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Best Hotels in Udaipur Near Pichola Lake

Udaipur, and Rajasthan in general, have hotels that used to be traditional homes, or havelis: big houses for influential or large families. Those havelis have been converted into heritage hotels, their multicolored glass panes, heavy fort-like wooden doors, arched windows, and thick pillars a testament to time. So many haveli hotels have pools, bars, and airport drop-off and pickup. These guesthouses are fully equipped for the high-end domestic and foreign travelers who come in millions to see the best places to visit in Udaipur. (Even in Pushkar in Rajasthan, I saw beautiful artistic big houses.)

Three-star, four-star, and five-star hotels in Udaipur are abundant. But Udaipur also has more than enough accommodations for the economic or budget traveler. There are lake-view hotels in Udaipur, and there are hotels near Udaipur Railway Station. My list has both budget hotels in Udaipur city and the best heritage hotels in Udaipur.

My Most Recommended Homestays in Mangalore, The Coastal Karnataka

Mangalore, a coastal city in Karnataka, drew me in completely. I was there for two weeks and, in those two weeks, lived a lifetime. Mangalore is that kind of a place.

Perpetually rainy, filled with mangoes, coconuts, and bananas, and cradled by the Indian Ocean. Every street and room is fragrant of coconut oil, which is used for cooking. The fishmonger comes early in the morning, and fish is part of at least one meal daily. Fries and curries are made in a delicious spice paste. Probably you will eat your hand. I was about to.

We stayed on the first floor of an old couple’s independent house. It was monsoon. Their mango tree didn’t bear fruit, but birds chirped on it all day. The tree overshadowed some part of the terrace outside our rooms. The terrace was a green carpet of moss and algae. Mangalore is friends with the monsoon, which comes every year and flows unabashedly, proudly.