Rajasthan

Rajasthan is the land of palaces, forts and the Thar Desert in western India. Udaipur is built around its lakes, and a sunset boat ride on Lake Pichola is its signature moment. Jaipur, the Pink City, offers hilltop Amber Fort, the latticed Hawa Mahal, the Jantar Mantar observatory and workshops of block printing and gemstones. Above the blue houses of Jodhpur rises Mehrangarh Fort.

In Ranthambore National Park, naturalists track wild tigers among lakes and the ruins of an old hilltop fort, while quieter Sariska offers dry forests and the rocky valleys of the Aravalli hills. Around Jodhpur you can ride camels over the dunes of the Thar. The best time is roughly October to March; tiger parks usually close for the monsoon season.