Taj Mahal
Simply the world's greatest building: Shah Jahan's monument to love fully lives up to all expectations.

Thrissur Puram
More than one hundred sumptiously caparisoned elephants march in Kerala's biggest temple festival, accompanied by ear-shattering South Indian drum orchestras.

Udaipur
Arguable the most romantic city in India, with ornate Rajput palaces floating in the middle of two lakes.

Camel trekking in the Thar
A wonderfully romantic if utterly touristy way to experience the Great Indian Desert. Most visitors trek out of Jaisalmer, but Bikaner offers more variety.

Fatehpur Sikri
The Moghul Emperor Akbar's elegant palace complex now lies deserted on a ridge near Agra, but remains one of India's architectural masterpieces.

Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur
Asia's most famous bird reserve, where millions of migrants nest each winter. The perfect antidote to the frenzy and pollution of nearby Agra and Jaipur.

Meherangarh Fort, Jodhpur
The epitome of Rajput power and extravagance, Meherangarh Fort's ramparts tower above a labrinthine, blue-painted old city.

Pushkar camel mela
November sees the largest livestock market on earth, where 200,000 Rajasthani herders in traditional costume converge on the desert oasis of Pushkar to trade and bathe in the sacred lake.

Palolem
Exquisite crescent-shaped beach in Goa's relaxed south, Palolem is famous for its dolphins and local alcoholic spirit, feni.

Rajasthani handicrafts
The teeming bazaars of the Pink City in Jaipur burst with vibrant cloth, jewellry, Persian-style pottery and semi-precious stones. Simply the best place to shop in the subcontinent.