A golden sandstone fort on the edge of the Thar
Jaisalmer rises from the Thar Desert as a single honey-coloured mass, its twelfth-century fort still home to thousands of residents, shops and Jain temples. Below the ramparts, merchant havelis such as Patwon ki Haveli show off astonishingly fine stone carving. The town grew rich on caravan trade, and the desert is still the main event: overnight camel treks to the Sam or Khuri dunes, with dinner and a night under the stars. The light at sunset turns the whole city gold.