Bhitarkanika - The Mini Amazon of India

Creeks of Bhitarkanika

Bhitarkanika National Park  spread across Kendrapara and Bhadrak district in Odisha, is the country's second largest mangrove forest. It's a real hidden jewel of Odisha. In this blog I will provide you all the necessary informations so that you can plan your Bhitarkanika trip in a better way.

How to Reach

Bhitarkanika can be accessed in two ways. One from Chandbali in Bhadrak district and another from Khola ( near Dangmal)  in Kendrapara district.

We planned our roadtrip to Bhitarkanika, by making our base at Dangamal, a river island inside the core area of Bhitarkanika NP. Dangamal is only 10 kilometers from Khola, from where you get all the boating facilities inside the forest.

Alternatively you may also plan your visit from Chandbali. OTDC has an Aranyanivas at Chandbali, which is just beside river Baitarani. From Chandbali numerous boat oprators provide 1N 2D or 2N 3D package of Bhitarkanika.

Forest Walk Dangamal

We started our drive from Kolkata at 5 am in the morning, and drove via Balasore Bhadrak RajNagar and Reached Dangamal at 3 pm. It was a 10 hours long journey with 1 pitstop for breakfast at Balasore.

The road condition till Bhadrak is very good. At Bhadrak you will leave the Kolkata - Chennai National Highway, and take state highway 9 for Chandbali. The road till Chandbali is also smooth. From Chandbali we drove to Dangamal via Rajnagar. The road from Rajnagar to Dangamal is narrow and rough at places, but overall manageable.

Apart from Dangamal, you may also visit Ekakula and Habalikathi sea beach, which are a full day trip from Chandbali or Khola. The boat operators provide package trips for the Habalikathi or Ekakula trip.

Dangamal

Dangamal island is inside the core area of Bhitarkanika National park. While staying at Dangamal you will see a lot of cheetals, wild boar and numerous birds. 

The variety of kingfishers and woodpeckers in the forest of Dangamal is just breathtaking. Walking on the unmetalled 1 km long road, which goes from Heron House, through the island upto Dangamal jetty is a pure bliss. On both side of that nature walk there's thick mangrove forest and swampy grassland, where you will see these animals.

Heron House at Dangamal

We used to walk through this nature trail during early morning or late evening. We saw a big wild boar roaming around the field on the wee hours. The Cheetals are more easily spotted, and usually roams in their groups. 

Animal sighting at Dangamal

Dangamal has variety of accomdations available inside the core area of the forest. Apart from the Forest Rest House, Odisha ecotourism have Bhitarkanika nature camps setup in Dangamal. We stayed at Orissa Ecotourism's Heron House , which is the premium accommodation at Dangamal. The rooms are big, and very well maintained. The rate includes room charges, all meals , forest entry fees and taxes. The food is homely and tasty. There's another A.C accomodation inside the forest. It's called the Cheetal Cottage, which is also maintained by Bhitarkanika Nature Camps

Dangamal also have a museum, which is very well maintained. The Museum provides a complete knowledge on the flora and fauna of the national park. There's one well preserved carcass of a 17 feet long crocodile inside the museum, which is very impressive.

Wild Boar at Bhitarkanika

To enjoy Bhitarkanika in its entirety, you need to hire a boat and travel through the numerous creeks flanked by deep mangroves on both sides. The boats can be arranged from Dangamal, or by personally visiting the Boating counter at Khola.

Boat Safari in Bhitarkanika

The boat safari through the creeks of Bhitarkanika starts from a place called Khola which is 10 km from Dangamal. The boat safari includes a journey through the creeks of the mangrove forests and is absolutely breathtaking. Depending on the activities you are taking, it might take 4 to 6 hours. 

Forest trekking at Bhitarkanika

The boats will take you to Bhitarkanika island, where you can go for a 3 km long forest trekking to see the hunting towers erected by the erstwhile kanika raj family. There's an ancient Shiva temple in the vicinity where the god is still worshipped. The road through the mangrove forest is simply breathtaking.

Boat Safari through the creeks of Bhitarkanika

Beside the Bhitarkanika island there's another island which is called the heronary. Till couple of years back the Siberian herons made it their abode, however now they have shifted to another island across river Brahmani. There's a watchtower  erected inside the heronary which provides a birds eye view of the entire forest.

During the boat safari you will see saltwater crocodiles of various sizes floating in the river or just taking a rest at the shore of the islands. We also saw quite a few monitor lizard and numerous cheetals during our safari.

Giant Crocodile Near Dangamal

Bhitarkanika has done a fabulous job in conservation of saltwater crocodile. In the estuaries of Brahmani and Baitarani river, there are more than 1700 saltwater crocodiles, as per the census done on January 2020. There are almost 400 adults , some of which are as big as 20 feet long. We saw a lot of crocodiles of various ages and sizes during our boat safari. We saw a giant adult crocodile submerged in the waters, which was the most impressive. There were a few younger ones, we saw, on the shores of the islands too.

Siberian Grey Heron at Bhitarkanika

Bhitarkanika boasts of a rich avifauna. The egrets, kingfishers and woodpeckers are a treat to watch. The bird sanctuary across the river Brahmani now houses thousands of Siberian Grey Herons. It was a treat to watch. If you take an afternoon boat ride, while returning you will see a beautiful sunset. The setting sun , will paint myriad hues on the rippling waters of Brahmani, which ends the day in a beautiful note.

Brahmani River

Brahmani river at Dangamal is a treat to watch. The river is extremely wide here, and the riverbanks provide beautiful pictures of daily village life. 

Brahmani River at Dangamal

The paddy fields along the shores, the boats that ply on the river all add to the charm of the river. Keep an afternoon to just sit beside the river and enjoy the views. The cool breeze from the river will make you feel rejuvenated.

Monsoon Drive Through the Heart of Jungle Mahal

Jungle Mahal - The forested and tribal inhabited area of the western districts of West Bengal. Spread across the districts of Jhargram, West Medinipur , Bankura & Purulia, the place is absolutely rich in tribal history, their valor, their culture and above all with its luxuriant forests and beautiful red soil looks extremely beautiful.

The Rugged Beauty of Jungle Mahal - At Gangani

Sadly, due to prolonged political disturbance, and remoteness, the people here have been deprived of the government facilities, which once helped naxalites to penetrate the region. However for last 5-6 years, the situation has improved immensely. Development activities have been done, which has helped the region once again to regain normalcy.

The Plan

After staying almost 6 months within home, due to the COVID 19 situation, on a mid July weekend we ultimately decided to have a road trip towards the jungle mahal region. The main reason to chose jungle mahal road trip, is during monsoon, the region becomes absolutely breathtaking with its thick forests and lovely little rivulets. We planned for a round-trip encircling the jungle mahal region of the state. Our plan was to start very early from Kolkata, drive straight towards Belpahari, taking a stop at Chilkigarh enoute, Then through the heart of jungle mahal drive to Gangani , popularly known as Grand Canyon of West Bengal and then come back to Kolkata, via Midnapur and Kolaghat.

The Route

Overall as per Google map it's a 500 km round-trip with a driving time of 12 hours. With sight scene and refreshment breaks which should go up to 15 to 16 hours.

Reaching Chilkigarh

We started at 5.30 a.m. Luckily the morning was beautiful & sunny , almost like autumn. In no time we crossed the Dhulagarh toll plaza and was purring along the beautiful NH 16.

We Crossed Kolaghat by 7.30 am and Kharagpur by 9 am.

After crossing Kharagpur, the landscape changes dramatically, you could realize you have entered the chotanagpur region with red soil and sal forests all around. Specially the stretch of NH49 at lodhasuli forest, with thick sal forest on both sides of the road looked absolutely beautiful.

Beautiful NH49 at Lodhashuli

From a place called Chichra we left the national highway and took a right turn into the road that goes towards Belpahari. After driving for 16 more kilometres we reached our first stop of the trip - The Chilkigarh Raj Palace.

It was almost 11 am by then.

Chilkigarh Palace and Kanakdurga Temple

Chilkigarh Raj Palace is a beautiful structure which has seen the good and bad days. 

The compound also has some beautiful old temples intricately carved. The temples are still functional and the royal family pays their homage to the deity regularly.

A part of chotanagpur plateau, Chilkigarh was once a flourishing estate in its heydays.

Chilkigarh Palace Compund and Temples

We enjoyed some moments in the Rajbari compound, feeling the legacy of the place. The dilapidated structure still evokes the charm of its glorious past. The Palace has a colonial influence in its architecture and under the monsoon skies looked surreal.

Chilkigarh Palace

From Chilkigarh Raj Palace we visited the famous Kanakdurga Temple which is just a kilometre away. Setup by the royal family, the kanakdurga temple has a long history. The old temple is in a dilapidated state, and a relatively new structure has been created few decades ago. 

KanakDurga Temple

The entire Jhargram & Chilkigarh region is inhabited by various tribes, and they highly revere devi Kanakdurga. The temple is situated by the banks of dulung river, a small little rivulet and enjoys a regular footfall of the devotees. 

Dulung River near the Kanakdurga Temple

We also paid our homage to the deity. When we visited , we were the only visitor, and the main pujari performed the rituals with a lot of energy and vibes.

Journey Towards Belpahari

From Chilkigarh we drove straight towards Belpahari. We drove via Gidhni and Parihati. As usual the roads were silky smooth. We were driving mostly through Sal forests , occasionally flanked by small little forest villages. After crossing Parihati met with this lovely little stream. Saw local women looking for small catches in the shallow water of the stream.

Local women looking for the catch of the day

As we drove from Chilkigarh to Belpahari, the forest cover on both sides of the road, increased, and the occasional villages, also became a rarity. We were really surprised to see beautiful roads even in so much interior region of the state. The beautiful tarmac, flanked with lofty sal forests looked amazing.

Road Condition at Belpahari

Chilkigarh to Belpahari took less than an hour. From Belpahari market we took a detour towards Ghagra waterfalls, through an un-metaled forest road.

Villages of Jungle Mahal - Enroute Ghagra Falls

The road was really thrilling, with no one to be seen enroute. We were a bit confused whether we were moving in the right direction, but kept our faith on Google maps.

After driving almost for 2 kilometres inside the forest we reached our destination.

Ghagra Waterfalls

Belpahari trip is not complete until you visit Ghagra Waterfalls. Though it's called a waterfall but it's actually a series of rapids of the water of Tarafeni river.

Once you reach there you will see the forest opening up and the Tarafeni river cascading through some extremely rugged landscape creating several small rapids.

Ghagra Rapids

Find some shades, which you will get there in plenty, and just sit for hours enjoying the gushing stream. We specially enjoyed the sound of the cascading river during the monsoon. The water was muddy, red and perfectly complemented the green surroundings.

A glimpse of Tarafeni river few kilometers before Ghagra Waterfalls

A dip in the water would have been a perfect thing to do, but unfortunately we did not have any spare clothes, so had to abandon that idea.

After enjoying ghagra waterfalls for almost half an hour we proceeded for our next destination.

Towards Gangani - Through the heart of Jungle Mahal

Our next destination was The Grand Canyon of West Bengal - Gangani.

We set a goal of reaching their by 4 pm, we had to cover almost 85 km road in 2.5 hours to reach Gangani. So from Belpahari to Gangani, we drove almost non stop. This time we were driving through the heart of jungle mahal. The road condition was moderately good. We had to cross the bridge over river Kangsabati at Raipur. 

Driving through the Elephant Corridor

There are some stretches in the route which is deeply forested and is known as frequent elephant corridor. The deep foliage looks absolutely thrilling. We really felt tempted to take frequent stops, to enjoy the forested beauty and take snaps of the nature, however due to shortage of time we tried to avoid it as much as we could.

We reached Gangani before 4 p.m., and it was love at first sight. By far this is the most impressive stop of this entire road trip.

Gangani - The Beautiful Canyon of River Shailabati

Gangani is famous for the 70 feet deep natural canyon formed due to the erosion of the Shilabati River.

This is indeed Bengal's own version of the Grand Canyon. An absolute surreal place by the banks of River Shilabati.

River Shilabati flowing through the Canyon

From the lookout point we could see River Shilabati flowing languidly through the rugged landscape. The small hillocks through which the river has flowed has been eroded for ages creating some stunning visuals.

The texture , the color on those rocks are absolutely intriguing. The red rocks against the monsoon greenery looked drop dead gorgeous.

Gangani at Monsoon

There's a stairway created by govt so that people can go down easily to the base of the canyon. We climbed those stairs down, and reached the base of the canyon. 

The Wild West of Bengal

From here wherever you look you will see extraordinary rock formation. Some looks like a pillar, some as a cave , and some formation reminds me of a dilapidated fortress.

We wanted to enjoy the place till sunset , but due to the long journey back to Kolkata, decided to leave early. The climbing up through the stairs took some tolls on our knees.

On our way Back

The way back home was smooth, through Midnapur and Kolaghat. When we were moving through the forest of Shalboni, the setting sun, played a beautiful hide and seek with us through the foliage.

Salboni Forest - Setting Sun through the Foliage

Had a much needed refreshment break at Kolaghat. We wanted to have some evening meals at Sher e Punjab. But it was completely occupied, so we had our food at the express dhaba just beside Sher e Punjab. The food was good, we had chicken tandoori which was very well made. During return we did face some congestion at Dhulagarh toll plaza, which slowed us down. Bur still we safely returned to home by 930 pm.

It was a long and hectic trip of almost 16 hours. But the smooth road conditions and the natural beauty of jungle mahal, kept us moving. After almost 6 months, this hectic trip didn't make us tired, rather recharged us for the rest of the season.

A Weekend Sojourn at Jaldapara

The woods of Jaldapara National Park

North Bengal boasts of some verdant forests. We have three famous national parks in Garumara, Jaldapara & Neora Valley, and one tiger reserve in Buxa spreading across the vast terai and dooars region.

Over the years Garumara & Jaldapara has been extremely successful in conserving the one horned rhinoceros. While Garumara is much bigger in area, in terms of aesthetics, Jaldapara is extremely appealing.

The vast grasslands along Torsha, one of the most beautiful river of north Bengal , make it an ideal habitat for the rhinoceros. 

The famous elephant grass of Jaldapara

When it comes to Jaldapara, most of us think of Hollong – the sought after tourist rest house inside the core area of the forest. While I have been lucky to spend couple of nights in Hollong, there’s one more place, which is extremely underrated yet very beautiful.

You guessed it right. I’m talking about the WBFDC Malangi Lodge at Barodabri. Situated just beside the Barodabri beat of Jaldapara NP, this place is largely underrated, but believe me, it’s one of the most beautiful places to enjoy the forest and the sylvan surroundings of Jaldapara.

Reaching Malangi

We reached Malangi after almost a 16 hours long train journey from Kolkata. Unfortunately the KanchanKanya Express got a delayed arrival at Siliguri, and since from Siliguri to Alipurduar Junction it runs through a single line track, if it gets delayed in Siliguri, it continues to make more unscheduled halts for passing trains from opposite direction.

KanchanKanya Through Dooars

We reached Hasimara almost 3 hours late at 1 p.m. Luckily the Malangi lodge is not far from the Station. It took a little more than 15 minutes in a Car and we reached the lodge by 1.30 p.m. The forest department has created the lodge inside a big compound. There’s ample greenery and ample spaces to roam around and enjoy the aromatic breeze coming from the forest. 

The backside of WBFDC Malangi Lodge

Regarding the rooms, there are two wings in the lodge. The old block on the front side and the new at the back. We got the Rydak room on the old block, and I would say Rydak and Sankosh room are the two best rooms in WBFDC Malangi. They have a balcony in front, big in size, and wood paneled, making it extremely comfortable both in summers and the winters.

After freshening up, we quickly enquired if there’s any vacancy available for the evening Chilapota Forest Safari. The Chilapota forest is around 10 kilometers from Malangi towards Coochbehar, and it’s said to be one of the densest forests in North Bengal. But unfortunately all seats were booked. So for the afternoon, we only had the option to roam around the vicinity.

Malangi River at the back of WBFDC lodge

After a homely lunch and a quick nap, at around 3.30 p.m, we decided to venture out. A 500 meter walk from the hotel compound, through the forest, will take you to the banks of Malangi river which runs through the Jaldapara National Park. It’s more of a rivulet, but the beauty of the river flowing through the thickly wooded forest is absolutely enticing.

There is a wooden pool to cross the Malangi river, but that’s absolutely not advisable, because the moment you cross the pool, you are into the core zone of the Jaldapara NP. The gurgling brook through the silent forest was really an audio visual retreat. There were nobody except us, and we just soaked the silence and the scent of the forest for almost couple of hours.

We could see lots of Peacocks, coming to quench their thirst and also a solitary wild boar on the opposite bank.  

Forest Guard - Riding over the Wooden pool at river Malangi

Just when the dusk was setting in, from about 200 meter from the pool, we saw couple of Indian Bison. It was really thrilling to see wildlife, from such close quarters.

We were planning to stay half an hour more after the sunset, but a forest guide, who was crossing the pool in his bicycle and returning to home, advised us to get back, as it was too risky to stray around the forest in the dark.

Elephant Safari – The next morning

The next morning we had booked our elephant safari at Barodabri beat. There are 3 slots of one hour each for the safari, from 5.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. We booked the middle one starting at 6.30 a.m.

A forest department car would come to Malangi lodge to pick the tourist and will take you almost 2 kilometers deep inside the forest where the Elephant Riding facility is available. We reached at around 6.15 a.m, and the first trip was still in progress. So we climbed the watch tower in the vicinity and enjoyed a bird’s eye view of the entire Barodabri Beat of the Jaldapara NP. 

Torsha river grassland Jaldapara- from watchtower

It was late autumn, so the vast grassland on the Torsha riverbank was full of golden yellow color. We could see the Torsha river, flowing in its languid charm through the sylvan settings. On the backdrop we could also see the rolling hills of Bhutan.

Pointing at the grasslands our guide said, it’s the favorite place for the Barking Deer’s and the Sambhar’s to roam around. The rhino’s also love to stay around the river, so that they can have a dip at the river whenever they want.

Meanwhile our Elephant and its Mahout also came back from the first trip, and it is now our turn to enjoy the forest on the back of an elephant.

Our elephant in its majestic gait, entered into the deep forest. We have to go through the deep forest towards river Torsha and the grasslands were there’s highest possibility of rhinoceros sighting.

Barking Deer at Jaldapara

While roaming through the thick woods, we saw various birds, including the illusive Hornbill. Riding an elephant has a completely different charm, than roaming in a jeep. Elephant can reach spots where jeeps can’t and hence the sighting always tends to be better. Within next 15 minutes we saw a pair of Indian Bison, A barking deer and a pack of wild buffalo. 

As we came closer towards the riverbank, the thick woods disappeared, and we entered into the land of tall grasses. Our Mahout was following the footprint of a male Rhino, and tracking the trail, we came into the banks of River Torsha.

The Rhino Spotting

We spotted the rhino almost immediately at torsha riverbank. The giant was dipping itself into the shallow water of Torsha and was enjoying the cold water. We were really thrilled. He didn’t show any signs of discomfort, which meant even after seeing us he will not move away from the water, which will give us ample opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous animal from much closer.

Rhino Spotting at Torsha Riverbank - First Look

Our Mahout slowly guided his elephant to come closer to the rhino, and we came really close. We waited there for almost 10 minutes, enjoying the lovely creature. Initially it was nonchalant about our presence, and we got some great closeups of the Indian rhino, but just when we tried to be too close towards him, he gave a warning sign by throwing out a heavy breathe into the water. Our experienced Mahout understood the signal, and we slowly departed. When you are in forest, you have to respect the animals and their body language.

We crossed the river, and went into the opposite side. We were looking for few more rhinos, and luckily we got another.

Closeup of Indian Rhino at Jaldapara

This time the rhino was hiding behind the tall grasses, so the sighting was not that clear. But since it was not submerged, we got a full view of it. We could also see his gorgeous horn. it’s the demand of their horn in the market, which makes this lovely animal so vulnerable to poaching.

Our elephant was standing almost face to face with this Rhino, and it didn’t look very pleased with our presence. So we didn’t wait more than couple of minutes, and then turned back. Crossed the river, and came back to the watchtower. 

Indian One horned Rhino at Jaldapara - Close up shot

The one hour ride was really enticing. The ride in the back of elephant through the rugged forest landscape really has its own charm. The beauty of the forest and the presence of the wildlife made it perfect.

Towards Jayanti

After breakfast we started our trip towards Jayanti. Jayanti a small little village inside the Buxa tiger reserve is famous for the majestic view of lofty Bhutan hills and the gorgeous Jayanti riverbed.

From Malangi, Jayanti is about 40 kilometers, and the drive through the tea gardens is beautiful. We started at around 10 a.m, passing through Kalchini, Hamiltonganj and reached Rajabhatkhawa within an hour. Rajabhatkhawa is the entry point of Buxa tiger reserve. We paid for the necessary permit, at the forest check post, and entered into the core zone of Buxa tiger reserve.

The tea gardens of Eastern Dooars

Buxa is famous for its tall Sal & teak trees. The forest is extremely deep, and a complete elephant territory. From Rajabhatkhawa, Jayanti is almost 15 kilometers, and the road goes through the core zone of Buxa. Anytime in this route you can have an encounter with the wildlife. We drove slowly through the road, just to make sure we do not collide with any wildlife, which may stray into the road.

At Dima River Bank Buxa

Halfway towards Jayanti, we reached a beautiful spot – the Dima River. It’s a meandering river that comes down from the Bhutan hills, flows through the Buxa forests and meets river Torsha in the plains. The riverbed was almost dry, during late autumn, and we could see a flock of deer in the riverbed. We got down to the riverbed, to enjoy the serenity and the picturesque beauty of the place.

In the riverbed we saw clear footprint of elephants, and other wild animals. During the wee hours this riverbed must have been a very interesting place to visit.

Jayanti – The Majestic Riverbed

We reached Jayanti within the next half an hour. The first thing we did is to have some lunch at a local hotel. It’s a simple rustic lunch, but we liked the taste.

Immediately after the lunch we came down towards Jayanti riverbed. No words could explain the beauty of Jayanti. You have to be present there to admire the beauty of the place. It’s a vast riverbed, full of white sands and colorful stones. Immediately after the riverbed, the lofty walls of Bhutan hills have climbed sharply, making the landscape extremely dramatic. 

Jayanti River and Bhutan Hills

The dead trees standing tall at the riverbank, the broken bridge carrying the memories of a devastating flood, all adds to the surreal beauty of the place.

Crystal clear blue water of Jayanti river and the driftwood in the riverbed makes it absolutely picture perfect. We just sat there, enjoying the cool breeze, the sailing of the clouds, the occasional visits of the other tourist groups. All we were doing was just soaking the beauty of the nature.

Majestic Jayanti

Jayanti had its prime. Before Buxa was declared as a tiger reserve, Jayanti was a busy dolomite mining hub. But after Buxa was converted into a tiger reserve, all mining was banned, around Jayanti. This definitely had an impact on the local economy, reducing the once mining hub into a sleepy hamlet, but for us the nature lovers, it definitely is a bliss. This ensured, Jayanti keeps its majestic beauty alive.

Dima river at dusk

It was getting dark. So we had to leave for Malangi. During our return, we waited for some time, at the dima river bridge, to spot some wildlife , but they remained illusive.

Our weekend sojourn into the wild was also coming towards the end. Tomorrow we would have to leave for Kolkata, but we will take back the fresh air and the thrilling memories.

A Winter Sojourn at Pelling & Ravangla

Sunrise on Kanchendzonga Range - From Pelling

Winter is the best time to enjoy the mountains. The clear sky and abundant sunshine create a great visibility of the Himalayan Snow peaks. This year during the New year break we visited Pelling and its surroundings. Pelling, once a small hamlet in Western Sikkim, is a popular hill resort nowadays. However, it has still retained its natural beauty and pristine charm.

Reaching Pelling

Our journey started from Kurseong. From Kurseong we travelled through a beautifully scenic route through the Tukvar tea gardens, to reach Jorethang. 

The route even though lesser known, provides some breathtaking view of the tea gardens and Mount Kanchendzonga on the same frame. 

From Jorethang to Legship the road moves by the side of the cascading Rangit river. From Legship we once again started climbing uphill till we reached our destination – Elgin Mount Pandim resort.

Himalaya from Elgin Mount Pandim Lawn

The resort location is on the same hill where the famous Pemayangtse Monastery is located. 
The location of the resort is absolutely breathtaking. From its sprawling lawn and from most of the rooms you get an unobstructed view of the Kanchendzonga Range , starting from Koktang in the left, A massive Mount Kabru, Mount Kanchendzonga, Mt Pandim and ending with Mt Narsing at the right.

The peaks are so close you can visually feel the ruggedness of the massive stone walls, each and every curve of the mountains, and the snow on top of them. 
The entire location is completely free of noise and pollution, which enhances the experience.

We were greeted in traditional Sikkimese style with silk scarves and a shot of Chilly Brandy – a specialty of the region.

Mount Kabru & Kanchendzonga view from Elgin

When you are in such a scenic location, being outdoors is what you want. So, we quickly freshened up and immediately came to the lush green lawn. 

The lawn of the resort is the most beautiful place. With well-manicured grass, colorful plants and beautifully decorated gazebos, you can sit here enjoying the sweet breeze coming from the mountains. 
Just come with your favorite book, or have your iPod loaded with your favorite music, sit there and enjoy the sunshine for hours. We did exactly the same.

Next Day – Sky Walk & Sangachoelling Monastery

Next day we opted for visiting the local attractions. We started with the Sky Walk. Built recently this is currently the main attraction of Pelling. 

The sky walk is situated 3 km outside Pelling, on a high hill which provides a breathtaking view of the mountains. 

On top of the hill a large statue of Guru Padmasambhaba has been erected. To climb the hill, you will have to go through a bridge which has glass on its bottom surface. 
It literally gives you a feeling of walking in the sky, specially when you look down through the glass bottom surface. 

Those who have acrophobia, might find it uncomfortable, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. The statue is giant, beautifully decorated and celebrates the Buddhist heritage of the region.

Pelling Skywalk with the Kanchendzonga

After visiting Sky walk we hiked few yards more on the same hill, to reach Sangachoelling Monastery.

Built in 17^th century, this monastery is one of the oldest in Sikkim. The location of the Monastery is so scenic, that it automatically inspire a sense of divinity in you. 

The monastery ground seems to be a popular spot for the local kids. We saw a group of kids enjoying the lovely sunshine on the monastery ground. Their simple smiles made a perfect start for our day.

Kids at Sangachoelling - Simplicity of the hills

Pelling Helipad

Pelling Helipad is another place from where you can enjoy an unobstructed view of the Kanchendzonga range. 
The Helipad is occasionally used, so most of the time, it remains open to the visitors. It’s a flat land on the top of Upper Pelling area.

View of Kanchendzonga from Pelling Helipad

Now mostly used as a playground for local kids, this is possibly the best view point, which you can access by short walk, when you are staying in a hotel in lower or upper Pelling. Just take a hike for 5 to 10 minutes depending on your location and you will come to the helipad. The 360 degree view of surrounding mountains make it a special place.

Rimbi River & Orange Garden

From Pelling Helipad, our car started climbing downhill, towards Yuksom. The vegetation in the hills were beautiful, with mostly dominated by bamboo trees. 

Within half an hour we came to the banks of Rimbi river- a cascading rivulet, which joins Rangeet somewhere in the hills. The valley through which rimbi river flows has been used as orange orchards.

Oranges at Rimbi - Pelling

Winter is the Orange harvesting season, so we were lucky enough to see the trees full of luscious oranges. 
Most of the tree branches were laden with the tangerine fruit and looked beautiful. You can get oranges in very reasonable rate in these gardens. 
They are similar to the Darjeeling oranges- sweet and small. We also packed few of them for our families back in Kolkata.

Khecheopalri Lake

From the orange Garden, we once again started climbing uphill, towards Khecheopalri lake.

The road up to Khecheopalri lake is now in smooth condition. I could remember almost 4 years back I visited the same place, and at that time, the roads were not that great.

The lake is sacred for both Hindus and Buddhist people and is believed to be a wish fulfilling lake. The surroundings of the lake is extremely beautiful. 

From the parking area you have to walk for at least 15 minutes through a thick foliage to reach the lake. 

Chortens & Prayer Flags Enroute the Lake

The ambiance is peaceful, and the colorful Buddhist prayer flags fluttering on the wind make it even more divine. 

The silvery waters glittering on the clear sunny day, looked absolutely ethereal. The place is frequented by devotees - their chants & the chimes of the bells creates a perfect symphony with the nature.

Silvery Waters of Khecheopalri Lake

There is a short hike, which takes you on top of a hillock, from where, you get a beautiful birds eye view of the lake, amidst the thick forest. It looked absolutely enticing.

The forest path which takes you till Kheocheopalri, is full of mini chortens created by the devotees and the tourists. 

The mini chortens, created by loosely placing pieces of stones one after another looks interesting. We also created one wishing our new year resolution to come true.

Wishing Stones at Khecheopalri

On our way back – Rabdantsey

From Kehcheopalri on our way back to Pelling, we visited Rabdantsey – the most beautiful place in the entire trip.

Rabdantsey was the ancient capital of Sikkim from 1670 to 1814. It is the second capital of Kingdom of Sikkim, when the capital was shifted from Yuksom , by the Sikkim royal family.

Rabdantsey is situated on top of a hill providing a panoramic view of the Himalayan mountains. 

The view of entire Kanchendzonga range from the place is breathtaking. Though mostly in ruins, the remains of the erstwhile capital still make you realize the grandeur of the place.

Rabdantsey Ruins - Kings Palace

To reach Rabdantsey you have to hike at least half an hour, through a thick forest, which also has a rich bird life. Once you reach the hilltop, the palace complex and the view of the mountains are bound to make you speechless.

There are two main structures within the complex – now beautifully maintained by ASI. The northern wing was the palace complex where the royal family resided. 

Remains of their private worship area still can be seen. Three beautifully erected Chortens in the backdrop of Kanchendzonga looks absolutely magical here.

Rabdantsey Chortens and Mountains

The southern wing was for the common people who were given an audience by the king. From here also you get to realize the vastness of the complex and the grandeur of the bygone era.

When we reached Rabdantsey it was already almost 4 p.m. So, we waited till sunset to watch the magical colors in the Kanchendzonga range, in the backdrop of Sikkim’s ancient capital. The peaks as usual turned golden, and then bright orange, before once again fading into the horizon. 

As the sun set Sikkim’s ancient capital also got lost in the darkness, but certainly not into oblivion. This beautifully maintained ruins definitely boast of Sikkim’s rich history & legacy. 

Sunset at Rabdantsey

The Next Day - Ravangla.

Next day we went for Ravangla and Temi Tea garden. The primary objective was to visit the Buddha Park situated in Ravangla.

For reaching Rabangla we drove down to Legship and from Legship we once again started our climb uphill. 

As you cross Legship you will enter into South Sikkim. The roads in south Sikkim are silky smooth and the Legship-Ravangla road is no different. The route is really fascinating. 

As we drove towards Rabangla, the mountainscapes also changed. In this route Mt. Narsing is the most prominent snow peak, which looks absolutely stunning. Mount Kabru and Kanchendzonga gets a bit obstructed by the massive presence of Narsing, but the rugged presence of Mt Narsing provides a different beauty.

 

Buddha Park Ravangla

Within one and half hours we reached Ravangla market. The small little market in the lap of Himalayas look pretty. Buddha Park is another couple of kilometers from Ravangla bazaar towards Borong village.

The moment we reached Buddha Park we were completely awestruck by the surreal beauty of the place. A giant statue of Lord Buddha is facing you with a smile in his face. 

Just behind the Buddha statue Mt Narsing is appearing as a Guardian of the deity. With colorful Buddhist mantra painted in the hill slopes, the fluttering prayer flags and the om mani padme hum chant reverberating from the mountains the place looked heavenly.

Divine Lord Buddha with Majestic Mt Narsing at the background 

We entered the main compound and walked towards the giant statue. The platform in which Lord Buddha sits, is beautifully decorated with Buddhist religious motifs and painting. Lord Buddha has both of his hands raised at chest level as if he is giving his blessings to the visitors.

Buddha Park is a place which has a magic in it. It's very difficult to leave such a place. We spend almost a couple of hours, enjoying the beauty and the divine atmosphere of the place and then started for Temi Tea garden.

A Cursory Visit to Temi ..

If you ask me what's the most scenic route in the entire Sikkim , it has to be the road between Ravangla to Temi. 

The road is thickly covered with conifers and provides an out of the world view of a vast range of Himalayan snow peaks. 

We drove almost 20 km from Rabangla to Damthang enjoying the views. At Damthang you need to take a left turn towards the road which goes to Tarku. Driving 5 kilometer on that road will take you to Temi tea garden view point.

Picture Perfect Temi Tea Garden

Temi is possibly one of the very few spots in Himalaya where you can see Teesta river and Kanchendzonga in the same frame. We thoroughly enjoyed this view from the vantage point. 

Temi is the only tea garden in Sikkim, however the tea here is highly acclaimed all over the world and produced in a completely organic way.

Himalaya at Temi

The garden is huge, sprawling in acres and gradually climbs down towards the Teesta valley. We had our lunch with some sumptuous mono in a road side kiosk at Temi and then started our return journey towards Pelling.

Last Morning - A Sunrise to Remember

We had our flight that day on the afternoon. So, we decided to start early by 7 a.m. However before leaving Pelling we wanted to experience the ethereal sunrise at Pelling for one last time. Even on sub zero temperature we came down to the lawn, under the open skies. 

First Sunrays at Kanchendzonga

The first rays of light that paints the top of Mt Kanchendzonga in pinkish red, is one of the most beautiful sight to behold in the Himalayas. 

Slowly the snow peaks turned from pink to orange to gold, and then the whole range came out in its dazzling white attire. This possibly was the best way to end three beautiful days in the lap of Himalayas.

Celebrating Buddhist Heritage at West Sikkim

As we were driving back to Bagdogra I was thinking, with all the beautiful monasteries, Giant Statues, fluttering prayer flags and magnificent chortens, Sikkim celebrates Buddhism from its heart.

For a state which is Hindu majority (58% following Hinduism, and 27% Buddhism) -the way Hinduism & Buddhism are in complete harmony and celebrates each other’s heritage , it really is a role model for the entire world.

Travel Tips

1. Darjeeling to Pelling reserved jeep fare would cost around 4000 rupees in season.

2. There is share jeep service from Darjeeling to Jorethang, at 100 rupees each. From Jorethang you can take share jeep/reserved jeep to Pelling. Reserved car will cost around 2500 rupees.

3. Rabdantsey is a 1 hour climb through a beautiful forest, and absolutely worth it, so its absolutely recommended.

4. Entry fee for Pelling skywalk is 100 rupees per person.

5. A full day sightscene of Pelling generally takes rupees 2000 to 2500.

6. Pelling to Temi and Ravangla sight scene will cost you around rupees 3000.

7. Pelling to Bagdogra dropping takes roughly rupees 4500, its a 5 hour journey, road condition is moderate.

8. Sangachoelling Monastery is a 15 minutes hike from Pelling Sky walk, in a very scenic location.