What to do in Madhya Pradesh

Tigers pad silently through bamboo thickets while ancient temples rise from mist-shrouded hills in this overlooked heartland state. Morning safaris in Bandhavgarh and Kanha might reveal a Royal Bengal resting beneath a mahua tree, far from the jeep convoys found in more famous reserves. The cultural treasures prove equally rewarding - from the astonishingly explicit carvings at Khajuraho's temples to the 30,000-year-old rock paintings at Bhimbetka. Glide between towering marble cliffs at Bhedaghat as kingfishers dart across the water, or watch the sunrise illuminate Mandu's abandoned palaces where sultans once wooed their queens. Whether you're sampling street food in Indore's night markets or purchasing handwoven Maheshwari silks directly from weavers' homes, this central state rewards travelers willing to venture beyond the obvious.