Hello My Dear Friends,
I'm Sujoy,and this is my 2nd day tour diary of my My 3Days 2Night Weekend Trip to Dooars North Bengal, covering Elephant Ride at Jhallong Bungalow,Murti Resort. To read about my yesterday's trip,click here.
Today I woke up at 4:30am in the morning for the elephant ride,which I booked yesterday evening. More details given in my previous article. At sharp 5am,tour started. We were in Tata Safari car,heading towards the Jhallong Bungalow,which is around 5km from Jaldapara Tourist Lodge. There are only two elephant rides per day,first is from 5:30am-6:30am,next safari is from 6:30am-7:30am. After reaching the Jhallong Bungalow,we had to wait for another 45 minutes to get other teams arrive. Lazy people!
The elephant ride started from Jhallong Bungalow. Near the bungalow,there's a cement platform,you've to climb to it,elephant will be standing adjacent to it,then it becomes very easy to ride onto the elephant. Even elderly people can easily ride the elephant with this arrangement. 4 persons + 1 elephant pilot are allowed per elephant. Behind us,3 more elephants followed with other tourists. After getting onto the elephant,when it first started walking,I felt very uncomfortable. It seems like I'm over a moving earthquake! Sometimes left,sometimes right,oh my god! But after 10 minutes or so,I completely forgot the feeling and started enjoying.
As soon as we entered the jungle,I enjoyed the sound of birds, moistness of fresh jungle air, clean greenaries. A feeling immediately came into my mind that these jungle and wildlife are our national treasure,we must preserve them for our future generation,and of course for the planet Earth. The elephants are well trained,they easily went through the trees into the jungle. There are some small streams in the jungle,I was enthrilled when it crossed the stream. Chapp..chapp...chapp,sound of water was coming with every step of the animal! I felt like I'm covering the stream flying! We also met other elephants near the stream.
We first spotted some wild cuckoos,and one peacock. Ahead our path,there was one wild berry tree,we could easily have grasp of it from top,we picked some! It's fun! Suddenly the elephant was hurled to stop. What happened? The pilot indicated near elephant's legs,he just managed to save some eggs of peacock! They were of twice of size of duck eggs. Later we also spotted some beautiful birds on the trees. Next,we confronted another stream,walking through it,we saw the most anticipated animal of the day- the rhino! There's a huge rhino just 15 feet away from us! Half body under water. It just opened its mouth as we approached it! Like telling- hey stay there,don't disturb me. We took some cool photos of it! I also spotted the light-house far away, where I went yesterday during jungle safari!
It's return time! Our elephants rode us back to the Hollong Bungalow. On our way back bungalow,sky got covered with black clouds and it started thundering. As soon as we entered the Hollong Bungalow,it started raining heavily. We were so lucky to have finished the elephant ride in the first trip,people who were in second trip got terribly drenched in rain! Almost after 50 minutes when rain stopped,we returned to Jaldapara Lodge.
During the breakfast in dining hall,I met a nice family. They had booking in Murti Tourist Lodge (Murti Resort),another lodge of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited. I did not have any plan myself,so I joined them.
Soon after the breakfast,we checked out from the lodge at around 11am and headed towards the Murti Tourist Lodge in a Maruti Omni Van. We reached the lodge at around 2:30pm. Car cost Rs 1200. The road is just fantastic,it's smooth,wide and with beautiful landscapes on the either side. We crossed Goodrick Tea Estate and some other tea estates on our way. We passed parallel to some mountains and a saw bridge on a dry river. We stopped there to enjoy the scenic beauty. The river stretched far to the mountains,with a nice panoramic view to offer. The sky is clear blue there,not like dull blue sky in cities.
We spend that day idle,enjoying good meal in our respective lodges,with sight of Murti River nearby. Good sight, fresh air, full of hospitality, what else do you need to spend a leisure day! We all needed a day like this apart from all hustles and bustles of our daily life!! In the evening we took a nice walk in the neighborhood alongside the Murti River and surroundings! My hotel staff told me to be a little alert as sometimes during the summer elephants come to Murti River to drink water. They also stand silently in the darks in the roadside! My day 2 ended like this!!
Coming up,day 3- Our seven point tour to Jhallong-Bindoo, to the farthest point of West Bengal,border of Bhutan and India, Jaldhaka Hydel Power Plant, rubber garden, Malbazar Hanuman Temple etc; all in my tour diary of day 3!
I'm Sujoy,and this is my 2nd day tour diary of my My 3Days 2Night Weekend Trip to Dooars North Bengal, covering Elephant Ride at Jhallong Bungalow,Murti Resort. To read about my yesterday's trip,click here.
Today I woke up at 4:30am in the morning for the elephant ride,which I booked yesterday evening. More details given in my previous article. At sharp 5am,tour started. We were in Tata Safari car,heading towards the Jhallong Bungalow,which is around 5km from Jaldapara Tourist Lodge. There are only two elephant rides per day,first is from 5:30am-6:30am,next safari is from 6:30am-7:30am. After reaching the Jhallong Bungalow,we had to wait for another 45 minutes to get other teams arrive. Lazy people!
The elephant ride started from Jhallong Bungalow. Near the bungalow,there's a cement platform,you've to climb to it,elephant will be standing adjacent to it,then it becomes very easy to ride onto the elephant. Even elderly people can easily ride the elephant with this arrangement. 4 persons + 1 elephant pilot are allowed per elephant. Behind us,3 more elephants followed with other tourists. After getting onto the elephant,when it first started walking,I felt very uncomfortable. It seems like I'm over a moving earthquake! Sometimes left,sometimes right,oh my god! But after 10 minutes or so,I completely forgot the feeling and started enjoying.
As soon as we entered the jungle,I enjoyed the sound of birds, moistness of fresh jungle air, clean greenaries. A feeling immediately came into my mind that these jungle and wildlife are our national treasure,we must preserve them for our future generation,and of course for the planet Earth. The elephants are well trained,they easily went through the trees into the jungle. There are some small streams in the jungle,I was enthrilled when it crossed the stream. Chapp..chapp...chapp,sound of water was coming with every step of the animal! I felt like I'm covering the stream flying! We also met other elephants near the stream.
We first spotted some wild cuckoos,and one peacock. Ahead our path,there was one wild berry tree,we could easily have grasp of it from top,we picked some! It's fun! Suddenly the elephant was hurled to stop. What happened? The pilot indicated near elephant's legs,he just managed to save some eggs of peacock! They were of twice of size of duck eggs. Later we also spotted some beautiful birds on the trees. Next,we confronted another stream,walking through it,we saw the most anticipated animal of the day- the rhino! There's a huge rhino just 15 feet away from us! Half body under water. It just opened its mouth as we approached it! Like telling- hey stay there,don't disturb me. We took some cool photos of it! I also spotted the light-house far away, where I went yesterday during jungle safari!
It's return time! Our elephants rode us back to the Hollong Bungalow. On our way back bungalow,sky got covered with black clouds and it started thundering. As soon as we entered the Hollong Bungalow,it started raining heavily. We were so lucky to have finished the elephant ride in the first trip,people who were in second trip got terribly drenched in rain! Almost after 50 minutes when rain stopped,we returned to Jaldapara Lodge.
During the breakfast in dining hall,I met a nice family. They had booking in Murti Tourist Lodge (Murti Resort),another lodge of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited. I did not have any plan myself,so I joined them.
Soon after the breakfast,we checked out from the lodge at around 11am and headed towards the Murti Tourist Lodge in a Maruti Omni Van. We reached the lodge at around 2:30pm. Car cost Rs 1200. The road is just fantastic,it's smooth,wide and with beautiful landscapes on the either side. We crossed Goodrick Tea Estate and some other tea estates on our way. We passed parallel to some mountains and a saw bridge on a dry river. We stopped there to enjoy the scenic beauty. The river stretched far to the mountains,with a nice panoramic view to offer. The sky is clear blue there,not like dull blue sky in cities.
Before entering the Murti Lodge,we found that the small bridge over the Murti River is broken. Because of that we had to leave the car on the other side of the river and took our shoes off to cross the river bare-footed! Wow! The water was little cold and was crystal clear. We could see all the stones on the riverbed. The stream was moderate as it's not rainy season and water level was below our knees. The Murti Tourist Lodge(named Banani) is situated on the bank of River Murti. On the other side of the river,there's dense forest. Food is good at Banani,as I got to know from my co-travellers.
They had online booking in Murti Lodge,called Banani, you can book it online at-
http://app.westbengaltourism.gov.in/WBTBooking/wbtdc.html).
I did not have the booking so I went out to find an accommodation for myself as the Murti Lodge was full that day. I found an accommodation at- Dooars Residency. This lodge is good but little bit inside from the road. But anyway,it has four separate deluxe cottages,I got one. The rate is 1350 per cottage,but after little bargaining and as it was just start of the season,I got it at 1000 for a night,foods extra. Good deal! Whereas they had to pay 1500 for their room in Murti Lodge! From inside,the cottage is like any other hotel room with all amenities like jumbo double bed,Tv,wardrobe,attached bath with geyser etc.
http://app.westbengaltourism.gov.in/WBTBooking/wbtdc.html).
I did not have the booking so I went out to find an accommodation for myself as the Murti Lodge was full that day. I found an accommodation at- Dooars Residency. This lodge is good but little bit inside from the road. But anyway,it has four separate deluxe cottages,I got one. The rate is 1350 per cottage,but after little bargaining and as it was just start of the season,I got it at 1000 for a night,foods extra. Good deal! Whereas they had to pay 1500 for their room in Murti Lodge! From inside,the cottage is like any other hotel room with all amenities like jumbo double bed,Tv,wardrobe,attached bath with geyser etc.
General Information about Jaldapara National Park-
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What To Watch in Jaldapara National Park- One horn rhinos, Bison, Leopard, Spotted Deer, Hog Deer, Sambar,Wild Tuskers,Wild Boars, Pythons, Monitor Lizards, Turtles and more animals. Jaldapara is paradise for bird watchers. Expect- Bengal Florican, Crested Eagle, Pallas's Fishing Eagle, Shikara, Peacocks, Jungle Fowl, Peafowl, Hornbill etc.
Best Time To Visit Jaldapara National Park- November to May (closed from June-September during monsoon)
Online Booking Guide- If you want to book your room in any govt tourist lodge/resort, it's advisable to book it at least 1 or 2 month earlier that your trip day. It's very hard to get instant bookings in Murti Resort, Jaldapara Tourist Lodge,Jhallong Bungalow etc as rooms are booked from 3 months in advance by many tourists.
Online Booking Guide- If you want to book your room in any govt tourist lodge/resort, it's advisable to book it at least 1 or 2 month earlier that your trip day. It's very hard to get instant bookings in Murti Resort, Jaldapara Tourist Lodge,Jhallong Bungalow etc as rooms are booked from 3 months in advance by many tourists.
Must Bring- Binoculars, Camera with preferably high zoom lens.
Duration of Trip- A 3-5 days trip is good for covering the Jaldapara and surrounding.
How to Reach Jaldapara National Park from Kolkata-
There are various ways to reach Jaldapara from Kolkata. Nearby train stations are Hasimara and Falakata both are around 19km from Jaldapara. Nearby bus stand is Madarihat,which is around 1km from Jaldapara National Park.
By road- Buses for Siliguri departs from Kolkata Esplanade(Dharmatala) bus stand. Then from Siliguri you can go to Jaldapara by hired car/or by train. But travel by bus is not always a better idea.
By train- Trains like Kanchan Kanya Exp,Kanchenjunga Exp,Howrah Guwahati Weekly Exp goes to Hasimara(19km from Jaldapara). Or get Teesta Torsa Exp,Uttar Banga Exp,Kamrup Exp to Falakata(19km from Jaldapara). My point is that, just get any train to North Bengal,reach any North Bengal stations such as- New Jalpaiguri,New Mal Junction,Mal Junction,AlipurDuar Junction,New AlipurDuar Junction and then book any car and head to Jaldapara.
Other Places to Visit from Jaldapara- Jaldapara National Park,Chilapata Forest(for dense jungle and jungle camp),Murti Tourist Lodge(a leisure day at jungle),Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary,Jhallong-Bindoo Viewpoint(border of West Bengal & Bhutan,and hydel power plant),Gorumara Forest,Buxa Fort(historical place) and Tiger Reserve,Raja Bhat Khawa,South Khayerbari Leopard Rescue Centre,Jayanti River(nice scenic beauty),Kunjanagar Eco Park,Cooch Behar Palace(Coochbehar Rajbari),Baneswar Tortoise Project,Totopara Tribal Village(famous for orange orchard,anthropology),Raimatang via Kalchini(good sceneries),Bhutan etc.
Click my YouTube channel's link below to watch them.
Subscribe to my youtube channel below-
http://www.youtube.com/sujoyn70
By road- Buses for Siliguri departs from Kolkata Esplanade(Dharmatala) bus stand. Then from Siliguri you can go to Jaldapara by hired car/or by train. But travel by bus is not always a better idea.
By train- Trains like Kanchan Kanya Exp,Kanchenjunga Exp,Howrah Guwahati Weekly Exp goes to Hasimara(19km from Jaldapara). Or get Teesta Torsa Exp,Uttar Banga Exp,Kamrup Exp to Falakata(19km from Jaldapara). My point is that, just get any train to North Bengal,reach any North Bengal stations such as- New Jalpaiguri,New Mal Junction,Mal Junction,AlipurDuar Junction,New AlipurDuar Junction and then book any car and head to Jaldapara.
Other Places to Visit from Jaldapara- Jaldapara National Park,Chilapata Forest(for dense jungle and jungle camp),Murti Tourist Lodge(a leisure day at jungle),Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary,Jhallong-Bindoo Viewpoint(border of West Bengal & Bhutan,and hydel power plant),Gorumara Forest,Buxa Fort(historical place) and Tiger Reserve,Raja Bhat Khawa,South Khayerbari Leopard Rescue Centre,Jayanti River(nice scenic beauty),Kunjanagar Eco Park,Cooch Behar Palace(Coochbehar Rajbari),Baneswar Tortoise Project,Totopara Tribal Village(famous for orange orchard,anthropology),Raimatang via Kalchini(good sceneries),Bhutan etc.
ONE ANNOUNCEMENT!
====================
I'm a YouTube Partner from India. I've uploaded videos on Statistics,Numerical Methods,
And a series of videos showing how to use your scientific calculators Casio fx-991ES & fx-82MS to do maths easily.
I'm a YouTube Partner from India. I've uploaded videos on Statistics,Numerical Methods,
Business & Financial Mathematics,Operations Research,Computer Science,Electrical Engineering,Android Application Reviews,India Travel & Tourism,Street Foods,Life Hacks and many other topics.
And a series of videos showing how to use your scientific calculators Casio fx-991ES & fx-82MS to do maths easily.
Click my YouTube channel's link below to watch them.
Subscribe to my youtube channel below-
http://www.youtube.com/sujoyn70
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