Mussoorie, Uttarakhand · premium

Kasmanda Palace, Mussoorie

★★★★☆

Kasmanda Palace was built in 1836 and later became the summer residence of the Maharaja of Kasmanda, right on Mall Road in the middle of Mussoorie. It keeps its turrets, wood-panelled halls and a small private chapel, hung with old hunting trophies and portraits, and it has featured as a film location more than once. The garden looks out over the town and, past it, the plains. The rooms are large and old-fashioned rather than modern, and the location, a level walk from Mall Road and the Mussoorie library, is hard to beat for anyone who wants to be in the town rather than above it.