Trip Taken March 2010

Lake Palace from Lake Pichola

As Indian as they claim I am, I have never been to the most popular tourist destinations of India, i.e, the north: Taj Mahal, The Golden Triangle including Agra, Rajasthan etc. So when I was almost forced to go to Udaipur (it is an expensive flight and not a direct one from Hyderabad), I wasn’t quite sure how royal it really would be and how well preserved to make the time and money worth the effort. Oh boy, research wasn’t descriptive enough on this one, and I guess numbers (of tourists) don’t lie!

Yes, even he can see the beauty of the view from the City Palace!

There is so much to say about such a small area, I don’t want to puke it out in a disconnected fashion, so I am going to start with at the very beginning. The best way to research Udaipur is to get the information from the Indian tourism department, whether online or by visiting an Incredible India office. The central attraction of Udaipur is on Lake Pichola, a man made lake. The City Palace, Lake Palace, Jag Mandir are all located on the lake and will take up a full day.

The best way to go about the day is to start with a boat ride since you have to buy tickets to each thing at the entrance at the bottom of the City Palace, at the entrance of the lake. The package deal costs around Rs.850 or so, including a boat ride around the lake with a stop at the Jag Mandir.  Avoid the audio part or they will sell you the more expensive ticket with the audio. If you are a history buff, or just really interested and have read no back ground on this, I would guess it is worth it. No, you can not visit the Taj Lake Palace. No, you can not go there for dinner. No, you can not buy a visitor’s pass. Only way to get to see it by walking through it is to stay there. We did not know; don’t think I would stay there on a two and a half day trip for the money it takes anyways.

There are a lot of “Palace” hotels. Not many of them are palaces as the pictures on the web will show, and not all of them look worth the Rs1500 even. I lucked out (I think the only time I have luck on my side is travel, or my gut instinct only works then!). Rang Nivas Palace was a great palace to stay at. The room interiors were old but neat as can be; the staff polite and professional, a swimming pool included, and breakfast too, very affordable and five minutes walk to the lake. I didn’t know the proximity, so I wasted money on a taxi for two days!! I would say that is a hidden pearl of a hotel there and well worth the money. I thought this time of year would be hot and booked an a/c room, but it actually got cold enough to where I had to call for a comforter at night and never turned the air conditioner on!

Just another beautiful open theatre built on the lake

The morning started, as I mentioned, with the Lake boat ride. How the hell, and why the hell they built so much around this lake seems a mystery as you go around the waters but the history of each palace explains the rebellions, conquests, glory and the egos of the wealthy and powerful. It also showcases the art and opulence of a time not so long ago. I have never been to a place that oozes so much royalty and romance so I got carried away into the world of kings, queens and beauty. Breathe it, soak it in, let it into the pores and imagine it: it’s the best way to enjoy the place.

We stopped at the Jag Mandir, an open courtyard with beautiful paintings and architecture that is a romantic’s dream. I walked through the wrong door only to find out that area is converted to a spa. Really? The spa rooms are fit royalty. What the hell? When else am I going to pretend I am one of them? So I booked it for that evening. Come to find out, there are about six rooms for rent there, a restaurant open to the public with a minimum Rs2200 per couple and a boat that takes you back and forth. I realized I’d rather pay for this experience of an entire evening than spend the obscene money at Taj Lake Palace. But that is just me. What I don’t know, I can’t miss!

Jag Mandir from the temple on the mountain

It took until 2pm by the time we got done with the gigantic city palace where the movie Octopussy (James Bond) was shot. Food, then the Crystal Gallery, then a couple of hours of rest before we started the evening and night adventure at the Jag Mandir. Then I heard some one mention a temple on top of a hill on the east side of the lake and thought maybe that would be great during sunset. One has got to see what the royals saw to make this their play ground during all times of the day. It must be ever changing beauty. So we took the ride up the mountain and weren’t disappointed with the over all picture.

Entrance to Jag Mandir at night

The ride to Jag Madir at sunset was divine. I realized then that Udaipur is a valley, the ranges reflecting off the setting sun on all sides, the colors and sight just majestic. Night time on the lake is a must do. More than anything, the reflection of all these wonders in the still lake are surreal and can draw one into the harmless looking waters. I don’t think there is a better place to drown than that lake and I am hydrophobic! The spa and dinner were so romantic, it is rare I hurt for the romantic partner, but I did then!

Next morning, we had to discover the city around and relics less visited. So, first the drive up to an east side mountain to the Monsoon Palace. Though the palace seems to be all new with the old architecture in mind, I imagine it was there before though I didn’t read anything about it anywhere. None the less, the view of the city to the west and the mountains to the east gives me the feeling there was something at that location that was not well protected but is in the process of renovation, though it may be too late.

Cool pic... me in the mirror in there

Then I make an executive decision to go to an excursion little further from the city and see the popular Jain temple at Eklingi, about 25km from Udaipur. This is a wonderful temple but a popular one too. No hang bags allowed, no photography and long lines of devotees. Maybe not the place to go for a tourist. So I asked the driver if there was a tourist temple with the intricate carvings and look of that one. He promptly drove me to one that was actually more beautiful and completely unmonitored!! That is the part of India that I don’t understand, but I guess I am missing the beauty of letting history alone too. Sometimes one gets more than one asks for.

Part of having such a rich heritage and culture is the fact that the town still retains the art forms of painting, block printing, dressing and other old arts that made it the rich cultural centre. I took half a day visiting the co-operative societies that let you see the artists at work and the art that is still respected and nurtured generations later. If for no other reason, it is worth buying a piece just to keep the traditions alive.

A child's point of view - City Palace and the city below

All in all, Rajasthan, I can assure you, is a must see state of India, capturing the true elegance of a great warrior kingdom where women were respected, held their own, art was nourished and encouraged, and the people still revere the past in their eyes and heart. Colorful, beautiful, graceful, romantic and powerful. I promise you I will write more on other parts of this royal state. But I am blessed to have seen what I saw. And as you can tell, even from an amatuer photographer like me, it is a photographer’s paradise. I use a basic powershot, but if you have an eye for the art, this place is can be a catalyst.

Is that what they/we call graffiti?

Largest Buddhist monastry in India

Trip Taken June 2009

Coorg is one of the most scenic and romantic places in Karnataka. Kodagu, as the Kannada name goes, is one of the southern most districts in Karnataka, bordering Kerala, is made up of the eastern side of the Western Ghats. Coorg is no secret. It is around 250km from Bangalore. The roads are good most of the way there and back and it’s a pretty scenic one for the most part. So, more as less, as a beautiful hill station, it is quite a popular weekend get away for those near it especially.

The coffee plantation we stayed at

As I was researching like a dumb foreigner for a hotel, I stumbled across more home stays in the form of coffee plantations on the internet than hotels. After I recovered from my confusion because they weren’t called “bed and breakfasts” like they are where I’m from, I called a couple of friends to get the scoop on this. Apparently, that is the thing to do, so I did… book a stay at a coffee plantation and do the drive from Bangalore to Coorg. The mistake I made, though, not to be repeated, is that you got to get to the destination before dark, especially if the coffee plantation you picked is in south Coorg because those can get to be pretty dark deserted back roads with no signs.

But over all it was a relaxing long weekend for us. The first day, we hiked up onto a mountain with a guide and his gun. I guess there is enough danger there that these guys are licensed to carry and advice it; as our guide told us, there are leopards, elephants, and tigers, to name a few. The view of the Western Ghats is breath taking not only for the mountains but it is rare to see, in a crowded country like India, nature and blue skies beyond for as far as I could see. That is where I realized I was standing in Karnataka and looking at Kerala… my next destination.

Iruppu Falls

Back to Coorg, there is the beautiful morning and home cooking and fresh air and camp fire dinners. There is no lack of things to do, but not to miss a walk in a coffee plantation and relax and learn. Then, move along to Iruppu falls, a sacred spot. The Nagarhole Forest Reserve offers safari rides in the early morning hours and also treks on foot with a guide.

The Dubare Elephant Camp is a popular tourist destination, almost due east of Madikeri, the capital of Coorg. It is to raise awareness of the most popular animal in that region, but one can’t stray too far from the beaten path because most of these elephants are held in captivity for a while and no animal is safe to go too close to without proper knowledge. So after a quick ride on an elephant, we crossed the river back the entrance area and headed north back to Bangalore.

There was one thing we heard of that I definitely wanted to see because it was intriguing and I had never seen one before: a Buddhist monastery. It is on the Mysore Madikeri Highway, about 90km from Mysore. I read that it was the largest Tibetan refugee camp with almost 18,000 Tibetan refugees who created a mini Tibet there. Also, 7000 monks, called “Lamas” live in the monastery and pursue their education with a steadfast belief in The Holiness The Dalai Lama. It was a day dream for me, one of the most peaceful and truly eye opening places I have ever been to. It is true that internal calmness and a peaceful lifestyle exude a quiet physical nature amongst them.

Rafting across to Dubare Elephant Camp

There are many more falls, more treks and more driving through the hill station, if one has time. It’s hard to make this trip a hectic one, but one can definitely push one’s physical abilities to the limit here. Beware, same as Kerala which is not too far off, once it rains, there are plenty leaches that will find you!