I’ve selected some of the best guides too. Recently in Jaipur I walked out with Vineet Sharma, a former banker who loves his city and isn’t interested in taking you to be ripped off by local shopkeepers. On his religion-themed walk I learned more about the practice of Hindu worship and its competing sects than in all the books I’ve read. Along the way we sampled the city’s best street food and watched carvers working on lifesize statues of Hindu gods in marble from the same quarry used to build the Taj Mahal. It is experiences like these that you will remember long after the gem-encrusted ceiling of a maharajah’s palace has faded from your memory.A journey to these remarkable sights and cities is on every traveller’s wish list. But it needs to be planned with care and imagination. Not only is it vital that your visit to the Taj Mahal isn’t marred by the crowds, but for a rewarding holiday you also need to do more than dash from one highlight to another