Much to our surprise we were taken by the hotel car – not to the entrance of the hotel – but to a jetty on Lake Pichola at which a boat was waiting for us to take us to the hotel. Udaipur is known as the city of lakes and the most famous landmarks and hotels are located adjacent or in the center of the lake itself. The lake is actually very shallow and we learned during our stay that it actually dries up in the summer and people use it for farming, animal grazing, and basically as a public park where people play cricket.
There are two islands on the lake, Jagniwas Island, which is better known as the Lake Palace Hotel and Jagmandir Island which also has a palace that is rumored to be an inspiration to Shah Jahan for the Taj Mahal. The islands are still owned by the royal family still ruling the city and they lease the land to the companies who manage the hotels and restaurants now located on them.
I have to say, the arrival at the hotel was quite magical. Since we flew in so early that morning, the boat ride on the lake was very peaceful as we slowly made our way to the hotel. Upon arriving at the hotel entrance there were musicians playing in the outdoor reception area and flowers were tossed down from the upper level to shower us as we walked in. We were given garlands and you can see our picture taken here in front of the holiday tree. We were immediately escorted to our room – which is where the “check-in” happened while we were given fresh juice and refreshments. Our “floor butler” was also there waiting to show us around the room. The view – as you can see from the picture below – is absolutely stunning.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing in the outdoor areas just enjoying the view and tranquil surroundings. No wonder Udaipur is the #1 rated city according to Travel + Leisure Magazine.
The view of the city by night was just stunning.
Abhay took a great video from our balcony that night.
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