The Lake City of Udaipur
One of our favorite places on the trip (and consequently one of our most photographed!), Udaipur is another principality in Rajasthan, and one of the only ones that was never sacked by Moghuls or other foreign invaders.
As a result, it's one of the best preserved cities. Its ruling family was still in place at the time of Indian independence, and its Maharana (ruler), while no longer a political figure, still dominates the city, owning most of its premiere real estate, including the beautiful City Palace and almost all of the hotels in town.
Udaipur is sometimes called the Venice of the East, and with good reason - its beautiful setting on the man-made Lake Pichola (including the Lake Palace Hotel, where we stayed), and its architectural styles on the water, are very reminiscent of Venice.
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The City Palace was built over the course of over 400 years, starting in the 16th century and ending in 1955. Today, the palace is divided into three parts: the royal residence, a museum, and a luxury hotel.
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The Monsoon Palace, a bit rundown but under restoration, was the Maharana's "party house" on a nearby hilltop with a sweeping view of the city. Below is the view of the hilltop from the lake as well as the view from the Palace.
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And the Maharana has an impeccably maintained classic car collection of all the royal autos purchased since the early 20th century (all currently still operational).
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