomes even more beautiful as you start climbing the hills towards Udaipur.
Making a few stops for taking pictures, we reached our resort by 11:30 AM. We had booked "The Amargarh" resort. It’s a huge, beautiful resort on NH-48 itself, just before the main city of Udaipur.
The entire resort is built with Kota stone and marbles, giving it the look and feel of typical Rajasthani architecture. It features a big swimming pool, spa center, gym, and game room.
Once you arrive at the resort, you are welcomed with traditional Rajasthani music, tilak, flower garlands, and a welcome drink.
After check-in into the hotel, we took some rest and got fresh before heading towards the resort's restaurant.
As it was already 3:00 PM by then, we decided to visit only the City Palace and Lake Pichola on the first day.
Initially, I thought of using local cab services to visit Udaipur city and keeping our car at the resort. However, the local cab dealer informed us that due to union issues, pickups from outside the city area cannot be done. Hence I changed my plan and decided to use our own car.
We reached the City Palace with the help of Google Maps navigation. Roads inside the Udaipur city tourist attractions are very narrow and crowded. Dare to drive your own car only if you are confident in your driving skills. Parking charges at City Palace are ₹150, and the ticket to visit the City Palace museum is ₹250 per adult. An extra ₹250 is charged to carry any sort of camera inside.
We visited the City Palace museum and came out by 5:00 PM. The view of Udaipur city from the City Palace is magnificent—this is why these palaces were built by Maharajas to keep watch over the city.
We enjoyed a calm evening sitting on the lawn of the City Palace garden, watching this magnificent structure.
Next we headed towards Lake Pichola.
As it was Sunday and also part of a long weekend, it was more crowded than usual. Somehow we found a place to park our vehicle.
There was no time to enjoy a luxury boat ride as it was far busier than on regular days, according to local guides. After waiting in a queue, we managed to get tickets for a 20-minute boat ride in Lake Pichola.
There are two types of boats: a boat with sofa seating costing ₹250 per head, and a general boat with side-seating arrangements costing ₹125 per head. The moment we reached Lake Pichola, the first ready boat was the ₹125 boat. We got two tickets and boarded.
Since it was evening time, the cool atmosphere added a plus point to our boat ride. Spending 20 minutes out on the lake away from the shores was full of enjoyment. You instantly start relaxing with the sound of flowing water and the touch of cool water from Lake Pichola.
Since the lake is at the backside of the City Palace ("Peeche" in Hindi), it is called Pichola.
During the boat ride, you get to see the Taj Palace, Oberoi Palace, Jal Mandir, and a magnificent view of the city from the lakeside.
With our souls filled with new energy and joy, we returned from a perfect journey on the waters of the lake.
For locals of Udaipur, it is an evening walking and resting spot, making it busier in the evenings. But the real joy of boating is only experienced in the evening when the sun starts settling down after the daytime heat.
With this beautiful thought, we decided to end our first day early to get more time to ourselves and relax.
We returned to The Amargarh Resort by 7:30 PM. At night, the beauty of the resort comes out in an even more glorious way as decorative colorful lights illuminate the grounds uniquely. It feels like an extra tourist attraction in Udaipur itself.
After getting fresh in our room, we took a walk around the resort's beautiful pathways and swimming pool area.
As we were a little exhausted, we ordered dinner in our room and enjoyed the meal while talking about the fun we had throughout the day.
Day-2: (10.10.2016)
I woke up early at 5:30 AM while my wife and daughter were still asleep. I decided not to disturb them and went out to enjoy the morning in the hills. In our busy daily lives, we seldom get time for our souls to enjoy the morning sun in a relaxed mood. It was a genuinely cool morning, and the view of the hills in the emerging sunlight was spectacular.
In today's plan, Gulab Bagh and its zoo were top of our list.
After an early breakfast at the restaurant, we took our car to Gulab Bagh. Parking here is free and uncrowded. Local residents use this establishment for morning walks and exercise. We roamed around the park and enjoyed the cool morning with lush green plantations around. There is a small zoo inside accommodating a few cages for peacocks, langurs, and deer, along with two or three bird cages.
When we came out of the zoo and park and reached near our car in the parking area, an auto-rickshaw driver asked if we wanted a tour of local places with a reasonable fare. This is actually a great idea, as many tourists and foreigners use auto-rickshaws as local sightseeing vehicles. Having observed the narrow, crowded streets of Udaipur, using this mode of transport is well worth it compared to driving your own car.
You can park your private vehicle there for free, take an auto to roam around, get dropped back at the parking lot after sightseeing, and then use your car to return to your hotel or resort.
The auto driver started his offer at ₹600, but I didn't bargain since we had already decided to use our car, having navigated the crowded parts on day one. However, anyone with good bargaining skills can make great use of autos for local sightseeing.
Next on our list was "Sahelion Ki Bari".
This is a small garden and fountain park where you can spend a pleasant hour. It was built by Maharajas for queens and their maids to enjoy leisure time.
At the entrance, if you clap loudly, the fountains start spraying. As local guides explain, it was named the "Welcome Fountain" to welcome the queens whenever they entered the garden.
You can get your picture clicked and printed in traditional Rajasthani attire here in the park.
Next we headed towards Fateh Sagar Lake. It was getting toward afternoon by this time and the sun was showing its strength, so boating wasn't ideal; we decided to drive around the lake instead. There is a nice, wide road around Fateh Sagar Lake (Moti Magri Road - Rani Road). You get a wonderful view of the lake while driving around it. We stopped our car whenever we liked and clicked photos with the lake.
Next on our plan was the Monsoon Palace, built by the Maharajas to observe monsoon clouds. As per local guides, they intended to build a 13-story structure here, but it was never completed.
We started driving up the steep, hilly road towards the Monsoon Palace. However, the road condition wasn't great, so we decided to drop it from our list and made a U-turn back toward the lake.
We had Shilpgram at the bottom of our list since it isn't featured as prominently in typical Udaipur tour itineraries.
However, as the afternoon got hotter, we decided to give it a chance. We reached Shilpgram with Google navigation by 11:45 AM. Parking is free, entry tickets are ₹40 per adult, and camera charges are ₹50.
As we entered the gate, Mr. Pandit (a local guide) met us and asked if we wanted a guide. He introduced himself as a government-approved guide for the establishment and offered to lead us for the next 2 hours for a fee of ₹150. I didn't negotiate and agreed to hire him. He was a soft-spoken guide with a pleasant Rajasthani tone.
He explained the purpose of the establishment and the contributions made by local artists every year to develop this village showcasing the art and culture of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
You can see authentic traditional houses built by artists mirroring those found in Jaisalmer, Kutch in Gujarat, and Goa.
The village recreation is truly beautiful and realistic—not to be missed on a Udaipur tour. Deciding to visit it turned out to be a great choice.
The Gol Museum (Round Museum), displaying folk art from Gujarat and Rajasthan alongside local craft shops managed by artists, was also worth visiting.
We were also lucky to arrive right on time when artists were performing local folk songs and dances on an open stage in Shilpgram.
We took our seats and the program began.
Watching live performances of folk songs and dances is always high on my list, and that day I got that golden chance without any prior planning.
It was a soul-energizing hour of folk songs and dance performances by Rajasthani and Gujarati artists. Definitely not to be missed.
After that unexpectedly delightful spot, we headed back to our resort for lunch and rest.
In the evening we visited Lake Pichola again to enjoy the sunset on the water. Visitors can also check out Bagore ki Haveli in the evening for cultural programs held daily from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Since we already had our cultural dose at Shilpgram, we skipped Bagore ki Haveli. Additionally, our resort hosted a cultural evening from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM. We enjoyed dinner and took overnight rest.
Day-3: (11.10.2016) Time to Return
After breakfast at the resort, we checked out at 8:30 AM and headed back towards Vadodara.
However, coming straight back to Vadodara was never in my mind. We included "Polo Forest" en route.
It is located in Vijaynagar inside Gujarat. We took NH-48 and then SH-48 to reach Polo Forest.
The road towards Polo Forest is wonderful to drive on, and frequent picturesque spots force you to step off the clutch and accelerator to sit by water bodies tucked within the lush green forest.
Flowing water and a cool breeze make your day complete. With this enjoyable journey, we returned back to Vadodara via Himmatnagar, Ahmedabad, and NE-1.
Thanks for reading...
From,
Samarpan