Bhopal

Bhopal - Sanchi - Bhimbetka

• Most of the spots are around the lake, be it the museums, the mosques or the magnificent Van Vihar. So better stay somewhere near the lake.
• Weekends are crowded specially near the lake and at Sanchi so plan for a hectic Friday and an easy Saturday before leaving on Sunday.
• Bhopal can be hub for visiting Sanchi, Bhimbetka and Panchgani. Bhimbetka and Panchgani are in same direction but not possible to visit in one day.

We reached Bhopal early morning and quickly settled for breakfast at the Shahnama restaurant of our grand stay - Jehan Numa Palace Hotel. By the time we finished, our plan had been formulated to cover both Sanchi and Bhimbetka the same day.

Upper Lake,  Bhopal

We came from our sojourn at 6 in the evening and decided for a quick nap,  tired as we were. We woke up next morning with the songs of patriotism as the country celebrated Independence Day. An elaborate breakfast later we decided to walk the Lake View Road. The way from Jehan Numa is tricky but worth taking - staircase through thick forest opens up at the lake.

Raja Bhoj Statue, Bhopal

A stroll along the lake with cool breeze and children shouting slogans was enough to lift the atmosphere. An hour later we decided to come back to hotel to start again for the heart of the city.

Van Vihar, Bhopak

This time we walked to Moti Masjid and VIP Road. Taking few snaps of Gauhar Mahal we moved to Taj ul Masjid which is famous for tall minars and huge staircases. Next we decided to settle for lunch.

Tribal Museum, Bhopal

Taking help of TripAdvisor app we zeroed in on Manohar Dairy. Its a clean setup and close to Railway Station. We ate Dahi Kachori and Chole Bhature. Stomach filled,  we decided to go back to hotel.

Central Lake, Bhopal

However, outside an autowala told us the Van Vihar National Park is open. We went for it and found it crowded. We took bicycles on rent at the entry gate at fair rate (10/hr;50 deposit) and had a great time. The National Park is located all the way along the bank of Upper Lake and is unparallelled in that sense. Bicycle ride was exhilarating.

Taj-ul-Masjid, Bhopal

We came back tired and took some rest. Dinner was planned at Under the Mango Tree, rated as the best in Bhopal and right inside the hotel we were staying in. Food was good and gratifying.

Jehan Numa Palce Hotel, Bhopal

Next day we packed and checked out. State museum a walking distance from Jehan Numa. On the way we saw houses of Digvijay Singh and Uma Bharti. The sheer magnitude of collection of artefacts from temple debris across Madhya Pradesh here in State Museum is amazing. Adjacent is Tribal Museum which is more on creative side and equally admirable. It was time to leave Bhopal but everything about the trip felt perfect - weather, heritage sites,  hotel,  food and the omnipresent lake.