Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, about 100 km northeast of Raipur, is a compact forest reserve with gaur, leopard, sloth bear, and a healthy population of chital deer. It doesn't attract the crowds of better-known parks, which is part of its appeal. A day trip works well if you start early; overnight stays at the forest rest house are also possible.
Sirpur, 80 km east on the banks of the Mahanadi River, contains one of the finest collections of early medieval temples in central India. The Lakshmana Temple, built in brick in the seventh century, is remarkably intact; excavations nearby have turned up Buddhist monasteries and Jain shrines alongside Hindu structures, suggesting Sirpur was a cosmopolitan religious centre. The site is UNESCO-listed and sees far fewer visitors than its quality deserves.
Champaran, about 55 km from Raipur, is the birthplace of Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya, the fifteenth-century philosopher-saint who founded the Pushti Marg devotional tradition followed by millions across Gujarat and Rajasthan. The small town has a significant temple and sees a steady flow of pilgrims. It's easy to combine with Sirpur into a full-day circuit heading east from Raipur.