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Madhya Pradesh

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About as far off the tourist trail as most foreigners are prepared to go, leafy Orachha is a gorgeous laid back slice of Rajput paradise. In many ways this is real India. A small town reached easily from Jhansi at just 250INR for the 16km journey in a rickshaw. Orachha is almost perfect. Typically Indian, the town itself is unremarkable, except suddenly, rather than encountering a shake down at every corner, you are waved at, welcomed and requested for selfies. Friendliness abides. It is difficult to avoid the imposing temples around the place, and once you cross the bridge to Raj Mahal you notice behind the stunning Jehangir Mahal. What makes this enclave different is that it is among natural beauty. Think bushy trees with monkeys, a roaring river, ruins, temples and a paradise lost begging to be explored. Scenically it is spectacular, particularly with a low mist licking the…

In direct competition with Agra, Gwalior is an unimpressive attempt at coaxing tourists a few hours down the line to witness the splendor of its hilltop fort. Rolling into Gwalior from Agra you will instantly notice less hassle, less dust and more horns. International tourism, though firmly on the radar of local government hasn’t quite led to the numbers expected and as a result, rickshaw drivers are still their scam infancy, opting to add just a few rupees to journeys rather than all out kaboom a tourist with sky high prices. In fact, Gwalior is one of the places in India that I would advise not even bothering asking for a price. If your journey is around 10 minutes, pay 50 rupees (actual price is 40, but 10 adds a bit of cheese) if your journey is from one side of the city to the other, hand over a crisp…