Surrounded by 99 barrel-shaped bastions, Jaisalmer’s golden fort encloses a medieval town of richly carved mansions and temples, all made from the same honey-coloured sandstone. Unlike most such citadels in India, this one is still very much inhabited, seemingly by as many stray cows as people. Your guide will lead you through narrow, winding alleyways to hidden Jain and Hindu shrines, pointing out ornately carved jharokha balconies and the mansions of former merchants.