Mysore or Udaipur?

Neither city has any beach life, and both sit far inland. The difference is in the water you look at. In Mysore that is the Kaveri and the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir, seen mostly around the Brindavan Gardens. In Udaipur, the lakes are the whole point of the place: you can take a boat out on Pichola, and many heritage hotels have pools that look over the water.

Mysore eats better, as long as you enjoy vegetarian South Indian food. Breakfasts of dosa, idli and vada with filter coffee in packed local eateries, banana-leaf lunches and the city's own Mysore pak make every meal worth having, even if the range beyond that is narrow.

Udaipur's Mewari cooking is heartier, with dal baati churma, gatte ki sabzi and laal maas for meat eaters. The best of it is found in the bazaars, away from the lakefront rooftops, which sell the view more than the food. The palace hotels do offer the polished fine dining that Mysore largely lacks.

Both are former royal capitals that can be seen in two or three days, but they feel very different. Mysore's grandeur is civic and ceremonial: the Indo-Saracenic palace lit by thousands of bulbs, broad avenues, St Philomena's Church and the pilgrim temple on Chamundi Hill. Dasara is its great set piece.

Udaipur is more picturesque. The City Palace climbs straight out of Lake Pichola, the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir float offshore, and the old city is a close web of havelis, ghats and the carved Jagdish Temple.

Neither is a place for a night out, but Udaipur has a little more to offer after dark. Its sunset drinks on rooftops over Lake Pichola and a few lounge bars, some with weekend music, give evenings a sense of occasion. Mysore's evenings end with the palace lights, the market and a hotel bar or quiet pub, and anyone wanting more saves it for Bengaluru.

Mysore has far more for anyone who wants real wildlife. Bandipur, Nagarhole and Kabini, about two hours away, offer jeep safaris through forest with tigers, leopards and wild elephants. Closer to town there are nesting painted storks at Ranganathittu and a dawn climb up Chamundi Hill.

Udaipur's nature is mostly scenery: lakes ringed by scrubby Aravalli hills, the Sajjangarh sanctuary and walks or rides through hill villages. Kumbhalgarh's sanctuary adds jungle drives, but the summer heat confines outdoor time to the cooler half of the year.

Udaipur has the more impressive outings. Kumbhalgarh's endless fort walls and the marble temple at Ranakpur make one memorable day, and Chittorgarh, the most storied Rajput fortress, makes another. The temple towns of Eklingji, Nagda and Nathdwara are closer to hand.

Mysore's trips are shorter and more intimate: Tipu Sultan's Srirangapatna half an hour away, the exquisite Hoysala carving at Somnathpur, and the giant Jain statue at Shravanabelagola. In both cities a hired car with a driver is the practical way to do them.

Mysore is the easier choice with children. The maharajas' shaded old zoo, the rail museum's royal carriages, the musical fountains at Brindavan Gardens and boating on Karanji Lake fill days without much effort. The climate is also milder for most of the year.

Udaipur's boat rides, puppet shows and cable car charm children, but little else is made for them. The narrow lanes are shared with motorbikes and cows, and the spring heat is punishing, so it works best for older children in winter.

Getting around is easier in Mysore, though neither city is effortless. Its centre around the palace, Sayyaji Rao Road and the market is walkable, app cabs and auto-rickshaws are plentiful, and a fast rail line and expressway link it to Bengaluru. Udaipur's old city is compact but steep and full of motorbikes, there is no public transport a visitor would use, and the hill sights need a driver.

Both cities are good for crafts and offer little beyond them, but the crafts differ. Mysore's specialities are heavy gold-woven silk and sandalwood in every form, best bought from government emporia to avoid fakes.

Udaipur offers miniature painting watched in the making, bandhani and block-printed textiles, silver and puppets, sold in the busy bazaars around Hathi Pol and the clock tower. Expect harder selling near the palace.

Both are very cheap for daily life, and local meals, rickshaws and entry fees cost little in either. The difference lies in where the money goes. Udaipur's appeal is staying in a lake palace or haveli with a view, which can reach international luxury prices. In Mysore the bigger costs are long yoga courses, safari lodges and drivers for day trips.

Neither city has a regular performance scene, but what each offers differs in kind. Mysore's strength is classical: Carnatic music and the veena tradition of the old court, at its fullest during the nightly Dasara concerts, plus Kannada repertory theatre. Udaipur is about folk performance, with the reliable evening dance show at Bagore ki Haveli, puppetry kept alive by Lok Kala Mandal and folk musicians at Shilpgram's winter fair.

Mysore is a true wellness destination, because people come for the yoga itself. Students settle into leafy Gokulam for weeks of dawn Ashtanga practice, Sanskrit classes and Ayurvedic treatments, and the quiet suburbs make up for the noisy centre.

Udaipur offers relaxation of a more indulgent kind: massages around the old city, elaborate spas in the palace and resort hotels, and sunset over the lake from a terrace. It is pleasant for a few days, but it is not a place people travel to for a practice.