Udaipur

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We really saved the best til last with our final destination in Rajasthan, the city of Udaipur. Rather than a fort as the centrepiece of Udiapur, the city palace is its main attraction. it was built over a period of 400 years and served as the home for many kings who expanded it into a massive complex. unlike the forts which are distributed throughout rajasthan, the city palace was a thing of beauty both inside and out. the palace is perfectly situated next to a stunning lake and no expense had been spared with the fine detailing and use of lavish materials throughout.
The rooms inside the palace were a varied showcase of hand crafted marble work, stained glass windows, mirrored rooms and lavish paintings. The palace is in great condition thoughout whereas some areas of the forts we had seen have suffered from previous invasions and lack of maintence over time.
It was quite a busy attraction but revenue from the palace goes to fund charitable hospitals and educational insitutes.
There was little else to see in the city itself, the beauty of Udaipur is more the pictusque setting than the attractions themselves. the large lakes and surrounding hillside made for some great sunset views and the stay was made even better by having a clean quiet room and an excellent host at the guesthouse.
on our second day here we had already seen most of what was on offer but we took a boat ride from the palace to a small manmade island which was a nice and peaceful although somewhat brief getaway. I managed to run out of battery before arriving on the island as I had forgotten to charge my backup battery (a mistake i hope not to repeat)

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