Udaipur - the Venice of the East - a vision of white!

‘Udaipur! Udaipur!’My 5am wake-up call, the bus driver wrapping on the sliding window that serves as the entrance and exit to my coffin, I mean, compartment, on the sleeper bus from Jodhpur. 

I slowly rouse from my slumber; the darkness of the early morning is no help here. Slipping down from my upper bunk and along the narrow aisle lined by empty beds, windows open, crumpled blankets the only sign of life existing here for the seven hours prior. Small food carts, seemingly pitched as close to bus doors as possible, welcome weary travellers with pots of steaming chai and huge round woks, brimming with towering, piles of bright yellow speckled with green – poha – flattened turmeric rice sprinkled in coriander, peanuts and various namkeen, a personal breakfast favourite. I am served up a portion, a perfect handful atop two pieces of criss-crossed newspaper. The opportunity to take a seat on the small plastic stools, eat a little something, drink a thimble-sized black coffee and contemplate my next move is taken readily.  Surprisingly, despite numerous rickshawdrivers awaiting their next move, not one hassles me with their services. A good sign. Phone in hand, google maps open, I seek a trusty stead to cart me off to my chosen hostel and before I know it, I am tucked up under a blanket on a roof top bed, left to catch a few extra zeds until a more godly hour arises.  

I awake to the red hues of a huge Japanese sun shining fuzzily through the open archway windows which line the walls.  If Jodhpur was the blue city, then Udaipur should be named a City of White. As I look out across the landscape, a scene of water and white buildings, I remember that this town does indeed have its own nickname – the Venice of the East, a suiting moniker for this relaxed, romantic place. This city of lakes glimmers beautifully under the morning sun. Cream and off-white buildings, covered in delicately carved balconies, arched windows, rooftop domes and the odd piece of stained glass, reflect the Mughal and Rajput style.  It’s a stark contrast to what I have seen of Rajasthan thus far. A true gem in this land of treasures.


It is apparent from the room rates here that guesthouse owners know too well what a desirable destination Udaipur presents itself as, especially after many a travellers’ journey through the cities of Jaipur and Jodhpur before ending up here. It feels a little bit like one of the seaside resorts which line the south of the British Isles, big white hotels, overlooking the water, a quiet, relaxed atmosphere and costing a pretty penny to stay.  In India a pretty penny is still only a fraction of what it is back home but nonetheless, when compared to the rest of the trip, Udaipur is expensive. Tomorrow marks the three-month anniversary since my departure from the UK and throughout my adventure I have yet to pay more than 300 rupees per room, roughly £3 a night.  In Udaipur I am offered a room for 3000 rupees, this mark up speaks for itself.  I settle for a 500 rupee dorm room, the rooftops in these places serve as the perfect chill-spots that little time is spent in the room, simply a place to shower and sleep, a dorm is more than doable, and fifteen quid for three nights certainly isn’t bad at all.

My time in Venice of the East was packed with tours and exploring and various escapades, and it seems, as I edit this blog post, I neglected to find the time to write any further. Let’s just say – visit Udaipur, it’s beautiful!