In the morning we visited the various centres of spiritual learning that dot Mt. Abu and the Achalgarh Fort with its superb view of the surrounding plains. We felt like taking it easy for the day and skipped going to Guru Shikhar, the highest point in Rajasthan and the nearby wildlife reserve with its sloth bears.

Instead, we took a leisurely walk around the pretty Nakki Lake with its charming English countryside cottages (built by the British to escape from Rajasthan's hot, dusty plains in summers) and the inevitable pleasure palaces of various Maharajas.