Visit to explore Udaipur

People say a lot of great things about Udaipur. So many in fact, it’s hard to know what to expect when you arrive. It seems like every travel blogger who’s been here comes away listing it their favourite spot in the state. And so, I set aside four days in the city — longer than anywhere else in Rajasthan — because if it did turn out to be my favourite place in India, I wanted to make sure I had enough time to soak up as much of it as possible.

I’ve heard many great things about Udaipur, including it being one of the prettiest places in Rajasthan and a wonderful place to catch the sunset. All that glitters is gold, right? I was looking forward to seeing Gangaur Ghat with my own two eyes, because now I could add it to my list of things that were even more stunning than how they were described. For tourists and locals alike, the ghats are an important part of life that bring routine and respite to their day. The ghats are carved out of stone, with a smooth marble step leading down to the river. I followed Dave to the steps and sat down on one near the water’s edge. A cool breeze was blowing off the water, carrying little of the heat from the day in its breath. Behind me, I heard families lining up for their evening boat ride, the kids already squealing in excitement. Across from us, a handful of sadhus had gathered to watch the sun sink into ‘their’ river. For a few moments, I were alone at Gangaur Ghat — watching life go by as a soft orange glow began to settle across the sky. Afer that I reached Ambrai Ghat — another vantage point that was also said to be the perfect spot for sunset. There’s a lot of those in Udaipur.

Udaipur’s best known for two things: its profusion of temples, and its many ensemble lakes. I had them both within easy walking distance of my hotel

CHECK OUT THE JAGDISH TEMPLE

It’s easy to get templed-out in India, but I still really enjoyed my time at Jagdish. I visited Jagdish Temple, one of the most iconic structures in India. I went there on the recommendation from Taxi service provider in Udaipur and I’m glad I went even though it was a bit out of the way from my normal routine. The first thing that impressed me upon arriving was the sheer size and scope of the temple. It’s set high up on a hill overlooking the rest of Mandu, making it visible to everyone – which is exactly what you want for a monument of this significance.

TAKE A SUNSET CRUISE OF LAKE PICHOLA

Udaipur is a bustling city. The people are friendly and the streets are vibrant, but sometimes it’s nice to get away from it all and just sit along the lakeside. A nice boat ride is one of the most relaxing things you can do in Udaipur. After getting lost in a nearby neighbourhood and watching the sunset, we finally found our way back to Lake Pichola. It was a beautiful day out, so we hopped onto one of the many paddle boats floating along the water and booked our tickets for an hour-long boating adventure.