Just south of the pink-tinted bazaars of Jaipur lies the land of the Bengal tiger: Ranthambore National Park. Covering more than 282 square kilometers, it's a place of dry woodlands, jungle, grass meadows, and great granite bluffs. It's also one of the most popular destinations to go on safari in India, with glimpses of striped tigresses, flamboyant peacocks, macaques and more on the menu. Sawai Madhopur, meanwhile, is the gateway to it all, sat just on the north-western fringes of the reserve.

In fact, Sawai Madhopur tour guides should be your first port of call when it comes to organizing game drives through the region to see the legendary Bengal beasts. They can help you uncover the best tiger-viewing spots and the top 4X4 trails. They can also offer trips to the UNESCO-tagged site of Ranthambore Fort, which clings precipitously to the escarpments of central India above the tiger reserve, oozing tales of ancient sultans and Mewars.

Closer to the small center of Sawai Madhopur itself, you can pray at the hilltop shrine of the Chauth Mata Temple, go birding on the banks of Surwal Lake, see one seriously stunning railway station painted in hues of vibrant orange, and tread between the hallowed Jain idols of Chamatkar temple.