Directly between the lavish City Palace in Jaipur and the breathtaking Taj Mahal in Agra it’s no wonder that the small town of Karauli often slips under the radar. It is however well known amongst Hindu devotees who undertake the ritual of Kanak Dandoti, whereby each pilgrim covers a distance of 15-20km by prostrating themselves, marking lines with their hands on the ground and then advancing to that mark only to prostrate themselves once again. With that in mind, this unsuspecting town built from pale red sandstone must have something special to offer.

With some experts estimating that there are less than 1450 tigers left in India it’s no wonder then that a chance encounter with a tiger on the streets of Rajasthan is about as likely as meeting the Pope along your local high street. However, with a little organisation and a lot of luck you might be able to get within a breathtaking distance of these beautiful creatures at Sariska or Ranthambore National Park, both within driving distance from Jaipur.

The Taragarh Fort is propped high on a hillside, overlooking the refreshingly peaceful city of Bundi. Although the ‘Star Fort’ may have lost some of its original sparkle, it is by no means lacking in charm with its impressive gateways, enormous 16th century bastions and breath-taking night time illuminations.