Rajasthan
in Northern India

Jaipur centres on its pretty pink-washed old city, where gemstone traders, block printers and textile workshops still dictate the days. Markets are active all day long, and street traffic is in constant noise, but the shopping is genuinely some of the best in India. Palaces and a friendly modern royal presence make it a familial and excitingly creative destination.

Seen from the ramparts of Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur spreads out below in a sea of indigo: thousands of houses painted blue, a tradition that began with the Brahmin caste and gradually spread until the whole old city took on the colour. The fort itself is one of the finest in India, enormous and surprisingly well-preserved, with views that stretch to the Thar Desert on a clear day. The bazaars beneath it are loud, fragrant, and genuinely navigable. Jodhpur moves fast and asks you to keep up, which makes the rooftop chai at sunset all the more satisfying.

Udaipur has been called the most romantic city in India and it is difficult to argue. The Lake Palace appears to float in the middle of Lake Pichola, the City Palace rises in white marble tiers above the waterfront, and the surrounding Aravalli hills frame everything in the warm light of late afternoon. It is a city that rewards slow movement: a boat out on the lake at dusk, a wander through the lanes of the old city, a rooftop dinner watching the palace lights come on one by one. Rajasthan has many remarkable places. Udaipur is the one people find hardest to leave.