The Little Brown Eyes and I found ourselves in Udaipur last week to celebrate the wedding of our dear friend sister, Raashi and her soulmate Kanav.
We followed up the shaadi season shenanigans with a day lost in the sumptuous splendour of the City of Lakes…
Our base was the magnificent Leela Palace, sitting majestically on the serene shores of the Lake Pichola.
Any wonder we were all-too-besotted from the moment we stepped inside?
The impressive architecture of the hotel is evocative of the grandiose history and heritage of its royal past, with the dazzling intricacy of Rajasthani design and artistry evident in the smallest of details.
We even soaked up a bit of culture, courtesy the resident folk singers!
And of course, lunch was every bit as indulgent as the occasion merited…
… With the hotel graciously making it worth our while to linger on afterwards, relaxing in the comfortable opulence of our surrounds.
We were able to do a fair bit of sightseeing from the hotel itself, given the unparalleled views out onto the stunning structures lining the banks of the Lake Pichola and of course, the Aravalli mountains beyond.
A boat ride on the placid waters was an unforgettable experience, bringing us a little closer to the city’s key landmarks. Highlights included Jagmandir Island – a set of 17th century structures flanked by life-sized marble elephants outside!
The seamless blend of Medieval, European and Chinese styles beckoned from City Palace – a complex encompassing 11 palaces, courtyards and gardens particularly lauded for their complex peacock mosaics!
A glimpse into Bagore ki Haveli on Gangaur Ghat was rather mesmerising too, hinting at the myriad of treasures within – an ode to a bygone era. We really wish we’d been able to make a quick stop to enjoy the dance and music show scheduled here in the evenings…
The most enthralling moment however, was watching the sun set on the Taj Lake Palace – a floating structure imposingly standing out against the vivid colours of the twilight hour.
The surreal sunset followed us back to the fairy tale-esque setting of the Leela, where we made the most of our last few hours in this magical city with a glass of wine in hand as we soaked up the resplendence around us…
It was with heavy hearts that we finally left, but I did so with a promise to myself that I’ll be back soon to more fully explore the city in all its glory.
Wow, I can’t believe we chose Jaipur over Udaipur couple of years sahi for a small Eid vacation!
Well, this is a delightful post & would love to go there soon hopefully:)
Jaipur is such a splendid city too, I spent a lovely day there at Rambagh Palace last year 🙂 I hope you get to visit Udaipur soon as well, thanks so much for reading and for your kind words about this post !
Udaipur is a nice destination for travel. Lot’s of things are there in Udaipur, and most of the different things are culture. Great historical places in Udaipur. You shared the info about Udaipur travel is very helpful for tourist. Great guidance!