Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Lake Palace

A ferry transports you to this former maharaja's hunting lodge on an island inside the Lake Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, where you can spot wildlife from your balcony. Staying within this park, where you can view nature much the way it originally was, is a treat, especially in this enormous, red tiled-roof heritage bungalow. Kerala’s efficient state government tourist department runs this property quite well, although it is not quite up the standards of the private luxury chains. Six simple but very large rooms, decked out with period furniture, look out through a palm-lined pathway and beyond to the lake and the preserve. Each has its own balcony, affording an even closer view of the park.