FROM saris to stunning forts and palaces, in Rajasthan, everything seems to be imbued in vibrant colors. It’s a place of romantic stories of great warriors and tragedy, and the scenes of “One Thousand and One Nights.”

From literature and magazines, I had a picture of Rajasthan in my head before I set foot in this alluring place: women with heavy gold bangles, men donning colorful turbans, the hot desert sand blowing around them.

Rajasthan, I was told, is the perfect place for any first-time visitor to India, with plenty to explore.

Literally the “Land of Kings,” Rajasthan only became part of India in 1949. Before that, it was a collection of 23 warring princedoms ruled by Rajputs — fierce warrior families who rode elephants and camels. Under Indira Gandhi the Maharajas of Rajasthan lost their privileges in 1969.

My nine-day trip to the cities of Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer was never going to be enough to explore this uniquely beautiful landscape the size of Germany, but I found that the unifying theme was the striking and resplendent colors, which left a deep and magical impression.

Daipur

Roger Moore must have had the time of his life when the filming of “Octopussy” took him to the decadent Lake Palace in the romantic city of Udaipur. The beauty and romantic air of this palace is even better in real life than the 1983 James Bond classic could have depicted.

In just under two hours, Jet Airways takes you from the bustling New Delhi to Udaipur, located in the hilly south of Rajasthan.

Lush farm land, green, rugged hills and serene lakes dominate this relatively small city.

Udaipur is the city of cream, rose and soft yellow hues. It is dominated by the massive, cupola-crowned City Palace, which lines the eastern shore of Lake Pichola.

The palace is a fascinating combination of Rajput military architecture and Mughal-style decorations. The largest palace in Rajasthan, it is actually a complex of several palaces, built or added by 22 different Maharanas between the 16th and 20th century.

The marvelous assortment of courtyards, pavilions, terraces, corridors, rooms with various towers, domes and arches was wholly built from granite and marble. Inside, paintings, antique furniture, exquisite glass mirrors and ornamental tiles can be viewed by visitors.

Outside the City Palace, shops sell miniature paintings, wood carvings, silver and other jewelry, as well as local textiles. Udaipur is known for its local crafts, particularly its miniature paintings. Finding original work, however, takes a collector’s eyes. Most of the shops sell the bulk of the mass-produced tourist junks.

Wandering along the roads full of tourist shops is fascinating, but don’t miss out on the Bagore-ki-Haveli, a gracious 19th-century haveli, or traditional mansion, set on the water’s edge.

Bagore-ki-Haveli was built by a Mewar prime minister and has since been carefully restored. The haveli’s interior is embellished with intricate and fine mirror work, giving an idea of the fortunes and influence of the Rajput clan.

I had been told that Udaipur at dusk is one of the most romantic places in the world — a blanket statement brushed off as something tourists are told in every corner of the world. But when the sun started to set, imbuing the town and the lake in the last beams of warm, yellowish gold, I was amazed to find that it was, indeed, the perhaps most romantic place I had ever been to. I set out on a boat ride from Rameshwar Ghat in the City Palace gardens that was simply breathtaking.

From the middle of the lake, one has the best view over the City Palace. In the backdrop, women were washing clothes on the banks of the river, and during a stop at Jagmandir Island, I was able to visit Jagniwas, a stunning pleasure palace built by Maharana Karan Singh for his son. Today, exotic birds circle over visitor’s heads and stone elephants guard the lush garden in which the 17th-century prince once strolled with his admirers.

• Where to stay:

Taj Lake Palace:

A jewel set in the middle of Lake Pichola, the Taj Lake Palace offers opulent comfort born of 16th-century Indian aristocracy. Ideal for jet-setters looking for status and style.

The Oberoi Udaivilas:

Overlooking the picturesque Lake Pichola and City Palace, The Oberoi Udaivilas is designed as a traditional palace with decorative fountains and pavilions. It was ranked the best hotel in Asia and fifth best in the world by the readers of Travel + Leisure in 2011.

Fateh Garh:

Fateh Garh offers something different with its heritage renaissance style. It is a 150-year-old palace on a soaring hillside 20 minutes outside the old city. The precariously perched cliff-edge infinity pool seems to flow into a verdant oasis.

Jaisalmer

Only four hours by car from the blue city of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer is another desert citadel city with several magnificent palaces, havelis and temples.

Close to Rajasthan’s border with Pakistan, Jaisalmer is called “the Golden City” for its amber-hued sandstone buildings, many dating back to medieval times. It’s also known as “the museum city” for its many 12th- to 15th-century houses adorned with colorful filigreed work. The region’s Banjara people are famous for their wildly colorful clothing. Veils, long skirts, blouses and turbans in dramatic reds, yellows, greens and blues dot the desert landscape.

Jaisalmer dates back to the 12th century and was once a flourishing trade center for merchants traveling from and to central Asia.

Built in AD 1156, the Jaisalmer Fort is a marvelous piece of architecture. Some local families still reside here.

Passing the fort’s massive entrance gate, you walk along narrow alleys leading to the outer walls, where a superb view over the entire city awaits. Built entirely of golden-yellow Jaisalmer sandstone, the fort is most beautiful during sunrise and sunset, when it seems to blend in with the surrounding desert.

From Jaisalmer, it’s easy to explore the desert land surrounding the old city on a camel safari. Tours are as short as half a day and as long as three days, which includes accommodation in a tent.

The tours allow you to marvel at the golden sunset over sand dunes that stretch as far as the eye can see.

• Where to stay:

Suryagarh:

Set in the vast Thar Desert, Suryagarh is one of the most luxurious hotels in Jaisalmer. It features a luxurious dining room in heritage style, a billiard room and a beautiful rooftop.

Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur

About two hours from Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh lies amid a peaceful forest. I was amazed by the beauty and serenity of the place. A few local families live under the fort, but there were very few tourists. The imposing fort is encircled by 36 kilometers of wall, making it the world’s second-longest wall after the Great Wall of China. The walls are said to have held so many lamps that farmers were able to work day and night.

Kumbhalargh was the most important Mewar fort and was used as a safe place to retreat to when the clans were under attack. In the more than 500 years the fort was used by the Mewar, it fell into the hands of the enemy only once, when drinking water had run out after a long siege.

The walls weren’t just built to protect people, but their religion, too. About 360 temples are located inside, an impressive accumulation of Hindu faith. Some also belong to an ancient religion that predates Buddhism.

A short, half-hour ride from Kumbhalargh lies the Jain temple complex of Ranakpur. Arguably, temples are as much on a tourist’s sightseeing list in Asia as churches and cathedrals in Europe, and I dare say that I have seen some of the continent’s most esteemed and beautiful.

None came close to being as jaw-dropping as Jain.

Every centimeter of pillar, wall and ceiling was covered in exquisitely detailed carving.

The main Chaumukha Temple, built in the 15th century from milk-white marble, is composed of 29 halls, 80 domes and 1,444 intricately carved pillars. Each and every single one of them is unique.

• Where to stay:

Mana Hotel Ranakpur:

Very close to the stunning marble Jain temple, Mana Hotel is refreshingly modern, with spacious rooms and villas of varying shapes and sizes. The property also promotes locally made arts and crafts.

Jodhpur

The most colorful destination during my trip was the northwestern desert region of Rajasthan, which is best visited in the fall and winter, when the weather is warm and inviting.

At the heart of the state, the fortified city of Jodhpur is renowned for its dramatic sunsets, forts, temples and palaces. It’s dubbed the “sun city” for its year-round bright, sunny skies but is also sometimes referred to as “blue city” in reference to the blue painted houses that surround Mehrangarh Fort.

Compared to the white city of Udaipur, the walled city of Johdpur is a little less touristy but also more hectic. The winding, medieval streets leading to the magnificent fort can be dusty and crowded. Small bazaars and stores sell all sorts of daily necessities and cows freely roam the streets. The buzz of the old blue city is gone in an instant.

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan knew what he was doing when he chose the captivating, vast fort as the prison scene for his final Batman installation “The Dark Knight Rises”.

• Where to stay

Raas Jodhpur:

Raas Jodhpur has provided one of the best hotel experiences I’ve ever had. A charming complex, it features intricately carved haveli architecture. The red-hued sandstone and splashes of Brahmin blue set the tone for this luxury boutique hotel. You can order Indian or international food on the outdoors terrace.