Rajasthan, India

I grew up in Mumbai and always told myself I'd do Rajasthan properly when I had time. Twenty-seven years later I finally did it right — twelve days, a private driver, no fixed itinerary beyond the major cities. Rajasthan is the most visually overwhelming place I've experienced in my own country. Jaipur's City Palace in early morning light, before the tour groups arrive, is a revelation. Jodhpur's blue city, seen from Mehrangarh Fort at sunset, turns every shade of indigo as the light drops. But the most extraordinary place is Jaisalmer — a living, inhabited 12th-century fort rising from the Thar Desert. I stayed inside the fort walls in a haveli that has been in the same family for six generations and woke at 4am to watch the desert turn gold. The camel safari into the Sam Sand Dunes at sunset is touristy and unmissable. Eat dal baati churma everywhere. Best time: October to March — summer is genuinely dangerous. Hire a private driver for the full circuit.