I have mentioned it before: one month to get a taste of India is quite a short time, so we have chosen to follow the beaten path when planning our itinerary in Northern India (getting inspired by this article from Soul India). Tourists who tour across Rajasthan for 2 weeks usually go along the Indian Golden Triangle, and continue with Udaipur, the city of lakes and Jodhpur, the blue city. So did we!

Since we started this trip, we had been moving too fast from one place to another, only spending 2-3 days at each location. This became quickly exhausting and tiresome. Pushkar helped us resetting, with a slower rhythm and more time not to rush in one day through all the places “to see”. Our stays in Udaipur and Jodhpur followed this pattern.

Udaipur, the city of lakes

“Udaipur is my favorite city in our trip so far.” stated Dimitri, only one day in. We had read many guides describing Udaipur as the perfect Indian get-away, the most romantic city in India – all praises fully deserved by the magnificent White City.

Udaipur old city is stricking by its beauty, with its white buildings bordered by the azure waters of its connecting lakes. It carries a serene vibe, and makes you want to do nothing but chill and indulge in its many, many luxury resorts. Not for us, though: a quick look at the prices of the floating royal palace, now turned private, deterred us in doing so (600 euros a night 😱)

Well, this overall feeling does not come as a surprise – Udaipur is an artefact. This oasis was built by the Mughal Mewar royal family, who has been ruling over Udaipur since the VIIIth century, being the modern longest serving royal dynasty in the world. The lakes have been dug in the XIVth century, and every reigning sovereign added their embellishment touch to the city as they went. The City Palace, where the royal family still lives, expanded as a result, with ambiance rooms added by each ruler.

Living on the same land as mere commoners must have been overwhelming at times. How to answer this relatable issue? Think no more: just build a garden on the water! Welcome to Jagmandir Island Palace.

Jagmandir Palace was built in the XVIIth century, for the exclusive use of the Maharana (Rajasthani term for Maharaja). This tiny island only features a few rooms for the royal family and their guests, a marble courtyard and well-maintained gardens (+ a spa, but I doubt that it is a period piece). The overall target was for this island to recreate the Gardens of Heaven – target achieved, to us.

Dimitri and I have slowly started to realize that we have time. Time to enjoy places, time not to do anything special, time to meet new people. I still have at the back of my mind the idea that I should make the most of my trip, while enjoying the freedom of not being in a rush. Inconsistent, I know – I am working on it! Beauty deserves not to be rushed – so we stayed 3 hours in front of the lake, waiting for the sunset.

And beauty we witnessed. Follow us to the Bagore Ki Haveli, for an evening showcasing different types of traditional dances of Rajasthan. Bagore Ki Haveli hosts a museum of the local life and organizes shows to raise money to preserve the traditional arts, explaining in both English and Hindi the special features of each one. Pictures seem too little to describe the wonders of the whirling bright fabrics, the grace of the hand gestures and the impressive performance of the dancers.

Udaipur was a gem, a jewel carefully crafted along centuries. Avoid visiting any shop, and just stroll along the water to enjoy its peacefulness… Next stop: Jodhpur, the Blue City!

Bonus