Experience the best of Mysore

Mysore, also written Mysuru, was the capital of the Wadiyar maharajas, and their Indo-Saracenic palace, Amba Vilas, with its domes, arches and carved halls, is the centrepiece of the city. During the Dasara festival in autumn, thousands of light bulbs outline the palace and a procession of decorated elephants winds through the streets.

Chamundi Hill, to the south-east, is topped by a temple to the goddess Chamundeshwari, with a huge stone Nandi bull on the way up. Devaraja Market sells flowers, bananas, kumkum powder and incense in mounds of colour, and the neo-Gothic St Philomena's Cathedral rises above the streets. Srirangapatna, Tipu Sultan's island fortress town, lies a short drive north-east, and Bandipur National Park, with elephants and tigers, is to the south.

Mysore Pak, a rich sweet of gram flour, ghee and sugar, was invented in the palace kitchens, and masala dosas and filter coffee are everyday breakfast. Sandalwood oil, incense and silk saris are local crafts, and the city is a centre for ashtanga yoga. At about 770 metres, it stays pleasantly mild for most of the year.