Ranakpur - attempt number two. And to spoil the suspense ... a much more successful trip. Victoria was feeling a bit dodgy again and didn't feel up to the five hour round trip. She had also seen the temples on her previous visit to India and so was happy to let the three of us go on our own. We were prepared this time. Lots of spare clothes, lot...

Clearly visible from the Devra residence is the so-called Monsoon Palace or Sajjangarh which was built in 1883 by the Maharana. It's at the top of the most prominent hill overlooking the city and allowed the royals to watch the dramatic monsoon clouds sweep across the landscape. For the week we were in Udaipur, however, Cameron claimed the castl...

One of the anticipated highlights of the whole trip was a visit to Jain Temples in Ranakpur so it was with some excitement that we set off in our taxi. Rob's perusal of the guide book suggested that we could also incorporate a visit to the remote hilltop fort of Kumbalgarh. Jyoti agreed and suggested we first head to Ranakpur and aim to get to K...

Having been in India for three days now, it must be time to visit a temple, although surprisingly this was suggested by Rob not Victoria. The Jagdish Temple was built in 1652 and is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, an avatar of Vishnu. There was a ceremony taking place during our visit and Cameron seemed enthralled by the chanting at least until he ...

The City Palace is the 16th century home of the Rajput princes of Udaipur, allegedly the only ones to resist the Moghul invasion. It's one of those rare buildings where you genuinely feel that history really happened within these walls. Vast and imposing, yet cool and welcoming, we asked everyone to tell us their favourite things about the City ...

Hello from Jaisalmer, the Golden City. Golden indeed is Jaisalmer. On approach it's appears to be a giant golden sand castle rising in the middle of a barren desert. The narrow streets of the fort, still inhabited, with elaborate decorated houses, Jain temples, magnificent gateways and a beautiful palace all carved out of the same golden sandsto...