Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

Udaipur’s Lake Palace Hotel is Rajasthan at its most un-ashamedly romantic. Seemingly afloat on Lake Pichola like a Rajput cruise liner, it was built in 1746 as a pleasure pavilion by a prince whose father disapproved of his extravagant parties and banned them from the main royal complex.

Today, the gleaming white marble mahals, mosaic floors, limewashed domes and waterside pontoons form a beguiling platform from which to enjoy the city’s fabulous skyline.

The rooftop bar has to be one the world’s ultimate sun-downer venues, and a swim in the sparkling courtyard pool, from where you can gaze through scalloped arches across the water to the ochre walls of the City Palace, an unforgetable way to work up an appetite for breakfast.

Our opinion

A signature Udaipur experience, the flawless Taj Lake Palace hotel is historic, dreamy, romantic and luxurious with fab views of the city, Lake Pichola and the surrounding Aravalli hills.