30 Taj Lake Palace

What can you expect from a historic palace that was built solely for the purpose of pleasure? Built in the 18th century by Maharana Jagat Singh, this hotel perched on Lake Pichola served as an island palace. Flaunting a melange of 65 luxurious rooms and 18 grand suites, each with views of the City Palace, Aravalli Hills, Machla Magra Hills, and Jag Mandir, the hotel became known around the world after the James Bond film, Octopussy, was filmed here in the early 1980s. Enjoy delicacies from Rajasthan and the rest of India at its restaurant, Neel Kamal; sip signature cocktails at its bar, Amrit Sagar; be regaled by a royal boat dinner; head on a city tour in a vintage car; and relax at the Jiva Spa during your stay here.

Address: Pichola, Udaipur; starts from 37,500/US$527; tajhotels.com