Rajasthan, India

For anyone nostalgic about British India, a night or two at this luxury camp in the desert outside Jodhpur is a must. Run by the grandson of a former Maharaja, it’s set up in high colonial style like something out of a Merchant-Ivory movie, complete with canvas tents, legions of bearers in orange turbans and khaki field jackets, and more handlebar moustaches than you can shake a sergeant major’s baton at.

‘Camp’ is a bit of an understatement: the tents are serviced by a beautifully designed, permanent building on the top of a dune with fabulous views and a good-sized pool. Camels are on hand for trips into the surrounding desert, where Bishnoi, Bhil, potters’ and weavers’ villages nestle amid the khejri trees and acacia scrub.

The famous 8th and 9th-century temples at Osian are also nearby. In the evening, join host Reggie Singh for cocktails and a semi-formal candle-lit dinner, followed by folk entertainment and yarns around the bonfire.

Our opinion

An intimate desert royal tent experience with the option of doing a camel safari close to Jodhpur.