Rajasthan

Rajasthan means 'land of kings'. It is the largest Indian state, covering the Thar Desert and the Aravalli hills in the north-west. Its pull is its heritage. You can see the Pink City of Jaipur with Amber Fort and Hawa Mahal. Jodhpur has its blue old town and Mehrangarh. There are the lake palaces of Udaipur, the sandstone fort of Jaisalmer, and desert camps near the Sam dunes. Other stops include Pushkar's camel fair and sacred lake, Bikaner's Junagarh fort, Bundi, Mount Abu and the Dilwara temples. At Ranthambore National Park you can see tigers on safari. The best weather is from October to March, with pleasant days and cool desert nights. Summers are extremely hot. Distances are large, so most trips link cities by road or train. A classic loop of Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer takes about a week to ten days. Rajasthani food, folk music, textiles and handicrafts such as block printing and blue pottery add to the trip. Winter is also the festival season.