Statying at the lake palace is the closest a person can get to feel how it might be to live liek a maharaja! The rooms are set in the midst of a lake, as you look out of the french windows, you can see ducks swimming in hte waters barely a few feet away, and the sight of the palace on the banks seen at night is breathtaking! the fact that it is insulated fromt eh restof jaipur gives you an exclusive feel, and the more princely suites are mindboggling.
It is steep at rs. 8, 000 onwards per room, but worth every bit! If you want to know more about my stay there, see my travel page http://www.geocities.com/travellingindia (lake palace page).
If going to udaipur and u can afford it, don’t miss this experience!
Here’s an excerpt from the diary...
I’m now into the Splurging phase of my journey! And Living like a Maharaja!!! Ah! The Taj lake palace hotel is fantastic, and my lake view suite no.202 ... R-o-y-a-l!! soooooo softttt cushions. Whhoooops...the bathroom has more valves than a ship’s engine room boiler platform!! Ha! Ha! Just look at that!!
But it’s really after the puppet show and the folk dance (yes - we had one more of them at the hotel in the evening!) that I actually realized how kings must’ve felt! (ok - ok - I also got that feeling when I got welcomed to the hotel at the outset by two traditionally dressed girls with a garland, tika, and aarti!)
A front office person took me around to show the ’’Shambhu Vilas ’’ suite (the most expensive one around)...it was s-p-a-c-i-o-u-s and mind boggling and I enjoyed looking at every corner of it!
Incidentally, the manager says he likes my room most, ’cos it’s the only one in the hotel which has parrots on the walls!! Seee?