Khajuraho Warnings Or Dangers

There are quite a few young children begging on the streets of Khajuraho, and we did see a number of tourists giving them money.

Please remember that by giving them money, you are encouraging them to stay out of school, on the streets, in the hopes of earning cash, and after a few years, when they aren't so 'cute' any more, due to this lack of education they will probably have to turn to crime and prostitution in order to make a living. By all means give money to the temples, and to worthy charities in the area, but not to street beggars. There are signs up in many of the towns in India to this effect.

If you feel you must give them something, give them food (and make sure it is unwrapped first, as a common scam is to return it to the shop you bought it from for a bit less than you paid for it).

Since Khajuraho is not connected by rail link and only state run buses and private tourist taxis are best mode of road transport for nearby excursions.A tourist in khajuraho might wish to go near by places such as Orcha, Bandhvagarh,Panna etc. then one should try to go by state run buses and avoid travel by private jeeps.Private jeeps are unregualted and drivers drive recklessly and they are just an individual's enterprise and have no authentication.

This was also happening in Agra by the Taj Mahal. Touts selling books and souvenirs literally chase tourists down the street when they come out of the Western Group of temples exit. I saw one group of Japanese tourists and a group of Americans, (they looked like they were Americans!), try and walk down the street with touts baracking them with souvenirs. I almost stepped in and tried to save the Japanese tourists as the touts were just unbearable for them.

When my group went to visit the temples in the morning, we were overwhelmed by touts an souvenir sellers. It was so annoying and off-putting. One little old lady (even shorter than I ) hounded me with a lei of flowers and was forcefully trying to put this thing over my head. I was trying not to be rude, but her persistence was amazing and in the end I whipped the lei off and put it on a passing pillar. Later that afternoon when I returned on my own, I was left totally alone, there was no repeat of all that had gone on in the morning.