Adventure activities in Rajasthan (Part 2): Horseback riding in Udaipur

ACTIVITY #2: Horseback riding
The Place: Udaipur
The Date: Jan. 9, 2012
The Cost: 1,100 rupees
Thrill Level, from 1 to 10: 2 (we only did a slow walk)

It was beautiful ride through the hills and villages surrounding Udaipur, but slow. They’ll only let you do anything faster than a walk if you have experience (but other horseback riding tours I’ve been allowed to canter, despite my inexperience).

The guide, the co-owner of the hotel, gave us details on the villages we passed, such as explaining whether the inhabitants were lower-income or middle-class farmers. We also rode up to a beautiful lake/reservoir with monkeys. The trip included a delicious lunch at Krishna Ranch, which is owned by the same people who run Kumbha Palace Hotel, where we booked our tour.

I look stupid in my helmet.

What You Should Know: The half-day tour cost 1,100 rupees (and prices are expected to rise to 1,200 rupees). It can be booked at Kumbha Palace (2422702). For a half-day tour with lunch, Princess Trails charges 1,700 rupees. You’ll see travel agencies offer half-day tours for 600-700 rupees; these are with Pratap Country Inn, owned by Maharaj Narendra Singh, who is related to the current maharana of Udaipur. Our Kumbha guide said he’s rich, and suspects that would explain why the tours are so cheap. He said based on his understanding of what it costs to pick up people, care for horses, and pay for guides, Pratap cannot possibly be making a profit, and thinks Maharaj Narendra Singh runs the tours more as a hobby than as a business.

A monkey at the lake.

Impression of Udaipur: It’s a beautiful, charming city. I think the tourism industry prides itself on not being too in-your-face or pushy to tourists (compared with Agra of Delhi). Well worth a few days’ stay. 

(For more of the adventurous things to do in Rajasthan series, see Part 1, Part 3 and Part 4)