About 50 km southeast of Udaipur, Jaisamand Lake is a vast artificial reservoir — 87 sq km in area — set among low forested hills in a wildlife sanctuary that holds leopards, sloth bears, and a healthy population of crocodiles. The dam itself, faced in white marble and topped with six carved-marble cenotaphs, is one of the most underrated monuments in Rajasthan.
The Jaisamand Island Resort runs boat trips to Babas (a small wooded island in the middle); the island has a temple and a small population of nesting cormorants. A long but worthwhile day trip from Udaipur, best combined with a stop at the Jagat Ambika Mata temple.