India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (306 page)

Dungarpur is 120km (75 miles) south of Udaipur (a 2-hr. drive one-way), and 175km (109 miles) from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Admission: Rs 150

WHERE TO STAY

Sadly, there is always the remote possibility that the fabulous Lake Pichola will succumb to climatic pressure and finally dry up. We strongly urge you to call ahead and check on the status of the lake waters to make an informed lodging choice; we’d hate for you to fork out a load of cash for a special lake-facing room, only to end up staring at a parched lake bed. For instance, without a view you can rule out the Fateh Prakash and Lake Palace and consider instead a room at Udaivilas or the new Fateh Garh, or one of the other more reasonably priced options such as Jagat Niwas, then head off to spend a night at Devi Garh, or stay at Fort Seengh Sagar or Shahpura Bagh en route to Jaipur, or Rawla Narlai en route to Jodphur. Assuming that the lake is full of water, then it is definitely worth booking into a hotel or haveli with a view of the lake, which is magical; accommodations on the eastern shore are best for sunsets, but this is also the best time to be on one of the islands: the Lake Palace itself, or on Jag Mandir.

Aside from the top recommendations below, it may be worth looking into the
Trident
(
1600/11-2122
or 0294/243-2200;
www.tridenthotels.com
). It’s a large, mellow, purpose-built hotel set behind Udaivilas with plenty of amenities and facilities but set some way from the lake among the tranquil Aravalli Hills, about a 25-minute drive from town. Ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 14,000 per double (check online for daily rates and deals), this comfortable, reputable option offers relatively good value (pool-facing rooms, which also have views towards the hills, are best) and will suit the less-adventurous traveler, but it’s a bit soulless for our taste, and far from the action. Similarly the new five-star
Radisson Plaza Resort and Spa, Udaipur
(
294/305-2600
or 1800/1800-333; fax 294/305-2666;
www.radisson.com/udaipur
; [email protected]), while predictably robust with its service and decor, can also be a bit bland compared to the options below and is also some way from the city and Lake Picola.

Lake Pichola

Lake Palace Hotel
Just looking at this much photographed 18th-century island palace is enough to make you want to start planning a trip to India; and it certainly lives up to its promise, from the experience of being ferried there by boat, to being gently serenaded at dusk by the flautist, or being treated like royalty in the beautiful bar. Both standard and deluxe rooms feature wood paneling and murals, lovely marble bathrooms, well-crafted furniture, opulent fabrics, and blissful Egyptian cotton linens. Best of all, everywhere you look—be it from the 263-year-old mango-tree-shaded pool, your room, or the restaurant—you have picture-perfect views: the statuesque City Palace walls and crenelated rooftops to the east, the whitewashed havelis and temples of the Old City lining the shores of the lake to the north, the Aravalli Hills to the west, or Jag Mandir to the south. The huge and opulent suites (of which nos. 116 and 117 housed the queen and the king, respectively) were thankfully left more or less as inherited from the royal family and have a timeless grandeur that the City Palace hotels could only wish for. Note that the luxury rooms with City Palace views tend to be smaller than those facing the hills, which are like miniature suites (albeit with cramped bathrooms), and be very careful to insist on a room with a view over the lake—a few deluxe units overlook the lily pond in the internal courtyard.

P.O. Box 5, Udaipur 313 001.
0294/252-8800.
Fax 0294/252-7975.
www.tajhotels.com
. 85 units. Rs 34,650 luxury double; Rs 40,000 palace double; Rs 140,000 royal suite; Rs 192,500 grand royal suite. Taxes extra. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; bar; astrologer; babysitting; boat trips; currency exchange; doctor-on-call; 2 outdoor Jacuzzis; minigym; pool; reading room; room service; spa; 24-hr. water taxi. In room: A/C, TV, DVD/CD player, personal butler, minibar, Wi-Fi (30 min Rs 125; 1 hour Rs 200; 3 hrs. Rs 600).

Floating Bliss

A must-do romantic experience is to book an early evening treatment on the Lake Palaces floating spa boat, and emerge totally destressed moored in the middle of the lake, to the image of the sun setting over the Aravalli hills and the lights of the palace reflected in the water.

Eastern Shores of Lake Pichola

Fateh Prakash & Shiv Niwas Palaces
The last two palaces built within the City Palace walls are now both hotels, but unless you want to overnight in what feels like a wealthy old aunt’s large but stuffy apartment, there’s only one section worth considering: the relatively new
Dovecoat
Wing
in Fateh Prakash. Almost all the rooms in this wing, which stretches along the shoreline, have the most wonderful views of the lake and its palace, as well as views beyond the distant Aravalli Hills (perfect at both sunset and dawn); room nos. 511 and 617 even have little sitting rooms that jut over the water. By contrast, Fateh Prakash’s much pricier “Regal Suites,” while a great deal larger, are overdressed, overcarpeted, and old-fashioned—these definitely need sprucing up. Crescent-shaped Shiv Niwas Palace, built around the pool courtyard, is positioned farther south, and without the lovely Lake Palace floating before you, its views are a great deal less magical. And that’s
if
you get a lake view. Service will almost certainly try your patience. Overall we recommend you look elsewhere.

City Palace Complex, Udaipur 313 001.
0294/252-8016
or -8019. Fax 0294/252-8006.
www.hrhindia.com
. Fateh Prakash 28 units. Shiv Niwas 31 units.
Fateh Prakash:
Rs 24,000 dovecote doubles and regal suites.
Shiv Niwas:
Rs 15,000 palace double (no views); Rs 36,000 terrace suite (nos. 15 and 16 lake-facing); Rs 44,000 royal suite (nos. 5, 6, 7, and 18 lake-facing); Rs 80,000 imperial suite (no. 17 lake-facing). AE, MC, V.
Amenities
(shared by hotels): 3 restaurants; billiards; doctor-on-call; Internet (Rs 150/hr.); massage; pool; spa; squash. In room: A/C, TV, minibar.

Jagat Niwas
This 17th-century haveli literally rises from the waters of Lake Pichola and is the best in its price category. Approached through a narrow street that runs into the entrance, it is essentially a cluster of buildings around a central courtyard. Rooms vary considerably, with only suites and deluxe rooms providing lake views—of these, no. 102 (super deluxe) and nos. 101, 110, and 116 (suites), are particularly pleasing options, and the latter is the most romantic. Note that deluxe rooms with lake views are generally much smaller than those without. Ceilings often feature colored glass baubles typical of Rajasthani havelis; walls have painted murals; fabrics are traditional Rajasthani block prints; and many rooms have alcoves with mattresses. The best part of the hotel is the wonderful covered terrace that overlooks the lake and hosts evening shows. But if you want a pool, Udai Kothi (see below) is a better option.