Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary

The nearest real forest to Kashi: 78 square kilometres in the Vindhya-Kaimur hills, about 70 km and an hour and a half to two hours away. It carries a curious footnote in Indian conservation: this is where Asiatic lions were released in a 1957 reintroduction experiment. Today you are more likely to meet sambar, chital and nilgai, and to hear a great deal of birdlife around the Chandraprabha river gorge; the Rajdari and Devdari falls stand inside the same forest. Entry is nominal, rest houses basic and eateries few, so carry food and water. October to March suits walking; the monsoon is for the falls.

The nearest real forest to Kashi: gorge, waterfalls and deer within a day trip