Udaipur, India: My kind of town

WHY UDAIPUR?
I came to live in the town by chance. I'd signed a contract to write a book about throwing everything over and going to India to learn another language. I hadn't counted on falling so hard for the place in which the school was located. Udaipur is wildly beautiful: crenulated marble palaces rise above an emerald green lake; thin backstreets spill down into cumin-scented bazaars you can never find a second time.

WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST WHEN YOU ARE AWAY?
The combination of openness and secrecy. On the one hand, life is veiled – women hurry past with their faces covered and homes have mysterious shuttered doors on the second floor. Even the language is muffled and indirect. On the other, you're surrounded by the constant clatter of life lived in the open.

WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU RETURN?
Hop a rickshaw to pretty Dudh Talai Park and take in the extraordinary sight of the city.

WHERE'S THE BEST PLACE TO STAY?
Among the smarter hotes, I think the Lake Palace (0091 294 242 8800; www.tajhotels.com; doubles from £225), in a marble palace at the centre of Lake Pichola, has the edge. A great homestay is Mountain Ridge (329 1478; www.mountainridge.in; doubles £30-£59), a serene villa an easy rickshaw ride from town.

WHERE WOULD YOU MEET FRIENDS FOR A DRINK?
In the garden of the chic 1559AD Restaurant (243 3559; www.1559ad.com), out near Fateh Sagar Lake.

WHICH ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES FOR LUNCH?
The rooftop restaurant at the Jaiwana Haveli hotel, 14 Lal Ghat (241 1103; www.jaiwanahaveli.com) Or the Ambrai, Amet Ki Haveli, Chandpole (243 1085) with its shaded lawn and lake views.

AND FOR DINNER?
Either of the above or the rooftop restaurant at the Lake Pichola Hotel (243 1197; www.lakepicholahotel.com) It's in a magnificent converted haveli, with glittering views of the city after dusk. Or the restaurant at the imposing Fateh Garh resort (241 3845; www.fatehgarh.in) in Sisarma. It's a few miles out of town but worth the bumpy ride.

WHERE WOULD YOU SEND A FIRST-TIME VISITOR?
Eklingji Temple, a haunting 15th-century complex of 108 temples dedicated to Shiva, the ruling deity of the local royal caste. On Monday evenings, the royals arrive to worship. And the Monsoon Palace (featured in Octopussy), built in the late 19th century by the royal family to view the monsoon clouds.

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM TO AVOID?
The Garden of the Maidens, which offers extended views of fleets of buses idling near grass.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT OR TAXI?
Rickshaw, unless it's to a destination outside the city, and then take a taxi. Establish a price ahead of time after bargaining. Even the tourist prices aren't that much: £1, perhaps, and that's for a long ride.

HANDBAG OR MONEYBELT?
Handbag. One of the joys of being in Udaipur is that it has far fewer grifters than the other large cities in Rajasthan because it lies off the main rail line from Delhi.

WHAT SHOULD I TAKE HOME?
Silver jewellery, Rajasthani miniatures, carved wooden toys, wall hangings, beautiful beaded garments. You'll find loads of shops around Jagdish temple and in Bapu Bazaar. Shopkeepers will expect you to haggle. You ask how much. They quote a price. You look revolted and come back with half that, then both of you take it from there, with much sputtering and rueful gesturing on both sides.

• Katherine Russell Rich is the author of 'Dreaming in Hindi: Life in Translation' (Portobello, £12.99)