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Udiapur was one of the best places I went to in India. I had just left Amdavad, which was really unpleasant and was desperate to meet some other travelers after days of not meeting any English speakers. I got there at 4am and had to go into the only hotel which was open. It was really expensive and was full of ants. The Lonely planet recommended a place called Lalghat Guest House, so I wandered over to it in the morning. As I walked in it was quickly apparent that this was a travelers paradise. It was immaculate, friendly, and full of travelers. Best of all, it had a balcony overlooking the Lake Palace Hotel.

As the name implies, it’s a Lake Palace that’s been converted to a hotel. The Palace and Udaipur itself were heavily featured in the James Bond movie Octopussy, which was shown at many of the local restaurants.

At the guest house I met a lot of travelers, but of most note were Jo and James, who I wandered around with for 3 days or so. The highlight of my time there was taking some beers out onto the lake in a paddle boat and then having dinner on a roof while watching wedding fireworks and watching Octopussy. Enough words, enjoy the pictures.