Mysore

The birthplace of yoga guru, BKS Iyengar, Mysore is home to its own, eponymous style of yoga: Mysore Yoga. More in common with Ashtanga, popular in the West, it is something of a spiritual mecca for yoga enthusiasts around the world. Visit the ostentatious Mysore Palace, completed in 1912 by Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, and home to the current Wadiyar dynasty. It looks out across the Chamundi Hills, 13 km west. You’re two and one hour’s drive from the Bandipur and Nagarhole national parks, respectively. Best visited in the winter months between November and February.