Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh sits at the geographic heart of India, and its two headline draws could hardly be more different: Khajuraho's UNESCO-listed temples, famous for their intricate and often explicit carvings, and the dense central-Indian forests of Bandhavgarh and Kanha, two of the country's most reliable tiger reserves. Together they make a rounded trip combining heritage and wildlife without the crowds of more famous circuits.

October to March suits Khajuraho's temples, avoiding the summer heat. Bandhavgarh and Kanha are typically open October to June and close through the monsoon; the hotter months toward the end of the season often bring better tiger sightings as animals gather at water sources, at the cost of higher daytime temperatures.

Khajuraho alone is a comfortable one to two days. Each tiger reserve wants two to three days for multiple safaris; combining Khajuraho with one reserve makes a well-rounded week, and both reserves together with Khajuraho stretches to ten days or so.