A fairytale castle rising from the placid waters of Lake Pichola, the legendary Taj Lake Palace was built over 200 years ago as a summerhouse for the young Maharana of Udaipur. Since then, it has played host to innumerable royals, playboys and jet-setters, and is perhaps best known for its silver screen incarnation in James Bond's Octopussy. Guests reach the man-made four-acre island by boat, arriving at a restored palace of regal proportions with sensational views of Udaipur's temple-fringed shore and the hazy Aravalli mountains.