Ranthambore

It was the private hunting ground of the maharajas of Jaipur well into the 20th century, and the ruins of a 10th-century fort crowning the park — Ranthambore Fort — recall that feudal past at every turn. Declared a sanctuary in 1955, it joined Project Tiger in 1973 and became a national park in 1980. Its relatively open landscape, dotted with lakes and ruins wrapped in strangler figs, has made it one of the most reliable places in the world to watch and photograph wild tigers in broad daylight, which is exceptional given how shy the species usually is.