Travel Diaries
Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 2:18 am
i am back from a 11 day trip to udaipur, jaipur and delhi. will share my notes while its fresh. will share some pix in photography thread once i get a chance to crop and sharpen them a bit. I used a dual rig of a D90 + std telephoto d lens non vr and a D5100 + 55-200mm consumer zoom with vr. I found it convenient not having to swap lenses. each site had some shots worth taking at low zoom and some at high zoom, so dual rig works well with a good bag able to carry 2 bodies and a few lenses. i carried but never used by 50mm/f1.8D with the D90 as its tough to spend so much time on pix with family along. also 2 bodies leads to a lot of jealous looks from men at airline security like showing off 2 beautiful wives
Udaipur - there are two big lakes picchola and fateh sagar linked by a canal/small lakes. the water is clean and none throw garbage in it due to shared interest in tourism. the old city has markets, touristy shops, heritage hotels, and the huge city palace and new city is huge with planned areas and every bit a modern city. lot of educational sector.
day1 - we reached at noon via dilli - the airport is decent and went to small heritage hotel near this canal. prepaid taxi a bit expensive for 25km ride.
the old city area near picchola and the canal is hilly and really narrow roads which only bikes and autos can navigate. went to a dance performance of various state dances at a place called 'bagore ki haveli' in the evening and dinner at a lakeside place called 'khamba ghanni restaurant' which was quite good with gaddis and cushions on a terrace overlooking the lake with a garden inside.
day2 - we rented a large auto for the day and visited city palace, zoo and monsoon palace. city palace is privately owned by the current royal family head and is expensive like 250 pp and if you take taxi inside its 270 for parking (!) our auto slinked away outside. also it has a boat trip which we took which makes a circle of the lake and takes you to private island cum boutique hotel called Jagmandir. again a bit expensive but worth it to photo the city palace and the famous taj lake palace close up. on opp shore are a bevy of uber luxury hotels like oberoi udaivillas, leela, trident but boat does not approach that side. we took guide for the palace tour which is a long tour and involves a lot of climbing via zig zag narrow staircases a feature of rajasthan palaces. best to avoid the handicraft shops in palace as you get much cheaper in other parts of city and esp in jaipur (see below) though we did not know and purchased a few things in initial enthu.
zoo is in the forested foothills and best to go in the electric trolley that takes you near each enclosure. loved the wolves and foxes, bigger animals like lions, tigers, leopards, gharial, bears also there in large open enclosures.
then we took a ride in govt jeep to monsoon palace sajjan garh up on a high hill that has panoramic views of the city and lakes and green hills on other side - there is a restaurant up top for tea, sandwiches and pakoras. i was overcome by a attack of nauseous migraine due to missing my sunglasses and taking photos in the angular evening sun. saw one undertrial with handcuffs and a chain on it, being brought there by a squad of armed police, later saw them roaming around sajjan garh and taking selfies and pix. my theory - it is a transit remand party who were in udaipur waiting for a train in evening, so got themselves a jeep to roam around in the meantime, and since the undertrial was their responsibility he got the free tour too. did not seem unhappy, but looked like a tough guy like a smuggler or poacher.
we also visited saheliyon ki bari a garden built for the companions of the royal ladies. the guide who is a 45 yr veteran of the place took over my camera and took some great shots...and took around of fateh sagar lake which has a beautiful clean road and eating shop areas.
day3 - rented a taxi for day trip to kumbhalgarh and ranakpur both of which are amazing and must see. k'garh was built by rana kumbha the legendary warrior and poet of mewar and is 5km x 5km in size, with entire villages , farms and check dams inside. it also has 300+ hindu and jain temples apart from the fort. i stood next to the locked room where maharana pratap was born (!) the views on all sides are mind blowing. enough said.
ranakpur is a jain temple in middle of dense forested hills, rivulets run over the road at couple of places. it has 1400+ one-off curved pillars with beautiful stone work . it is a active temple and we purchased some flowers for Rs20 and offered prayers. women need to cover flesh with pants and not leave bare legs, midriff or shoulder. salwar/pant/dupatta is fine, and a chador can be rented easily at their ticket counter. photography is allowed of all except the tirthankara shrines. this is again a must see no ifs and buts. the roof has round stone carvings inside each weighing 4 tons.
the climate and vegetation of the hills resembles the western ghats!!
day4 - we rented p2p autos and visited vintage car museum(did not go inside due to not so great collection and high tkt price), had a jain thali in attached restaurant (vfm for 250) , central garden and then boating in fateh sagar lake . adjacent on a hill is the Maharana pratap memorial - beautiful and spacious with a black statue astride his famous horse chetak. the museum has weapons, paintings of all the Ranas and warriors of Mewar and scale models of kumblagarh, chittorgarh and haldighati with a timeline miniatures models that explains how chetak saved rana pratap despite his wounds running 5km
at present cost of renting a day taxi (dzire) is 2300 fixed. for autos it is negotiable but usually around 800 is the ask(not vfm as most of time he sits around after dropping you but convenient than hiring p2p each time). guides are preferable at the major sites. saves time and gives some inner details.
we had to skip trip to chittorgarh on day4 due to lack of time and because its off to one side. from local accounts k'garh > c'garh if there is lack of time. however if you have time for 0.5 day trip you should do it has the victory tower built by rana kumbha and site of 3 jauhars .
we also had to skip the steps/ropeway to karni mata temple on a hill overlooking city palace. good temple and great views per accounts.
night 10.30 we took udaipur khajuraho express 2AC to jaipur - berths were fine with sheets and blankets, everyone just slept. toilets were old and worn and reeked of urine smell...the perpetual IR failing. it reached jaipur on time at 6:40AM. for sleeping overnight it was ok.
we had dinner is another restaurant called "Upre" which has a great line of terrace tables overlooking the lighted up city palace. another one called "ambrai" nearby is more famous with the goras but upre location is equally good and elevated. prices of food in touristy hotels is on expensive side. in new part of city it will be more normal.
overall, a very charming city. rana kumbha, rana sanga, maharana pratap are considered as demi gods and defiance is the hallmark of the local rajputs and bhils. the statue of rana pratap at the memorial is sheer raw power, he and horse are in chain mail armour, he is carrying a shield, a spear and two swords. in the fading light, it seemed alive and about to trot forward slowly with the metallic sounds of armour.....chetak is revered for his loyalty and a train is also named for him
Udaipur - there are two big lakes picchola and fateh sagar linked by a canal/small lakes. the water is clean and none throw garbage in it due to shared interest in tourism. the old city has markets, touristy shops, heritage hotels, and the huge city palace and new city is huge with planned areas and every bit a modern city. lot of educational sector.
day1 - we reached at noon via dilli - the airport is decent and went to small heritage hotel near this canal. prepaid taxi a bit expensive for 25km ride.
the old city area near picchola and the canal is hilly and really narrow roads which only bikes and autos can navigate. went to a dance performance of various state dances at a place called 'bagore ki haveli' in the evening and dinner at a lakeside place called 'khamba ghanni restaurant' which was quite good with gaddis and cushions on a terrace overlooking the lake with a garden inside.
day2 - we rented a large auto for the day and visited city palace, zoo and monsoon palace. city palace is privately owned by the current royal family head and is expensive like 250 pp and if you take taxi inside its 270 for parking (!) our auto slinked away outside. also it has a boat trip which we took which makes a circle of the lake and takes you to private island cum boutique hotel called Jagmandir. again a bit expensive but worth it to photo the city palace and the famous taj lake palace close up. on opp shore are a bevy of uber luxury hotels like oberoi udaivillas, leela, trident but boat does not approach that side. we took guide for the palace tour which is a long tour and involves a lot of climbing via zig zag narrow staircases a feature of rajasthan palaces. best to avoid the handicraft shops in palace as you get much cheaper in other parts of city and esp in jaipur (see below) though we did not know and purchased a few things in initial enthu.
zoo is in the forested foothills and best to go in the electric trolley that takes you near each enclosure. loved the wolves and foxes, bigger animals like lions, tigers, leopards, gharial, bears also there in large open enclosures.
then we took a ride in govt jeep to monsoon palace sajjan garh up on a high hill that has panoramic views of the city and lakes and green hills on other side - there is a restaurant up top for tea, sandwiches and pakoras. i was overcome by a attack of nauseous migraine due to missing my sunglasses and taking photos in the angular evening sun. saw one undertrial with handcuffs and a chain on it, being brought there by a squad of armed police, later saw them roaming around sajjan garh and taking selfies and pix. my theory - it is a transit remand party who were in udaipur waiting for a train in evening, so got themselves a jeep to roam around in the meantime, and since the undertrial was their responsibility he got the free tour too. did not seem unhappy, but looked like a tough guy like a smuggler or poacher.
we also visited saheliyon ki bari a garden built for the companions of the royal ladies. the guide who is a 45 yr veteran of the place took over my camera and took some great shots...and took around of fateh sagar lake which has a beautiful clean road and eating shop areas.
day3 - rented a taxi for day trip to kumbhalgarh and ranakpur both of which are amazing and must see. k'garh was built by rana kumbha the legendary warrior and poet of mewar and is 5km x 5km in size, with entire villages , farms and check dams inside. it also has 300+ hindu and jain temples apart from the fort. i stood next to the locked room where maharana pratap was born (!) the views on all sides are mind blowing. enough said.
ranakpur is a jain temple in middle of dense forested hills, rivulets run over the road at couple of places. it has 1400+ one-off curved pillars with beautiful stone work . it is a active temple and we purchased some flowers for Rs20 and offered prayers. women need to cover flesh with pants and not leave bare legs, midriff or shoulder. salwar/pant/dupatta is fine, and a chador can be rented easily at their ticket counter. photography is allowed of all except the tirthankara shrines. this is again a must see no ifs and buts. the roof has round stone carvings inside each weighing 4 tons.
the climate and vegetation of the hills resembles the western ghats!!
day4 - we rented p2p autos and visited vintage car museum(did not go inside due to not so great collection and high tkt price), had a jain thali in attached restaurant (vfm for 250) , central garden and then boating in fateh sagar lake . adjacent on a hill is the Maharana pratap memorial - beautiful and spacious with a black statue astride his famous horse chetak. the museum has weapons, paintings of all the Ranas and warriors of Mewar and scale models of kumblagarh, chittorgarh and haldighati with a timeline miniatures models that explains how chetak saved rana pratap despite his wounds running 5km
at present cost of renting a day taxi (dzire) is 2300 fixed. for autos it is negotiable but usually around 800 is the ask(not vfm as most of time he sits around after dropping you but convenient than hiring p2p each time). guides are preferable at the major sites. saves time and gives some inner details.
we had to skip trip to chittorgarh on day4 due to lack of time and because its off to one side. from local accounts k'garh > c'garh if there is lack of time. however if you have time for 0.5 day trip you should do it has the victory tower built by rana kumbha and site of 3 jauhars .
we also had to skip the steps/ropeway to karni mata temple on a hill overlooking city palace. good temple and great views per accounts.
night 10.30 we took udaipur khajuraho express 2AC to jaipur - berths were fine with sheets and blankets, everyone just slept. toilets were old and worn and reeked of urine smell...the perpetual IR failing. it reached jaipur on time at 6:40AM. for sleeping overnight it was ok.
we had dinner is another restaurant called "Upre" which has a great line of terrace tables overlooking the lighted up city palace. another one called "ambrai" nearby is more famous with the goras but upre location is equally good and elevated. prices of food in touristy hotels is on expensive side. in new part of city it will be more normal.
overall, a very charming city. rana kumbha, rana sanga, maharana pratap are considered as demi gods and defiance is the hallmark of the local rajputs and bhils. the statue of rana pratap at the memorial is sheer raw power, he and horse are in chain mail armour, he is carrying a shield, a spear and two swords. in the fading light, it seemed alive and about to trot forward slowly with the metallic sounds of armour.....chetak is revered for his loyalty and a train is also named for him