A princess garden and historic lakeside hotel were what awaited me in Udaipur on my birthday. Udaipur is one of the more amazing cities I’ve experienced. Built around a series of manmade or expanded lakes, this royal city has views, architecture, and an energy of life found in few places. There’s no question why it has been used as a James Bond location and was used as the place for plot realizations in one of my favorite movies, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Princess Garden
Before checking into our hotel in the narrow, winding streets of this fabulous little city, we visited a playground for the royal household of yore at the Princess Garden. This was a special garden where the women of the court could play, relax, and enjoy the outdoors in the privacy and safety of a walled paradise.
Lush plantings, elaborate fountains, and hidden courts make this a garden right out of Princess Jasmine’s palace. I always wondered why people were in awe at the bougainvillea at Taliesin West, but when I saw it draping in curtains over the wall of the inner court surrounding a pool, I understood a little better.
Lake Pichola Hotel
When planning our trip to India, we received our list of potential hotels to approve. I was very excited when the hotel chosen for Udaipur appeared to have the same rooftop view of the lake as the one used in Marigold Hotel. Unfortunately, it was all booked up, and we were waitlisted. Our great travel company found us another hotel that didn’t have that same view. Though I’m sure it would have been very nice, I requested they find something with a similar view. What we ended up with at Lake Pichola Hotel exceeded my expectations and was the perfect place to celebrate my birthday.
Sitting right on the lake across from a famed haveli, Lake Pichola Hotel’s historic building, complete with colorful Indian details, offers spectacular views of the older city, palace, and more. And, at night from the rooftop restaurant, the whole place seems magical, especially when it’s your birthday.
