Khajuraho

The home of the most stunning examples of Indian temple carvings, Khajuraho is, by far, one of the must-see destinations in all of India. Built in the 10^thand 11^thcenturies in a setting that allowed them to appear to rise from a surrounding lake, these 25 temples are covered top to bottom with some of the most beautiful sandstone carvings on earth.  Both the internal and external walls of every temple are covered in highly detailed carvings of human and animal figures depicting scenes of daily life from a millennium ago. A few of the carvings are explicitly graphic, leaving nothing to the imagination, and can cause even the stalwart art enthusiast to blush.  Although many visitors prefer to make this a day trip, the art aficionados can easily make the Khajuraho experience span two full days.