A gem in the centre of India ... reach there by taxi from Jhansi and stay at the Bundelkhand Riverside Hotel if you can (a property of the Maharaja of Orchha now converted into a hotel) ... the rooms have fabulous views of Betwa River and you can just step from them and reach the banks ... do visit the Jehangir Mahal for some intricate architecture and the Lakshiminarayan temple for some really fabulous frescoes ... and the more modest birthplace of the ancient poet Keshav Das housed in school compound and a bit more difficult to find ... worth fixing up the same taxi guy for getting you into Orchha, sightseeing within the city, and any trips out it, if you are going to Khajuraho for instance...

best place to catch the shatabi express

Other than being the city associated with the legendary Queen of Jhansi (and hence offering some related sights) and an important rail junction for travel in Madhya Pradesh and beyond, not much to do in this crowded noisy city...

There is the Shatabi Express train that runs to and from Jhansi, a great old train that has different class cars. The toilets are another thing, a hole in the floor, not easy when the train is swaying back and forth!!

A bike ride through Orchha and the countryside is a good excursion if you have a half day free. Just be careful crossing the bridge as there are no guard rails and it gets very crowded with both pedestrians and vehicles.