Overview
- Main Attractions: Dilwara temples, Nakki Lake, forest walks
- Best Time to Visit: Late October to early March
- Local Specialty: N/A
- Travelled By: Bus, scooter, foot
- Cost: $$
- Duration of Stay: 1 day
- Location: Rajasthan, India
Author Reviews[display_rating_item_results rating_form_id=”4″ rating_entry_ids=”1″ show_category_filter=”false” show_options=”true” result_type=”star_rating” preserve_max_rating=”true” show_title=”false” show_count=”false” ]
Total Rating: [display_rating_result rating_form_id=”4″ show_count=”false” show_rich_snippets=true] [accordions load=”1″] [accordion title=”User Reviews” last] [display_rating_item_results rating_form_id=”5″ show_options=”true” result_type=”star_rating” preserve_max_rating=”true” show_title=”false” show_count=”true” show_rich_snippets=true] [/accordion] [accordion title=”Add Review”][display_rating_form show_email_input=”true” show_comment_textarea=”true” show_name_input=”true” rating_form_id=”5″] [/accordion] [/accordions]
Summary
Mount Abu is Rajasthan’s only hill station and home to the flora and fauna-rich 289-sq-km Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary. The highlight of our visit to this hill station was the Dilwara temples with its stunning and marble interiors, as well as an exhilarating forest trek into the mountains with Hiking & Trekking.
Mount Abu: Our Experience
18th November, 2013 (Day 1)
It was 7:30 in the evening by the time we arrived into Mount Abu. We had taken a tourist bus from Udaipur which had taken more than four hours to climb up the steep hill to Mount Abu. It was freezing cold which took us by surprise because we had been travelling through hot Rajasthan until then. The bus station is located in town so we were able to walk to our hotel.
As we walked along the road to our hotel, we were surprised by the number of shopkeepers who called out to us to buy alcohol. Later we found out that being close to the border of Gujarat, people from the state would make the trip across the border to Mount Abu to buy alcohol. In Gujarat, the sale of alcohol is banned, hence the trip across the border for most Gujarati people.
[singlepic id=4362 w=720 h=560 float=center]
After a nice hot shower, we headed to the Main Market Area to look for a nice restaurant for dinner. We decided on Sher-e-Punjab Restaurant because I knew it was a good Punjabi restaurant chain that specialised in tasty tandoori dishes.
[singlepic id=4355 w=720 h=560 float=center]
Following a lovely dinner, we walked around town while checking out the shops in the Main Market Area. Given the cold weather, there were plenty of shops selling woolen clothes, jackets and blankets.
The shop that caught our attention was a street side stand selling gajar ka halwa (carrot halwa). Gajar ka halwa is a sweet dessert originating from the North Indian state of Punjab. It is made with grated carrots, milk, and sugar which needs to be cooked until the carrots have absorbed all the liquid. It is often served with a garnish of almonds and pistachios.
The gajar ka halwa was really delicious as it was freshly made and still warm. It was a perfect dessert for that cold night and was a welcome treat for us.
[singlepic id=4351 w=720 h=560 float=center]
When we returned to our hotel Harsh, the owner of Hiking & Trekking, was waiting for us out the front. He wanted to know if we were interested in taking a trek the following morning around the Mount Abu wildlife Sanctuary. We don’t know how he knew we wanted to go trekking the following morning but his timing was perfect so we agreed to meet him the next morning in front of our hotel.
19th November, 2013 (Day 2)
[singlepic id=4363 w=720 h=560 float=center]
At 7:00 in the morning, we were standing outside our hotel waiting for Harsh to take us on a Mount Abu tour. At 7:15 am he showed up on his scooter to take us to the starting point of the forest trek. We were a small group consisting or Harsh and his cousin who were the guides, Graham, myself, and two other Western tourists.
Hiking & Trekking are listed #1 on Tripadvisor for top things to do in Mount Abu. They specialise in taking tourists on forest treks into the mountains within the Mount Abu Sanctuary. Our four to five-hour-long trek took us through the forests where Harsh and his cousin showed us various flora and fauna as well as the medicinal properties of various plants. We trekked up to the top of the mountain for spectacular views of Nakki Lake and the countryside around Mount Abu. We also went caving which was one of my favourite parts of the forest trek.
[singlepic id=4364 w=720 h=560 float=center]
Following our forest trek, Harsh and his cousin were lovely enough to take us to the Dilwara temple about 2.5 kilometres (1 mile) away from Mount Abu town.
The Dilwara temples are the highlight of Mount Abu and possibly the number one attraction in town. While we really enjoyed the forest trek the Dilwara temples were spectacular. The Dilwara temple complex is popular worldwide for its intricate carvings in beautiful white marble. Dedicated to the first and successive Jain Tirthankaras, they are a masterpiece of true craftsmanship.
Getting to and from the Dilwara temples is easy. The two most accessable methods are to walk or to catch a shared jeep. On our way back to Mount Abu we decided to walk so we could enjoy the views within the Mount Abu Sanctuary. However it took us more than an hour to get back into town.
Before we boarded our bus back to Udaipur at 3:30pm, we stopped at one of the road side restaurants to have a quick and simple lunch. Then we hopped on to the bus for our four-hour trip back to Udaipur.
When we got to Udaipur, we took an auto rickshaw to the train station as we were booked on the 9:35pm train to Mumbai.
Sadly, our three-week trip in Rajasthan has come to an end – and what a trip it has been! We have seen the biggest and best palaces, forts and temples of India, celebrated Diwali, the biggest festival in India, ridden on a camel across the Thar desert, climbed the Aravalli Hills, and tasted some of the best Indian food in the world. Rajasthan has lived up to every expectation and will go down in our books as one of the best places to visit in the world.
