Amber Fort
Jaipur, Rajasthan
Begun in 1592 on the hill above Maota lake, in pale sandstone and marble, and the Sheesh Mahal is what the queue is for. The fort stands over the town of Amer, eleven kilometres from Jaipur, and Maota is not scenery — it was the palace's water supply. Ramparts, a sequence of gates and cobbled ramps carry you up through the courtyards, with the mirror hall off the third. Walk up rather than taking an elephant: the animals here have drawn repeated welfare complaints, and the climb takes about ten minutes. First hour or last hour is when the sandstone turns orange and the courtyards empty.
