Udaipur Things to Do

I had the opportunity to take a cooking class by the local at shashi's home,in Udaipur.
Located just below a well known restaurant in the city, shashi welcomes you in her kitchen and show you how to cook basics such as Masala or Pakora or Nan.
It was just great, Shashi was very friendly, I strongly recommend such activity.
There are several other options to take cooking classes in Udaipur but I think maybe this one it the best option...

Check out the old vintage beauties which were used by the maharajas' (Kings) and Ranis (Queens) during the 60s & 70s. For a mere price of INR250 you will get a guided tour of the Vintage cars plus you also get to have a clean and decent Veg meal. The Vintage cars include Chevys, Merc and Cadilac from the 40s, 50s and some from late 70s.
Its a must watch if you are a Vintage Car lover, and have pasion for cars.

A little away from Fatehsagar ring road, close to the Village Havala, 3 Kms. away from Udaipur lies Shilp Gram (literally means A Village of Craftsmen), a Village concieved as a living ethnographic Museum. Shilp Gram depicts the life style of the Folks of not only Mewar but the whole Western India. It also includes the Tribal folks.
Traditional Huts have bee constructed here featuring Household Articles of everyday use like Terracotta, Textiles, Wooden, metal & decorative objects etc. with appropriate signals and explanatory details. It provides an opportunity to the Visitors to observe and learn about the rich traditional and ethnic Crafts and Arts, the various facets of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa, and Maharastra. The Village generates a better appreciation of the extra-ordinary diversity of designs and ethnic sense of the rural Craftsman. A huge open air amphitheatre is the venue of major Festivals.
There is a Museum representing the 4 member States West Zone, which has Turbans, Household Items, Toys, Musical Instruments, Decorative etc. used in the Village areas of these member States.
In the Month of December, West Zone culture Society arranges a 10 days Craftsmen Fare called 'Shilpgram Mahautsav'. It is witnessed by the Craftsmen from around the India. Each Day of the Fare is dominated by the guest Craftsmen of different Region. Several Stalls and Counters are put for the sale and exhibition of beautiful Handicrafts made by these Craftsmen...

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I highly recommend the body and head massage at Hemang Panch Karma & Ayurvedic Centre. It is one of the best that I have been to in India. They specialize in Herbal Steam Bath, Ayurvedic Body Scrub, Warm Oil Head Massage, Acupressure amongst many others.
Their hours - starting about 10am- they keep open until 9pm. This I found really convenient- especially good to have this relaxing treatment after a day of sightseeing.
The staff are very professional- Ladies for ladies, and Men for men. Total decorum is observed.
The products that I always bring back from India are called 'Himalaya' Brand- totally natural, and a fine quality. They compare with any expensive western products, and are even less than a fraction of the cost. The Body Lotion, Facial Scrub and Night Creme are my favourites.They also have wonderfulsoap, lip-balm & sunscreen.

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This imposing old Palace stands atop a very high hill , overlooking Udaipur & the surrounding Arrevelli Hills. It was used by the royal family during the monsoon, hence the name, and although it has been neglected, it is worth a visit for the views alone. A good timeto go is around 5 pm, which affords time to wander around the rooms, and look into nooks & crannies. Sunset offers a great photo opportunity.
At night, the Monsoon Palce is flood-lit, and looks like a fairytale. It can be seen sitting high up on the hill from every part of Udaipur.
An auto-rickshaw ride can take about 30 minutes from Udaipur. It is a very steep uphill, but a new scenic road, and the driver will wait.
There are toilet facilities at the Monsoon Palace. Part of the James Bond film Octopussy" was filmed here. These toilet facilities and new road was constructed and paid for by a very wealthy Indian businessman who gave his daughter a huge wedding reception at the Monsoon Palace. The party apparently lasted for a week, and guests were flown in from all over the world.It's a majestic setting.

A group of British actors are performing Measure for Measure until 4th February. The shows are at 6:30pm, Sun-Wed, taking place at Jagmandir Island Palace (Sun and Mon) and City Palace (Tue and Wed). At City Palace the tickets cost INR100 and at Jagmandir the show is free, but it costs INR300 to get the boat over to the island. The show is 90 minutes long and warm clothes are advised as the shows are outdoors.

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The Flower stalls outside the temple are a blaze of colour.

The temple is crowded, with worshippers and tourists, all day long. It was built in 1651 by Maharajah Jagat Singh. Inside is a carved black statue of stone, in the image of Vishnu. The sound of the bell, announcing yet another visitor, clangs every few seconds, and the smell of incense fills the air. Its well worth a visit, being on the way to the Palace. Shoes have to be left outside, where they are looked after, for just a few rupees.

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Jag Mandir is an island palace situated on Lake Pichola . It was built in 17th century and is one of main attaractions of Udaipur. Maharana of Udaipur gave shelter to Emperor Shah Jehan (Prince Khurram) here in 1623-24 while he was in conflict with his father, Jehangir.. It is believed that this palace was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal, that he later built for his late queen, Mumtaz.
The island has beautiful pavilions,chattris & gardens, and the stone elephants (life size) that guard the entrance are simply awesome. Views of lake and Udaipur are beautiful and unobstructed.
There is a small museum showing the history in the palace grounds.
The island & palace must be reached by boat (for obvious reasons!), Tours can be arranged from the City Palace Complex.