help required on travel itinerary

ananth2901

Hi,

I'am from bangalore and want to make a trip to major travel destinations in MP during last 2 weeks of Dec 09 (total 16 days which includes train travel from and to bangalore). I have gone through some of the threads here and have shorlisted few places.

These are the places:
Khajuraho Amarantak Bhandavgarh
Bhopal and places around it including bhimbekta
Mandu
Omkareshwar
Maheswar
Panchmari

Our preference would be to spend more days trekking and close to nature and fewer days visiting historical monuments.

1. Can you please suggest how many days to allot to each ?
2. mode of transport between these places ?
3. Any budget hotel recomendations ?

I would prefer the best at the end and after reading the threads I feel Mandu and Panchamri is the best.

Any other places I should include ?

Thanks,
Ananth

vonkla

Hi Ananth
We visited some of the places you mention and tried to fit in many of the others. So the next will cover most of them but I think it will be very cramped.

We went to Mandu starting in Bangalore Khandwa
We hired a car and en route we visited Omkareshwar Maheswar. As far as I know their are busses too.

Mandu-Indore by bus and then the train to Bhopal.

Bhopal-Jhansi by train. Between there is Chanderi also worth a visit. And from Jhansi it is not far to Orchha.

Jhansi-Khajuraho by bus
Khajuraho-Satna and then to Umaria by train to visit Bhandavgarh.

Umaria-Pendra Road and then a bus to Amarkantak.
Back to Pendra Road and with a train to Katni and Pipariya to visit Panchmari

And from there back to Bangalore.

As you see it will be probably to much.
For more details of our stay in Mandu, Amarkantak and Chanderi see my travel log From Kochi to Delhi

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See our travel journals Mumbai-Dehli in three months; From Kochi to Delhi

ananth2901

Thanks for your reply.
This is my itinarary.

Is this OK ?

day 1 - start from bangalore
day 2 - travel
day 3 - reach jhansi , orcha
day 4 - jhansi to khajuraho ( 6hrs)
day 5 - kajuraho
day 6 - satna to umaria - umaria to bhandavgarh
day 7 - bhandavgarh
day 8 - bandavgarh to jabalpur ( 200km)
day 9 - bedaghat
day 10 - jabalpur to pachmarhi ( 5hrs on train - 170 odd kms)
day 11 - pachmarhi
day 12 - pachmarhi -- (try overnight to mandu)
day 13 - pachmarhi to mandu ( pipariya to ratlam 560 km - 11 hrs)
day 14 - Mandu
day 15 - omkareshwar maheshwar
day 16 - khandwa to bangalore (karnataka express)

Thanks,

vonkla

I guess it will be a little hectic, at least for me, but it is doable.

Have a look at the following idea
on day 6 back to Jhansi and than the overnight train to Indore
Mandu-Khandwa
From Khandwa to Pachmarhi
and then Jabalpur and Bandavgarh

Have a nice trip

ananth2901

Thanks Vonkla.
we are group of 5-6 people and most of them will come back after first week and they want to see the sanctuary. Hence I planned it that way.

Any other places in MP ? that is good for treks ?

Ananth

newislander

What sort of trekking is there likely to be around Maheshwar. I have been to Maheshwar and i like it a lot but I am not sure about trekking. I am going there again this winter too.

There is not a great deal of accomodation in Maheshwar. The government place was fine. A Yaktri i think its called. It was about 300r. If you want something really nice stay at Looby's cafe. It might be about 700r per night in one of the rooms. There was a bit of a dumpy spot on the way to the fort. You may see a sign but i can't remember the name. I think the owenrs are sincere but its not a very nice place. But its cheap.

newislander

In mandu there is also not a great deal to choose from for accomodation but its a very small town so its not hard to find the cheap place. I can't remember the name. Someone will direct you when you get there.