Rajasthan has an embarrassment of palaces: middle of nowhere, towering on hilltops, crammed in narrow backstreets and reflected in lakes - so many that the Rajasthanis don't know what to do with them. They've been turned into hotels, museums and government offices. Some have been overtaken by bats.

The landscape might be desert scrub, but this doesn't stop the "Land of the Kings" from being India's most colorful state. It's whimsically otherworldly: One city is painted blue (Jodhpur), one glimmering white (Udaipur) and one shimmering, dirty pink (Jaipur). Set against those are some of the most saturated colors on the subcontinent: butterfly-bright saris, fierce-hued turbans and mirror-spangled dupattas (head scarves).

For centuries, Rajasthan's princely kingdoms were ruled by warrior tribes. Continually at war with each other, they still found time to build. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the maharajas maintained their solvency by supporting the colonial British. They built hunting lodges, monsoon palaces, summer mansions and astronomical observatories. Maharaja Ram Singh had the entire city of Jaipur painted pink to welcome the visiting Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) in 1876.

It was only in 1971 that Indira Gandhi abolished the princes' privileges. They had to find new ways of making money, and many of RajaÂsthan's palaces metamorphosed into hotels. The huge range means you'll find everything from sophisticated, regal luxury to bargain-bucket, rickety charm, so you don't necessarily have to earn like a prince to stay like a prince. You could spend a year and a day palace-hopping in Rajasthan; for a taste, read on.

Most famous is the 18th-century Lake Palace, Udaipur, built as the royal summer palace for Maharana Jagat Singh II, of the Mewar dynasty, believed to be descendants of the Sun God. Filling an entire island at the center of limpid Lake Pichola, it appears to have emerged from a storybook. By day it looks like a drifting wedding cake; by night a spotlit mother ship.

To get an idea of the style in which the maharajas lived, visit the Crystal Gallery in the Fateh Prakash Hotel, part of Udaipur's City Palace. Maharaja Sajjan Singh was obviously going for a crystal makeover, ordering crystal beds, carpets, sofas, tables and much more from F&C Osler & Co. in England, but he died before any of it arrived.

Half a day's drive from Udaipur is off-the-beaten-track Dungarpur, where the urbane maharawal has converted part of his lakeside Udai Bilas Palace into a serene retreat, with many of the original Art Deco furnishings intact. Outside, an infinity pool overlooked by marble elephants seems to merge with the lake. From here you can visit the nearby Juna Mahal, the hilltop palace. Wizened retainers in ill-fitting uniforms will gladly illuminate the building's secret with a kerosene lamp - Kama Sutra frescoes discreetly hidden in a cupboard.

Also off the trail, northeast of Udaipur, is dreamy, blue-painted Bundi, where Rudyard Kipling stayed to write part of his novel "Kim." The town is topped by a creamy, cupola-topped confection that Kipling described as "the work of goblins rather than of men." Only a few years back, a steady stream of bats would exit the palace nightly at dusk, heading for frolics in the nearby woods. But of late, the maharaja has had the building cleaned and officially opened, so you can visit the glinting turquoise and gold murals within.

Over in the deserts of western Rajasthan, the vibrant, dust-swirling town of Bikaner is where to go if you want a camel safari away from the tourist trail. Bhairon Vilas once belonged to Bikaner's prime minister and has four parts: one was for the PM, the others for his three wives. His great-grandson, Harsh, has imprinted this palace hotel with a unique, artsy stamp. Jewellike costumes decorate the rooms, with sumptuous color combinations and camp bearskins and antlers. If there's music on when you are there, don't miss a chance to jangle your bangles around the courtyard bonfire to the hypnotic sound of Indian bagpipes.

Otherworldly scenery in the 'Land of the Kings'

Getting there » November through March is the best season to be in Rajasthan, but book ahead, as it's also the busiest. A return Delhi flight costs around $1,100 from the East Coast, and $1,300 or more from the West Coast.

Places to stay » There are hundreds of palace hotels in Rajasthan; a good place to start looking is www.heritagehotels.com.

» Lake Palace (tel: +91 294 2528800; www.tajhotels.com; Udaipur; doubles $450-$1,330). It doesn't get more romantic than this island palace.

» Bhairon Vilas (tel: +91 151 2544751; hotelbhaironvilas.tripod.com; Bikaner; doubles $25-$50). An eclectic, artsy place to stay, run by the Bikaner prime minister's great-grandson.

» Udai Bilas Palace (tel: +91 2964 230808; www.udaibilaspalace.com; Dungarpur; doubles $120-$350). Exquisite rooms retain original Art Deco furnishings in this remote lakeside retreat.

Places to eat » Mehran Terrace (+91 291 2549790; Mehrangarh, Jodhpur). Dine on rich Rajasthani thalis (a selection of dishes with rice) on the terraces of the fort, which towers 140 meters above the city.

» Lake Palace (see Places to Stay). If you can't afford a room, take a boat across the mother-of-pearl lake for the buffet dinner and make like a prince for the evening.