Udaipur

This post is dedicated to Nancy Blair (great follower and regular reader of Mugdha Says); on her very sweet demand I m posting about one of the romantic city of India... Udaipur

Udaipur is the most romantic of Rajasthan's four great towns (the others are Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer). Udaipur tour doesn't require transport unless someone wants to head for the hills for horse-riding or to visit the Monsoon Palace (5kms away in the hills) for pleasing sunset views.

Regular tourist simply wander the streets; that can be untidy but will never be as noisy or crowded as New Delhi. Or one can cruise the lake, which is a favorite pastime for Udaipur residents and most of the tourists. Even if you are on a low budget it's essential to visit one or both the palace hotels for a drink and a chance to see the magnificence of the place.

The appearance of Udaipur really does depend on how heavy the monsoon rains were, since these fill up its beautiful Lake Pichola. Around the very edge of Lake Pichola are a series of striking marble temples and other structures attract tourist.

Within the city of Udaipur, tourists will find a number of quality museums, offering information about everything from Rajasthani archaeology to tribal life and folk arts.

Within the City Palace itself are a number of worthwhile museums, such as the Government Museum, where you will find portraits showing some of Udaipur's larger-than-life maharajas, dressed in extravagant clothing and sporting huge moustaches. The City Palace Museum itself is on hand and contains some very impressive mosaic peacocks. Restrained walls and colorful decorum is simply amazing. Udaipur town is also famous for its colourful murals.

Jaisamand Lake is one to add to your list of places to visit and this man-made lake is located alongside the very family-friendly Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary. Also near to Udaipur are the spectacular perimeter walls of the Kumbhalgarh Fort. If you care to have more fun don't miss a day trip to Mount Abu, or to the giant temple complex within Ranakpur.