Journal · Central India · India
Maheshwar, Mandu and Satpura: a slow route through Madhya Pradesh
This is a trip of two long stays. The first is at Maheshwar, a small town on the Narmada river, with day trips to the ruined capital of Mandu and the temple island of Omkareshwar. The second is in the forest at Satpura. A night in Bhopal joins them.
Why stay four nights in Maheshwar?
Because it is a base, not a stop. Maheshwar itself is a riverside town of ghats and temples under a fort, the seat of the queen Ahilyabai Holkar, who ruled from here. It is also the home of a fine handloom cloth, and the weavers can be visited.
- On the river. A boat at sunset to the small Baneshwar temple in midstream, and another across to the villages on the far bank.
- Mandu. A day trip to the hilltop capital of the sultans of Malwa: palaces, mosques and tombs spread across a plateau.
- Omkareshwar. A day trip to an island in the Narmada that is one of the great pilgrimage places of Shiva.
What is Mandu?
A deserted city on a plateau, ringed by a long wall. Its best-known building is the Jahaz Mahal, the ship palace, a long narrow hall built between two pools so that it seems to float. Mandu is at its greenest just after the rains.
How do you get from Maheshwar to Satpura?
In two days, by way of Bhopal. Maheshwar has no railway of its own, so the day begins with a drive to Indore for the train to Bhopal. The next morning the road to Satpura passes the rock shelters of Bhimbetka, with their ancient paintings, about an hour out.
Arriving works the same way in reverse: the flight from Delhi lands at Indore, and Maheshwar is a drive from there.
What makes Satpura different from other tiger reserves?
It can be explored on foot and by water. As well as jeep drives, Satpura allows guided walking safaris and canoeing on the Denwa River, which most parks do not. It is hilly and less visited, and people come for the forest as a whole rather than for one animal.
Four nights allows each kind of outing, and a visit to the villages at the forest’s edge.
Quick answers
How do you get to Maheshwar?
Fly to Indore and continue by road. Maheshwar has no airport and no main-line station, so Indore is the gateway in both directions.
Can Mandu be visited as a day trip from Maheshwar?
Yes. It is close enough to see the main palaces and return for a boat on the river at sunset, which is how this route does it.
Can you walk in Satpura National Park?
Yes, with a guide. Satpura is one of the few tiger reserves in India that allows walking safaris and canoeing as well as jeep drives.
Before you book: check the whole trip at once
The route begins with a night in Delhi and passes through Bhopal for one more, and those two single nights between the long stays are the ones that get left unbooked.
Trips by Manr.ai puts your hotels and transport on one timeline and checks for gaps, overlaps and missing legs. Type a booking in, drop in the PDF, or paste the confirmation email. With an account and sync switched on, you can also forward confirmations to trips@manr.ai from the address you signed in with. Nothing joins your trip until you have seen it and added it.