The reservoir at Nimaj is one of Rajasthan's loveliest and most serene spots; the water attracts wheeling flocks of migratory birds, waders and wildfowl during the winter months - hence its former life as a royal hunting preserve - and there is a charming tented camp actually on top of the dam. Two hours east of Jodhpur, where the Aravalli Hills peter out into the arid expanses of the Thar Desert, the reservoir and pretty farmland around are now owned by one family; there is nothing more peaceful than to look at the mustard fields glowing right on the edge of the desert and the villages around house craftsmen who specialise in wonderful, intricate silver jewellery.