A Long Weekend To Bandhavgarh and Khajuraho

Jun 26, 2026

By Kapil Goswamy

The Easter long weekend combined with another Indian national holiday was a perfect opportunity for me to travel to two of Central India’s gems --- Bandhavgarh and Khajuraho. The Bandhavgarh National Park is one of India’s best known Tiger Reserves , and Khajuraho is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Chandela Temples as well as being in close proximity to the Panna National Park. 

What prompted me to take this trip, and to particularly combine these two destinations , was not only the fact that they are both in Central India, not too far from each other, but also the fact, that the Oberoi Group  has recently opened their resorts in both these locations. The Oberoi Vindhyavilas in Bandhavgarh opened it’s doors during the last year, and the Oberoi Rajgarh Palace in Khajuraho only opened it’s doors earlier this year. 

First stop Bandhavgarh , which was a bit of a long journey, with first a short flight from Delhi to Jabalpur , and then a 4 hour car journey to the Oberoi Vindhyavilas.  The fatigue of the journey went away rather quickly once we  arrived at the Vindhyavilas, which is a oasis of luxury just a few minutes from the entrance to the National Park.  Beautifully appointed luxury tents and villas , spread in acres of forested greenery , with a beautiful pool and great food !  What more could one ask for !  The icing on the cake were the two safaris in to the National Park the following day, on which we were lucky to spot tigers on both occasions.  Nothing quite beats the experience of spotting tigers in the wild !  Time between the safaris was well spent between the outdoor pool and the spa, and proved to be relaxing , inspite of the hectic safari schedules.

After two wonderful days in Bandhavgarh, we made our way to the Oberoi Rajgarh Palace in Khajuraho, which was about a 5 hour car journey from Bandhavgarh. Not really the finest highway in India , but comfortable enough regardless. Getting to the Rajgarh Palace was a wow moment --- the beautiful 200+ year old Palace having been meticulously restored by the Oberoi Group surpassed our expectations in every way.  The two beautiful swimming pools, and the wonderful tented spa (not to talk of the extremely warm temperature) at the hotel tempted us not to venture out at all, but , we did so. 

Time spent at the Chandela temples of Khajuraho, which were just a short 25 minute drive away was well worth it, with the intricately carved Chandela Temples always a awe inspiring sight.  The temples are divided in to the Eastern Group and the Western Group of Temples – over 4 hours, we were able to do both , and inspite of the 40C day temperature, we loved the morning. We were managed to fit in a safari in to the Panna National Park, which is just a 8 minute drive away from the Oberoi Rajgarh Palace. 

The Tiger population in this park has risen substantially during the last few years thanks to the conservation efforts, and we were lucky to spot a tiger within the first 30 minutes of entering the park.  What makes the Panna National Park more attractive (other than good tiger sightings there) is also the fact that the Ken river flows through it, and lots of wildlife can be spotted along it’s shores.