Rajasthan
SOUTHERN
R AJASTHAN
Rajasthan
ACT iViTiES
Rajasthan
UDA iPUR
of the old city as the crow flies, about 9km
by the winding road. At the foot of the hill
you enter the 5-sq-km Sajjan ̈Garh ̈Wild-
life ̈Sanctuary (indian/foreigner ₹20/160, car
₹60, camera/video free/₹200). A good way to
visit is with the daily sunset excursion in
a minivan driven by an enterprising taxi ̈
driver (%9784400120) who picks up tourists
at the entrance to Bagore-ki-Haveli every
day at 5pm. The round trip costs ₹200 per
person, including waiting time. His minivan
has ‘Monsoon Palace-Sajjangarh Fort’ writ-
ten across the front of it. You have to pay
the ₹160-sanctuary fee yourself as you enter
the park. Alternatively, take an autorickshaw
(₹200 including waiting time) to the sanctu-
ary gate, which they are not allowed to pass.
Taxis then ferry people the final 4km up to
the palace for about ₹100 per person.
Vintage ̈& ̈Classic ̈Car ̈Collection ̈ MUSEUM
(lake Palace Rd, Garden Hotel; admission ₹150,
incl lunch or dinner ₹250; h9am-9pm) The ma-
haranas’ car collection makes a fascinating
diversion, both for what it tells about their
elite lifestyle and for the vintage vehicles
themselves. Housed in the former state ga-
rage are 22 splendid vehicles, including a
seven-seat 1938 Cadillac complete with pur-
dah system, the beautiful 1934 Rolls-Royce
Phantom used in Octopussy and the Cadil-
lac convertible that whisked Queen Eliza-
beth II to the airport in 1961. If you enjoy
an unlimited vegetarian thali (and let’s face
it, who doesn’t?), the combined museum-
and-meal ticket is a very good option (lunch
11.30am to 3pm, dinner 7.30pm to 10pm).
It’s a 10-minute walk east along Lake Pal-
ace Rd (bear to the right at the staggered
junction).
2 ̈Activities
Horse ̈Riding
The wooded hills, villages and lakes around
Udaipur make lovely riding country. Several
operators offer horse rides from a couple
of hours to multi-day safaris. Expect to pay
about ₹900 for a half-day ride, including
lunch or snacks and transport to/from your
hotel.
Krishna ̈Ranch ̈ HORSE RiDiNG
(%9828059505; http://www.krishnaranch.com; full-day
incl lunch ₹1200) A Dutch-Indian company
specialising in guided horse safaris (but
also does guided walks) through the beauti-
ful countryside around Udaipur. The ranch,
where accommodation is also available
(single/double including meals and pick-up
₹1500/2500), is near Badi village, around
7km from town. Can also be contacted
through Kumbha Palace guesthouse.Massage
Ayurvedic ̈Body ̈Care ̈ AYURVEDA
(%2413816; http://www.ayurvedicbodycare.com; 38 lal
Ghat; h10am-8pm) A small and popular old-
city operation offering ayurvedic massage
at reasonable prices, including a 15-minute
head, back or foot massage (₹250) and a
50-minute full-body massage (₹750). It also
has ayurvedic products such as oils, mois-
turisers, shampoos and soaps for sale.Walking
The horse-riding specialists at Krishna
Ranch also offer guided hikes through the
same beautiful countryside, passing through
small tribal villages en route. Multi-day
hikes can be arranged too.Millets ̈of ̈Mewar ̈ CiTY WAlKS
(%8890419048; http://www.milletsofmewar.com) Man-
agement at the excellent restaurant Millets
of Mewar also help organise 2½-hour city
walking tours where you can meet local ar-
tisans who live and work in Udaipur. Tours,
which should be booked a day in advance,
start from the restaurant at 10am.Swimming
Several hotels allow nonguests to use their
pools, including Karohi ̈Haveli (₹200) and
Udai ̈ Kothi (₹300), which has the only
rooftop pool in town.C ̈Courses
Cooking
Apart from organising city walks, the res-
taurant Millets of Mewar also runs cooking
classes (₹500); choose any five dishes from
their wonderful menu and staff will teach
you how to cook them.Queen ̈Cafe ̈ COOKiNG
(%2430875, 9783786028; 14 Bajrang Marg, Hanu-
man Ghat; 2/4hr class ₹900/1500; h8.30am)
Learn how to make Indian tea, flat breads,
rice and four types of curries with the affable
Meenu; owner, chef and busy mum at this
homely little eatery. Class sizes: two to five
people.Music
Prem ̈Musical ̈Instruments ̈ MUS iC
(%2430599; 28 Gadiya Devra; per hr ₹400;
h10.30am-6pm) Suresh Kumar Prajapati is