Still enjoying your detailed narrative and photos. I think you're doing this in real time while traveling, right? That's impressive - I've tried this before and get behind very quickly.

That Patrika Gate is a real surprise. Along with Toran Dwoa, an awesome combination. Such a delight!

ms_go, thank you. Yes, I am more or less sharing each day's travels at the end of the day each day if not the next morning. Honestly, it's easier for me as the details are fresh in my mind.

shelemm, definitely good surprises that we learned about last night as we were reviewing our planning. Don't you just love stumbling across hidden gems while travelling?

The City of Lakes

Our journey across the vast Indian subcontinent continues onwards to the city of Udaipur, located in the southern part of Rajasthan. Udaipur is spread along the shores of two lakes, Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake, and surrounded by hills, making for a very picturesque setting.

The flight from Jaipur to Udaipur was quick - less than an hour. We were picked up at the airport by another driver from Indian Panorama, and driven 30 minutes to our hotel, Shiv Nivas, located within the City Palace compound. We checked into our lakeside suites, freshened up, enjoyed breakfast at our hotel, and went out for a full day of sightseeing.

We toured the City Palace, home of the maharaja of Udaipur. The palace is huge. It took more than two hours to browse the many rooms that occupied the palace (the ones that were open to the public at least). Especially interesting were the colorful tile and mirrored rooms, the portraits of maharajas and paintings of palace life, and the myriad verandahs and porches offering fine views of the palace itself and Lake Pichola nearby. Oh, and the peacock mosaics - yes, the peacocks. City Palace has become our new all-time favorite sight in India.

From the City Palace, we walked over to the lakeshore for a cruise on lovely, serene Lake Pichola to Jagmandir Island, the summer residence of the maharajas. We enjoyed a simple but relaxing lunch next to the waters before returning to the mainland for more sightseeing. The vistas easily put our minds at ease. It's starting to feel like a vacation from our vacation, which is most welcome as the trip so far has been exhausting (not from being on the move but from the in-your-face hassling cum constant pushing and shoving).

Following the lakefront north, we walked past the City Palace again, along the ghats, until we reached Jagdish Temple. We circumnavigated the temple, admiring the intricate carvings all around it. Especially interesting were the different elephant reliefs.

From there we moved past a web of souvenir hawkers to Bagore ki Haveli, the home of one of the important prime ministers during the maharaja era. The museum displayed everything from musical instruments and turbans to a diorama of what a traditional wedding was like.

We then strolled the ghats along the shores of Lake Pichola, taking in the beautiful views of palaces bathed in late-afternoon sunlight. Dinner was at Ambrai located on the water facing City Palace and the Taj Lake Palace. All the Indian dishes we ordered were wonderful and we couldn't ask for a better tableside view.

City Palace








Lake Palace on Lake Pichola

Jagmandir Island

Jagdish Temple


Gangaur Ghat

Sunset at Lake Pichola

City Palace

Taj Lake Palace

TP, love that Gangaur Ghat shot.
Btw, did you come across the palace display honouring that certain 19C Maharaj (name forgotten) who was an early pioneer in taking photo portraits? I forget which city it was, but pretty sure that it was somewhere on your itinerary. *He was exceptional because he 'invented' the concept of posing subjects on a 45 degree angle i.e. he went against the grain of the then-current norm of straight-on facial shots.
"Just turn a little to your right, please" and like that. His 'profile' shots stood out as a result.

I am done. the shutterbugz

Continuing to follow this fantastic photo journey of yours!

zebec, thank you. I've not come across the artist you're describing.

jacketwatch, thank you for letting me know. Appreciate it.

Lakeside Pleasures

We awoke to stunning lakeside views with only the sounds of birds chirping nearby - definitely not the image we had of India in our minds. We enjoyed a good breakfast on our verandah before venturing out for yet another day on the lakes.

Our first stop of the day was Sakhelion ki Bari, gardens that were laid out for the ladies of the maharaja court for enjoyment purposes. On the grounds were large palm streets, decorative fountains, and spouts straying water everywhere. The centerpiece is a large lotus pond featuring a fountain with lions surrounding by four elephants spitting out water from its trunks. It was a quiet and relaxing way to begin our day.

We then proceeded to Fateh Sagar Lake for some pretty lakeside views followed by a short excursion by boat on the water. We circled the lake by car, stopping at a couple of points along the way.

Shilpgram is an open-air ethnic village that showcases rural life in Rajasthan and neighboring states. We toured some of the replicas of village homes, viewed some handicrafts, and listened to traditional music. There was also dancing and a puppet show on offer.

Sajjangarh Palace, also known as the Monsoon Palace, viewable from all around Fateh Sagar Lake, was next on our lakeside agenda. Inside the palace was a small and not very interesting exhibit on the local fauna, as well as views of both Fateh Sagar Lake and Lake Pichola.

We enjoyed a light lunch at Jhumar Restaurant on the shores of Fateh Sagar Lake before making our way back to Lake Pichola and Udaipur.

We visited Karni Mata Temple at the top of a hill just south of the city center. We accessed the temple via cable car. The viewing platforms at the top offer spectacular views of Lake Pichola with its landmark palaces as well as Fateh Sagar Lake in the distance.

As we are celebrating a special occasion this evening, we made reservations for dinner at the Taj Lake Palace. We checked in landside and was transported to the hotel of James Bond fame in style. Upon arrival we were greeted as if we were celebrities. We were treated to welcome drinks, given a tour of the jaw-dropping property, and enjoyed a traditional performance of Rajasthani song and dance in the lovely courtyard. We dined on delicious Indian and Western dishes at Jharokha, one of the top two restaurants on premise, at a table right next to Lake Pichola. The evening was just magic, one that we will always remember.


Sakhelion ki Bari

Fateh Sagar Lake

Fateh Sagar Lake

Fateh Sagar Lake

Recreated Village, Shilpgram

Interior of Home, Shilpgram

Puppet Show, Shilpgram

Monsoon Palace

Monsoon Palace

Monsoon Palace

Sunset on Lake Pichola

Arriving at Taj Lake Palace

Taj Lake Palace Courtyard

Taj Lake Palace Performer

A Day in the Country

Today we leave the lovely lakes behind for a day trip into the hills of Rajasthan. We visited Kumbhalgarh Fort and Ranakpur Jain Temple, located about 100 kilometers outside of Udaipur. The sites are of deep historical abd religious significance respectively. Our road trip began with a drive through the Rajasthani countryside, mostly agricultural areas with small villages here and there. It took about 2.5 hours to reach Kumbhalgarh Fort.

Also known as the Great Wall of India for its massive fortifications, Kumbhalgarh was built in the 15th century by the maharaja of Udaipur. Inside the fort is a royal palace as well as numerous Hindu and Jain temples. We first toured the palace, located behind multiple layers of defensive walls. The palace itself largely consists of empty rooms today, except for paintings of elephants along the base walls in some of the rooms. Visiting the palace was more about the surrounding views than the interior. From multiple vantage points, we could survey the fortification walls and the surrounding hills with temples dotting the landscape. As part of our time at Kumbhalgarh, we also visited a number of Hindu and Jain temples closest to the base of the palace. All in all, we spent about two hours at the fort but could easily have had another to visit some of the temples further away.

From Kumbhalgarh, we travelled another hour or so to Ranakpur to visit its Jain temple. A masterpiece in marble, the temple is extraordinary in its carvings and fine details. The main building is huge, with several massive domes and a sea of columns, each one different from the next. At the center of the building is the main altar to the Jain gods, off-limits to non-worshippers. The accompanying audio guide helped us understand what we were seeing. The visit overall took about one hour.

After the visit to the Jain temple, we would our way back out through the mountains and onto the main road, from where it was roughly two hours back to Udaipur.

Dinner tonight was at 1559 AD, near Fateh Sagar Lake. Decor and ambiance were great, although the food was only so-so.

Kumbhalgarh Fort











Ranakpur Jain Temple

Colonial Mumbai

We bid an early morning farewell to our palace on the lake and those gorgeous views, and caught the first available flight out of Udaipur for Mumbai, India's commercial capital and largest city. Once again, a driver from Indian Panorama picked us up at the airport and dropped us off at the world-famous Taj Mahal Hotel, our home for the next three nights.

As soon as we dropped off our bags and freshened up a bit, we hit the ground running. Mumbai was waiting to be explored. Using suggested walking tours from both Lonely Planet and National Geographic, we set out to explore the Fort and Colaba areas of the city, the places most closely associated with British colonialism in Mumbai.

One thing we felt off the bat though was how hot and humid Mumbai was. We went from cool and comfortable throughout this trip to conditions we typically associate with Southeast Asia, in which we were immediately drenched after being outside for a few minutes.

We began as suggested by the guidebooks, at the Gateway of India memorial across the street from our hotel. Built to commemorate the visit of King George V of Great Britain to India, the monument sits on the shore of the Arabian Sea. The memorial was currently under restoration so part of it was covered under scaffolding although we were still able to get a good luck. The downside was the level of crowds that gathered at the memorial, complete with condescending stares from the locals.

We then followed the suggested routes Inland, passing several Victorian Gothic and Art Deco buildings that dominate the skyline in this area. About five minutes by foot from the Gateway of India monument is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum, formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum. We spent about 90 minutes at exploring the decent-sized collection, focusing most of our time on the religious sculptures and other artwork. The museum housed a good collection of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain artifacts, well as Mughal-style miniature paintings.

From the museum we continued our walk past the Bombay High Court, the University of Mumbai with its clock tower modeled after its cousin in London, the old Town Hall, and a couple of Art Deco cinemas. We also visited a couple of clothing shops as well as the San-cha Tea Boutique for loose leaf teas. We enjoyed dinner at The Table, an excellent Italian restaurant close to our hotel.


Gateway of India from Our Hotel Room at the Taj

Taj Mahal Palace and Tower

Art Deco Residential Building

Flora Fountain

The "Big Ben" of Mumbai

More Art Deco

I've been to India 9 times I think but never to Mumbai so thank you or this look at this remarkable city

jacketwatch, wow, 9 times. What are your favorite places? Experiences?

Urban Jungle

After a relaxing breakfast at the Sea Lounge overlooking the Arabian Sea, we set out for more exploration of the urban jungle that is Mumbai. We began at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai's largest train station. We admired the Victorian Gothic building and people watched some before heading to Crawford Market for some browsing. From there we walked Bhendi and Zaveri Bazaars, taking in the sights and sounds of urban, workaday Mumbai. Walking around the bazaars, we also mingled with a sea of humanity going about their everyday businesses; never have we ever experienced such a crush of humanity in such a small space. It was not just the crush of people but the constant, nonstop flow.

From here we Ubered to Mani Bhavan, where Mahatma Gandhi spent 17 years of his life. We toured the small but interesting museum. We spent the next few hours strolling around Malabar Hill, a middle to upper-middle class neighborhood of high-rise apartments, boutiques, coffeeshops, and temples. We also wandered the Hanging Gardens and Kamala Nehru Park, enjoying vistas of the surrounding urban jungle as well as Chowpatty Beach.

Chowpatty, Mumbai's sandy playground, was where we headed next, again via Uber. We spent a couple of hours in the late afternoon walking on the sand and along Marine Drive promenade, enjoying views of the Arabian Sea. Best part of our day, hands down.

For dinner tonight we chose Tristna, a seafood restaurant back in the Fort neighborhood. We chose it because it offered king crab, and we were hoping for something similar to what we enjoyed in Sri Lanka. At Tristna, we found what we craved, the king crab along with other seafood. Food was good but service was quite bad and slow.


Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

Crawford Market

Mumbai Bazaar

Malabar Hill High-Rises

Babulnath Temple

Babu Amichand Panalal Adishwarji

Chowpatty Beach

Marine Drive Promenade

Final Day in India

For our final day in Mumbai, we took to the water - on a ferry bound for Elephanta Island. Ferries for Elephanta departed from the Gateway of India monument across the street from our hotel. The trip to Elephanta took an hour. The journey was rather uncomfortable as they really pack each boat before sailing.

The main attraction on Elephanta are several temples carved into rock to honor Shiva and other Hindu deities dating back to sometime between the 5th and the 7th centuries. Except for cave one, with several of the statues in good condition, not much remained of the once important places of worship. It took about an hour to visit the temples and another half hour to hike up the island for some views of the harbor. The visit was fine except the Indian tourists were particularly obnoxious today - from the persistent staring to the pointing and laughing to attempts to take photos and videos of us without permission.

From Elephanta it was another uncomfortably crowded ferry ride back to Mumbai. We retreated to our hotel for a coffee break and just a break from the world around us in general. Coffee and tea always put us in a better mood.

We spent the latter part of the afternoon browsing the nearby Colaba Markets, not really to make purchases but just to wander around. For dinner we chose Ling's Pavilion, a Cantonese restaurant near our hotel. In addition to some of our favorites, we ordered a jumbo crab again - delicious!


Approaching Elephanta Island

Cave One, Elephanta Island

Shiva, Cave One, Elephanta Island

Cave One, Elephanta Island

Monkeys at Play

Taj Mahal Palace and Tower and Gateway of India from the Water

Gateway of India at Night

Concluding Thoughts

With this concludes our trip across northern India, a trip unlike any other we've taken. While we were glad we finally bit the India bullet and were able to experience the beauty that this vast nation had to offer, we also confirmed our apprehensions about coming at all. In the past three weeks, we saw some magnificent man-made marvels, from Hawa Mahal to Udaipur City Palace and Agra Fort and Mahabodhi Temple. The Taj just didn't impress me as much as these other places did, although I will never forget my first glimpse of it from the balcony of the Oberoi hotel and the indescribable feeling I experienced. We enjoyed some delicious Indian food, especially at Esphahan and at Johri, and met a few genuinely kind people here and there. At the same time, we were also exhausted by India, especially by its people. The constant hassling, particularly in Agra and in Jaipur. The regular pushing and shoving, with nary an "excuse me" or a "sorry". The cutting in line. The impatience. And worst of all, the persistent staring and pointing and laughing. At times, we felt as though we were walking museum exhibits.

We came to India first and foremost to step closer to enlightenment, but we came away inching further away from it. While we enjoy connecting with fellow human beings on our travels, it almost never happened on this trip, whether it's with other travellers (except for a couple of French tour groups) or with locals. Even with one of our hired drivers, we sought to minimize how much we used his services because we were tired of him pushing shopping expeditions to us. And the borderline stalking from our room attendants at both Shiv Niwas and at the Taj Mahal Palace, all for a few extra rupees in tips. I apologize if I offended anyone, but I am truly ready to leave the Indian people behind. India is the first and only country in which we are leaving confident that we are unlikely to return again.

Tomorrow morning we fly home via London Heathrow.

Thank you for coming along for the journey and living through the good, the bad, and the ugly with us. If you have any questions that may help you plan your own trip to India, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thanks so much for your enlightening report. So many marvels and so exhausting at the same time. Did you feel the same about your trip when you were in Bihar? Varanasi?

shelemm, greetings from London Heathrow and thank you for this excellent question. It is much appreciated.

Among all the places we visited, we felt most at ease in Bihar followed by Varanasi. Come to think about it, we saw the most East Asian and Southeast Asian tourists in Bodhgaya and in Varanasi, and as such, perhaps we're not considered novelties. Delhi and Udaipur weren't too bad either.

Mumbai was the worst followed by Agra and Jaipur. Honestly I'm not surprised by our treatment in Agra and in Jaipur because it seemed that people there weren't genuine and everyone was about making an extra rupee or so. I am a bit surprised by what we experienced in Mumbai given that it is a major international city and I would expect folks would be used to greater levels of diversity.

tripplanner001, I am just starting to read your fascinating report about India as we were still in New Zealand when you started writing. It's been a very busy couple of weeks since we returned with Thanksgiving and now Christmas coming up.

I really appreciate your report and the gorgeous and interesting photos. I don't know if we will ever make it to India so through your report I can visit vicariously! I will continue reading! And I also admire that you can write the report and select your photos while traveling.

KarenWoo, thank you. I hope that you and your husband enjoyed Australia and New Zealand, two of our favorite places, and that the holiday season is filling you with love and warmth.

Thank you so much for your kind wishes! And, yes, we LOVED Australia and New Zealand. I am slowly selecting photos now for my trip report, which I hope to start posting within a few weeks.

I rarely check Fodors these days, but I should ! Imagine my delight at seeing a report from one of my favourite posters, about one of my favourite countries. Thank you for your detailed report and gorgeous photos. Fun fact, we have a bodhi tree (ficus religiosa) in our front paddock which is said to be a cutting from the original tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Our property used to be a Buddhist monastery until about 15 years ago.

I’m sorry you likely won’t return to India, but understand how overwhelming it can be. Thanks again!

Thank you for all the effort you put into this report. I really appreciated your descriptions of all the places you visited.

I thoroughly my trip to India. I found myself wanting to see more places but it could have been I was sheltered by taking the tour I took and didn’t have some of the negative experiences you did.

Thanks again!

sartoric, what a pleasant surprise to see you here. Awesome about the bodhi tree and your home's past life. In spite of the issues, we were glad that we were able to visit and experience India firsthand.

patandhank, you're welcome. I can understand how India may have been more comfortable to experience via the services of professionals but we were glad we were able to be among the locals and experience raw India.

Because we post in real time and you get our most immediate emotions, it is sharp. Perhaps with the passage of time, we may feel differently and give it another go someday. Considering that our experiences in half of the places we visited was somewhat different than the other half, perhaps we could do a better job of choosing destinations. We would love to visit some of the Tibetan monasteries considering that we are unlikely able to do it in Tibet itself anytime soon.

.Labrang Monastery in the Gansu Province in China is an important Tibetan Monastery. That area of China is astounding. If you are looking for ideas....