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Udaipur is hard to get around in a car. The lanes are way too narrow and it is easy to get lost. Kota roads are pretty wide and relatively easy to negotiate for a non-local, but there are hardly any good directions. Rest of the towns are too small to bother driving on your own. The highways between the towns are excellent four lane roads.
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Abu Road to Mount Abu: ~30 km. Road is in good condition. But it is winding up-the-hill road. So it will take an hour each way. If you are motion sick, the going will be difficult for you without medicine.
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Abu Road to Ambaji: ~20 km. The road is bad in parts. But you can till cover it in about 40 mins each way. Not too winding.
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Abu Road to Udaipur: 180 km. The road is excellent 4 lane. You can cover it in 2.5 hrs (day or night). Note that this is from Abu Road. If you are starting in Mount Abu, add an extra hour to get down the mountain.
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Udaipur-Khumbalgarh-Ranakpur-Udaipur: Udaipur to Khumbalgarh is fairly straightforward. But the road is quite narrow in parts. Not too many potholes. You can cover the 90 odd kms in about 2 hours. Khumbalgarh to Ranakpur is quite winding and it is easy to get lost. There are no good directions. It will take about 45 mins to get between the two. Ranakpur to Udaipur is traightforward, but there are winding sections. It will take you another 2 hrs to cover ~100 kms.
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Udaipur-Dungarpur: 120 km, 2 hours. The road is excellent 4 lane till about 15 kms from Dungarpur. It is not easy to find the Juna Mahal. So get a local driver or keep asking for directions. To find Dev Somnath is even harder. It will take you an hour to get to Dev Somnath from Juna Mahal. If you have the time, it is worth it.
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Udaipur - Chittorgarh: 120 km 2 hrs. Another very good 4-lane road. You should have no problem driving this section in day/night.
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Chittorgarh to Bundi: 180 km 3.5 hrs. There is a new Kota by-pass. So it is fastest to get almost to Kota and take the by-pass. The entire route then will be smooth 4 lane driving with no scope of getting lost. The road via Bijolia is in very bad shape.
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Bundi to Kota: ~40 km 1 hr. Good roads. Almost 4 lanes all the way. The road is great upto about 5 kms from Kota. The last section is rough, but not too bad.
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Kota to Baroli: 45 km 1 hr. Decent two lane road. There is a small ghat section of about 5 kms in length. Baroli temples is a couple of kms before Rawatbhata. There are good directions to that town.
Time Required at the Sights
- Dilwara Temples, Mount Abu: 30 mins to an hour. No mobile or camera is allowed. You can save time by leaving these in the car.
- Amba Mata temple: Pretty crowded. Dharshan will take about 1 to 2 hrs.
- Khumbalgarh: Guide is recommended. About 1.5 hours.
- Ranakpur: Minimum of 30 mins. But 1 hr would be better. There are audio guides available. Or a Pandit can take you around (I paid him Rs. 100), but he only speaks Hindi.
- Dungarpur: I don't know why the place is not more famous. The Juna Mahal is simply outstanding. The paintings are quite stunning. Travel agents and the hotel guys in Udaipur will positively discourage you from going to Dungarpur. If you have an extra day to spare, it is absolutely worth it. If history and art bores you, then this is not your place. You will need at least one hour at the site. Note that you will need to buy tickets at the new palace hotel in Dungarpur. Don't drive directly to the Juna Mahal. You will then have to back track for tickets. Dev Somnath mandir is decent. But if you are pressed on time, you can skip it.
- Udaipur Sights
- City Palace: 1 hour. Guide is recommended. The place gets crowded. Try to get in by the opening time. The fee is expensive. but it is worth it.
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Crystal Gallery: 30 mins. This is quite expensive. You do get to see some really amazing crystal collection. But it is upto you to weigh that against the steep entrance fee. Hardly anyone will be around when you visit.
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Boat ride on Pichola: 1 hour. There are two options. One is to take the ride from the City Palace. That would be 400 per person. It will let you get down in the Jadmandir island. Another option is to take the boat from Lal Ghat area. It is far cheaper (~125-150 pp). But the Lal Ghat one will not let you get down at the island. But the island is not worth the trouble. Take the ride late in the afternoon.
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Monsoon Palace/Sajjan Garh: It takes about 30 mins to get here (each way) from Lal Ghat area. The place is pretty run down. You come here only for the views and it is best during sunset. Note that auto-rickshaws wont come here. You need to take a taxi.
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Maha Rana Pratap Memorial: Just a solitary statue of the Rana on a horse. Views are good from the top. 15 mins at the site would be plenty.
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Saheliyin-ki-bari: Very nice gardens. But hopelessly crowded. Still a must see. 30 mins is sufficient for this place.
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Royal Cenotaphs: I don't know why no one visits this place. No one seems to know about it as well. But the place is quite pretty during sunset. There is a museum dedicated to the little known Ahar culture right next door. 30 mins at the site and 30 mins at the museum is plenty.
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Bagore-ki-Haveli: The Haveli takes about 30 mins to cover. But most people come here for the evening cultural show. That is abot an hour long. Starts at 7 pm in winter. You need to queue up for seats/tickets by 6 pm.
- Jagdish Mandir: Very decent temple. Don't forget to walk around checking out the sculptures on the outside. 30 mins to an hour is more than sufficient. 4pm (when the temple opens in the evening) seems least crowded.
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Chittorgarh: 3 hours. It is better to have a car/auto at your disposal so that you don't spend time walking. Guide is recommended.
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Bundi Palace: 1 hour should be enough to cover both the palace and the Chitrasala. The caretaker at the Chitrasala will double up as a guide. But if you don't speak Hindi, don't bother engaging him. If you speak Hindi, he can show you quite a few things that you will miss otherwise.
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Bundi sights: Nawal Sagar Lake, Dhabai Khund, Raniji Ki Baori and 84 Pillar Cenotaph are all worth it (although some of them are quite filthy). Sukh Mahal is not worth the effort. You can cover all of them in 3 hours if you have an auto-rickshaw/cycle at your disposal.
- Kota sights:
- City Palace: This is a must see. Please take the tickets for the Bada Mahal and the museum. It is worth it. An hour should be enough to cover both
- Chambal Gardens: Gardens are ok. But you come here to catch the Chambal Boat ride. One hour ride is minimum you should take. If the weather is good, it is very enjoyable even if you don't spot any crocodiles.
- Brij Vilas Palace/Government Museum: This is a never ending array of 1000 year old statues and some miniature paintings. If you like that stuff, you will love this place. 1 to 2 hrs is sufficient.
- Jagmandir Island: 30 mins enough for the boat ride plus a 5 mins stop at the island.
- Seven Wonders Park: Although sounds tacky, this is highly recommended. The place is right on the edge of the Kishore Sagar Lake and is quite magical at nights with the lighting. Carry mosquito repellent. You can easily spend an hour or two here.
- Baroli Temples: Located at an hour (each way) from Kota. Not completely a must-see. But worth it if you have the time. You will have the entire site to yourself. No need for a guide. No one knows its history.