Taj Lake Palace Udaipur, Rajasthan

One of the most photographed hotels in the world, the Taj Lake Palace has a unique location on a tiny island on Lake Pichola. The views of the city Palace, which lies directly opposite, are magnificent and uninterrupted.

Wonderful in every detail, the Taj Lake Palace was built between 1743 and 1746 and was originally a lake island palace named Jag Niwas after his highness Maharana Jagat Singh II, 62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewar. Not surprisingly, it is a truly regal building, its gleaming, white marble façade rising from the surface of the lake topped by domes, arches, and gilded detailing.

Accommodations and hospitality at Taj Lake Palace, a leading boutique hotel, are as delightful as its glorious exterior. Every one of its modern, romantic rooms holds a story and among the most compelling is The Chandra Prakash Suite, which translates as ‘Luster of the Moon’. The decorative gilt moldings, sculpted marble columns, and fine fretwork screens impressed even the Maharaja, who held court in this very room in the 1930s. Dining is equally spectacular – the Pontoon restaurant arranges for private meals on a floating platform, while Gangaur offers dining on small boats as meals are prepared in the floating open kitchen.

The Taj Lake Palace is ideally located in the middle of Lake Pichola, a dream of white marble and mosaic glistening in the moonlight, reminiscent of the architecture and allure of a time long ago. Conceived in romance, the palace was built in 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II, the 62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewar believed to be descendants of the Sun God. Set against the backdrop of the majestic Aravalli Mountains on one side of the lake and the lofty palaces on the other, the Taj Lake Palace spreads across a four-acre (two-hectare) island, an almost surreal vision in pearlescent marble.

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