Holiday Tours to Kolkata India, there
are numerous tourist paradises
in West Bengal, which serve as
fabulous weekend getaways for
the stressed out city dwellers.
From the imposing Himalayas to
the haunting wilderness, your
weekend getaways from Kolkata
will inspire and rejuvenate you
to take on the world in your stride.
A few notable weekend getaways
from Kolkata are compiled below:
Darjeeling:
Darjeeling is one of India's best
known and most popular hill stations.
In fact Darjeeling is the Queen
of Hill Stations as far as the
Eastern Himalayas are concerned.
Very few hill stations in India
offers the kind of picturesque
mountain vistas that Darjeeling
offers. Darjeeling is synonymous
with tranquility, cool mountain
air and undulating hills steeped
in rugged grandeur.
Darjeeling has beauty written
all over and apart from a plethora
of sightseeing options within
the city there are numerous interesting
places like the tea estates, trekking
trails, Buddhist Gompas and monasteries,
options for mountain biking and
riding on the ropeway, all of
which provide great fun and recreation
to the tourists.
Darjeeling is among the very few
hill stations in India, which
can boast of a toy train, popularly
referred to as the Darjeeling
Himalayan Railway that originates
from Jalpaiguri in the plains
and covers the entire mountainous
terrain to reach Darjeeling. This
on-of-its-kind railway system
has been conferred with the status
of a "World Heritage Site" by
the UNESCO.
Kalimpong:
Tours in Kolkata India Kalimpong - Kalimpong is one of the most charming
hill stations of North Bengal.
Although it amy not be so famous
like its cousin sister Darjeeling,
yet by virtue of its wonderful
location in the midst of the Eastern
Himalayas, Kalimpong has gradually
evolved as a much sought after
mountain holiday destination.
Kalimpong is located at an altitude
of 1250 metres and is blessed
with a salubrious climate throughout
the year. Kalimpong enjoys a splendid
isolation far removed from the
din and bustle of Darjeeling.
If you crave for discreet privacy
and awesome mountain views, Kalimpong
is just the right place for you
to hang out.
The drive from Darjeeling to Kalimpong
is a beautiful one and there are
hairpin bends every now and then.
One passes through luxuriant forests
and lush green tea gardens that
are spread like a green carpet.
One of the most popular vantage
points is the 'Lovers Meet', from
where one can bask at the picturesque
union of the Rangeet and the Teesta
rivers. Another popular vantage
point is the summit of Durbindara.
It offers breathtaking views of
the Eastern Himalayan panorama.
Some of Kalimpong's most enduring
landmarks are the Buddhist monasteries,
exotic orchid nurseries and Dr.
Graham's Home. The later happens
to be one of the oldest convent
schools in this part of the world.
Sunderbans:
Sunderbans happens to be the world's
largest mangrove forest and is
the home of the elusive Royal
Bengal Tigers. The forest derives
its name from the Sundari tree,
which is found in abundance in
this part of the world. There
is immense variety as far as the
fauna of Sunderban is concerned.
Some of the most famous among
them are Dhundal, Genwa, Passur,
Kankra and Garjan. An amazing
feature Sunderban is that the
mangrove forests literally have
their roots spiked upwards above
the level of water.
The local people of Sunderban
are a spiritual lot and they worship
Ma Bonobibi who happens to be
the presiding deity of the forest.
They also worship Lord Shiva and
Dakshinaroy who is regarded as
the ultimate ancestor of all tigers.
Kapil Muni an embodiment of Lord
Vishnu is also venerated.
Sunderbans is not only about Royal
Bengal Tigers. It is also home
to animal species like fishing
cats, jungle cats, Axis deer,
Spotted Deer, wild boar, mongooses
and Rhesus monkeys. Since Sunderbans
is surrounded by water from all
sides, it is the happy hunting
ground of estuarine crocodiles.
They are among the biggest in
the world.
Sunderbans is also a bird watcher's
delight. Avian species found here
are Egret, Tern, Heron, Fishing
Eagle, Cormorant, Seagul, White
Bellied Sea Eagle, Kingfisher
etc.. Migratory birds include
Black-tailed Godwit, Whimprel,
Eastern Knot, Little Stint, Curlew,
Golden Plover, Sandpiper, White-eyed
Pochard , Pintail and Whistling
teal. Sunderban is also rich in
reptile life and is home to the
rare and endangered Olive Ridley
turtles, Batgur Terrapin, King
cobra, Pythons, Chequered killback,
Monitor lizards and the Salvator
lizards.
Dooars:
The Dooars region in North Bengal
is a speck of paradise and nature
has been indeed very bountiful.
The entire Dooars region extends
to all of 130 Kms. Here the swift
flowing Teesta river is flanked
by virgin evergreen forests. Some
of the best-known Wildlife sanctuaries
like Jaldapara, Gorumara etc.
are located here. The Dooars region
is rich with lush green Tea Gardens
that are another attraction of
this region.
Here one will come across ruins
of imposing forts like Nalrajar
Garh and Buxa Duar along with
the beautiful Jalpesh temple.
The region is home to the colorful
Toto tribes.
As far as accommodation is concerned
there are Jungle Lodges located
at places like Chapramati, Garumara,
Samsing, Hollong, Jainti, Nilpara
and Bardabri. Decent lodges are
also available at Mal and Madarihat.
Chalsa Hills:
Chalsa Hills is among the most
picturesque locales of the Dooars
region. The renowned Sinclairs
group of Hotel has a fabulous
luxurious property here. The Sinclairs
Retreat is spread over 20 acres
of lush green terrain, located
at Chalsa Hill top, on the Siliguri-Guwahati
Highway, 60 Kms from Siliguri.
It is a top end tourist destination,
offering Eco-Friendly accommodation
in an ethnic style. The accent
is on peace, tranquility and bl;issful
living in the lap of mother nature.
Chalsa is easily accessible by
air, rail and road. It is about
80 Kms from Bagdogra Airport.
The drive through scenic hills
and forests in itself is an invigorating
experience. The guests staying
at the Retreat would have a number
of exciting tourism options. Chalsa
is virtually in the middle of
a number of wildlife sanctuaries
like Jaldapara, Gorumara, Chapramari,
Buxa and Mahananda. Quite close
to the Retreat, some of the finest
tea gardens of Dooars are located.
