The world is opening up, should I travel now? If you are wrestling with this question, you are not alone. Through wave after wave of COVID, I longed to travel. It mattered not whether it was a trip across the world I was dreaming of, or a weekend getaway. There was the uncertainty, mixed with longing, and fear.

2020 was, in the travel sense, easier to handle. The disease was running rampant with few checks and even grocery shopping had to be well planned, leave alone travel. There was remote work and schooling to be adjusted to, breads to be baked, art to be created, dishes to be washed.

But the itch to travel was real. The Boston winter was persistent. Grey skies, empty trees, barren roads, breathless cold. It was early 2021 and we made a last-minute decision to rent a villa for a month in Florida. The drive down to Florida was exhilarating and the month even more so.

In spring of 2021 as adult vaccinations became commonplace, there were more decisions to be wrestled with. Now that we were vaccinated but our kids were not, what could we safely do? We realized not much in our life could change until the kids got their shots too. When we finally crossed that milestone, I was determined that nothing could stop me now. I had itineraries chalked out, hotels shortlisted and spoken to, flights figured out. And then came Omicron. Along with it despair and lockdowns and travel ban and quarantine rules.

For some of us, travel is more than relaxation and exploration. It is essential to feel whole again. Moreover, I relish everything related to travel―the research, the nitty gritty of booking, the building of the itinerary. With none of that, I felt like a limb had been cut off.

So, as we are over Omicron, and vaccination has wider coverage, should I travel now?

If you are excited, determined, and apprehensive all at the same time, join the club. Perhaps you have younger kids who are still not vaccinated or older ones who aren’t eligible for a booster. Or an elderly relative who is more vulnerable to the disease.

Maybe it isn’t catching the disease that you are worried about, like me. How do you manage the uncertainties in a still tentative world?

Here’s my framework for approaching it, and it may help you too:

• Make bookings where cancellation is possible with as little pain as possible. For instance, booking.com allows you to book now and pay later. They also let you cancel for free until a certain date for most properties. That reduces the risk of losing money to a certain extent, were another variant to play spoiler again.

• Keep optional bookings within your travel like excursions and tours to a minimum before travel (unless unavoidable). There is usually more than one way to do a safari or a whale watching excursion and likely multiple tour operators.

• Check cancellation charges for fights before booking. This may sound like a no-brainer, but I have had to teach myself to do that, as I did not pay attention to these details pre-pandemic.

• Start smaller and closer to home first. If you haven’t ventured out at all in the last two years, start with a weekend trip. If you haven’t gotten on a plane at all recently, book a short flight. It’s a great way to familiarize yourself with airport procedures, time requirements, changed rules, etc.

• Exercise caution while traveling. Keep your masks on, stay away from large, unmasked crowds, and continue to wash your hands often. Travel does not equate to being reckless and it is still possible to have a good time while taking necessary steps to keep yourself safe. As an example, during a weekend getaway to Udaipur, we made sure we ate only in outdoor restaurants. When that wasn’t possible, we requested to be seated in an isolated corner.

• Monitor the trends in your chosen destination over a period of time. Even though COVID is largely on the wane right now, there could be local pockets of high transmission. This could happen not just in countries or cities but could be as micro as counties. Make your itinerary accordingly.

• Keep an open mind. In the end, despite all the planning and precaution, things could still go haywire before or during the trip. If you are a Plan B type of person, keep something local in mind just in case your plans come to naught.

I cannot wait to pack my bags and visit a new land, can you?

Happy travels!

Udaipur Travel With Kids

Udaipur travel with kids can be a rewarding experience – abundant in natural beauty with its lakes and hills, steeped in art and architecture, sprinkled with kid-friendly resorts, and blessed with a languid pace of life, visit Udaipur for a weekend or a week with your family and you will not be disappointed.

Armed with my booster shot, two fully vaccinated kids, and a pandemic that was winding down (or so I thought) I was giddy planning itineraries for the end of 2021. Nothing was off the table: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Sri Lanka. And then boom…out of nowhere hit Omicron.

As 2022 rolled along, I made plans to visit Shimla, long on my bucket list. When that couldn’t happen either, I made a very uncharacteristic spot decision to visit Udaipur.

This was as last minute as it gets- booked flights barely 12 hours before takeoff, hotel even later, though not without doing some research and talking to the hotels on my shortlist. Pro tip: Never book a hotel before speaking to the property. Some of the facilities may not be functional, there may be construction on-site that mars the experience, or at the very least, you get an opportunity to get acquainted with the staff on site which always works well, especially when traveling with kids.

Two bleary-eyed kids in tow, I found myself at our favorite Udupi restaurant in Terminal 1 in the early morning, tucking into piping hot sambar and idli, as the sky steadily turned from indigo to deep pink to golden.

Double-masked and sanitized, we settled into our short flight from Mumbai to Udaipur. The terrain below moved slowly from deep green to burnt sienna to ochre. The tall palms were replaced by bushy scrubs, we left the side of the sea, and the flat lands turned to rolling hills. The Aravallis stood in silent magnificence bathed in morning light.

The small Udaipur airport was a breeze – figuratively (it’s a small airport and we had no checked-in bags) and literally (we were hit by a blast of cold air upon stepping out of the terminal). Somehow in my last-minute hustle, I had neglected to check the temperature in Udaipur. Duh. My old Boston self would be ashamed of me. Checking weather came as naturally to me back then as putting on shoes before stepping outside. But here we were in Rajasthan, shivering in the morning sun.

Taj Aravali had sent a driver to pick us up from the airport and we were lucky as he was knowledgeable, polite and after this wherever we went, I booked Narayan.

Taj Aravali Resort and Spa

Taj Aravali Resort and Spa is set in the beautiful Aravali range, about 20 mins. outside of the main city of Udaipur. It takes an hour from the Udaipur airport to reach the resort and an airport shuttle can be arranged from the hotel for an extra charge. The property is vast and beautiful, though upon arrival we were immediately greeted by the ubiquitous big, fat Indian wedding that was threatening to take over the resort.

Despite the oxygen sucked up by the wedding, the staff were polite and attentive. Our room was more a cottage than a room, that opened to a small back garden with a mini rolling hill. Now pre-teen though the kids may be, they are not beyond tumbling on a green hill. Sitting in the sun on the verandah, sipping tea, and watching my kids peeling with laughter, it was as close to peace as I’d gotten in the last few months (years) of COVID.

Udaipur – City of Lakes

Udaipur’s moniker as a city of lakes or even Venice of the East is well deserved. Whether gliding on the lakes or viewing them from high above the city, the lakes of Udaipur are its crowning jewels. Lake Pichola is the most popular and with good reason. Surrounded by the hills on all sides, it is clean and beautiful. In the center lies the iconic Taj Lake Palace which is a 18th century palace converted into a heritage hotel. There are many options to ride on the lake, from a regular ferry to a luxury ferry (leather seats, 10 people only) and a speed boat.

Fateh Sagar Lake is equally beautiful, though not as large as Lake Pichola. During our visit, there were no boats allowed as part of COVID restrictions (strange as they were being allowed on Lake Pichola) so we circumnavigated the beautiful lake and stopped at the lovely Saheliyon ki Baari, a beautiful garden built in the early 18th century for royal ladies. It is clean, well-maintained and beautiful. Other notable lakes in Udaipur are Swaroop Sagar, Rangsagar and Doodh Talai, though we did not get a chance to visit these.

Palaces of Udaipur

Udaipur travel would be incomplete without visiting its many beautiful palaces.

City Palace – Located on the banks of Lake Pichola is the magnificent Lake Palace. The Palace was built by the Maharanas of the Mewar kingdom who ruled from here. Full of intricate details, it is a fine example of Rajasthani architecture. The Palace is huge though and could be taxing when visiting with kids. Pro Tip: A buggy can be hired (for Rs.50/person) from the entry point of the premises to the palace entrance which is more than a kilometer long and steep in parts.

View of the city from Sajjangarh Palace – While Sajjangarh Palace itself is a bit underwhelming, the winding drive up the hill to reach it is a rewarding experience. The icing on the cake though is the view of the city spread below – lakes and hills and houses, in a beautiful kaleidoscope.

Your Udaipur travel could include other palaces/forts like Bagore ki Haveli, and the nearby Chittorgarh Fort and Kumbalgarh Fort.

Rajasthani Food

Rajasthan has its own unique cuisine which is not to be missed. Highlight is the spicy Laal Maans which literally means ‘red meat’. It gets its name from the red color of the spices and it is made of mutton. Other things to try are Daal Baati Churma, Gatte ke Subzi, and the Rajasthani Thali for an overall flavor of the cuisine. We visited ‘1559 A.D.’ twice, for its beautiful garden seating, authentic food, and very hospitable staff.

Shopping is a must during Udaipur travel

This is not unique to Udaipur, but Rajasthan is a dream shopping destination. It’s handicrafts, apparel, linen, footwear, and artwork all reflect the vibrancy and culture of Rajasthan.

Choose beautiful linen for your house – bedsheets, light comforters, bedcovers, with block-printing and special use of vegetable colors. Or pick a bandhini or leheraiya saree or kurta for yourself, your kids or other family members.

Semi-precious stones chiseled into beautiful jewelry is another popular buy from Rajasthan.

Though we only stayed a weekend, we left with beautiful memories of time well spent with family, and a city that has stood for centuries, mesmerizing visitors with its splendor and will continue to inspire and attract visitors for millennia to come.