Srinagar, Kashmir
The lakes of Kashmir’s capital are mesmerisingly beautiful, and plenty of visitors pass their time in Srinagar exclusively on the water. You can step from floating houseboats onto delicate shikaras and float up and down the placid, 8 km Lake Dal. If you can bring yourself to step ashore, the colourful markets offer exquisite Kashmiri crafts and fragrant cuisine, and there are plenty of Mughal pleasure gardens to explore. The city’s northerly position makes it pleasantly cool on and off the water.