Hotels in Pushkar

You really want to get a room overlooking the sacred lake -- despite the early-morning and evening chanting calls to puja and blaring temple music, it's by far the most atmospheric location in Pushkar. Of the surprisingly limited options that offer direct lake views, Pushkar Palace is the only luxurious option; for the rest you'll have to rough it (we're talking basic furnishings -- a plastic chair and bed and the possibility of sharing a bathroom and toilet).

Far and away the best budget option in town is Inn Seventh Heaven (next to Mali ka Mandir; tel. 0145/510-5455; www.inn-seventh-heaven.com; Rs 600-Rs 4,000), located in a 100-year-old haveli with rooms (with names like "Hilly Billy" and "Rapunzel") around a fountain and garden courtyard. Anoop, the enterprising young owner, has ensured that rooms are clean and dressed with some sense of style; despite its location (away from the lake), it has a pleasant, informal, homey feel, and the great second-floor restaurant does satisfying Indian food. If you plan well in advance, you can bag the most recently added room, "Asana," also the most expensive, but it's bright and situated on the roof, where there's a good view. It has antique furniture and four-poster beds (as do some of the other rooms).