The seemingly endless bus-and-train combination required to get from Kolkata to the hills of West Bengal is well worth it. Feel your blood pressure drop along with the temperature as the scenery gradually changes before you. Once you get to Darjeeling, be sure to have a nice cup of tea – you’ve earned it.
Category: West Bengal
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West Bengal India Travel
Emerging from the tempestuous Bay of Bengal in a maze of primeval mangroves, West Bengal stretches across the vast Ganges plain before abruptly rising towards the mighty ramparts of the Himalaya. This long, narrow state is India’s most densely populated and straddles a breadth of society and geography unmatched in the country. As the cradle of the Indian Renaissance and national freedom movement, erstwhile Bengal has long been considered the country’s cultural heartland, famous for its eminent writers, poets, artists, spiritualists and revolutionaries. Overshadowed perhaps by the reputation of its capital Kolkata (Calcutta), it is nonetheless surprising that this rich and diverse state receives so few foreign tourists.
Home to one of the largest concentrations of tigers on the planet, this 2585-sq-km reserve (03218-55280; admission per day Rs 15) is a network of channels and semi-submerged mangroves that is part of the world’s largest river delta. Royal Bengal tigers (officially estimated to number 274) not only lurk in the impenetrable depths of the mangrove forests, but also swim the delta’s innumerable channels. Although they’re known to have an appetite for humans, tigers are typically shy and sightings are a very rare exception. Nevertheless, a trip to this watery World Heritage site is rewarding with or without a glimpse of the big cats. Cruising the broad waterways through the world’s biggest mangrove forest and watching wildlife, whether it be a spotted deer, 2m-long water monitor or luminescent kingfisher, is sublime and a world away from Kolkata’s chaos.
The star attraction south of Kolkata is the languid, mysterious Sundarbans, home to tigers, mangroves and heat-inspired dreams.
The vibrant, crowded trading hub encompassing the twin towns of Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri (NJP) is the jumping-off point for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, the northeast states, eastern Nepal and Bhutan. For most travellers, Siliguri is an overnight transit point where there are good meals, great shopping and a glimpse of snowy peaks.
Shantiniketan is the epitome of its Bengali name, which means peaceful (shanti) abode (niketan). Rabindranath Tagore founded a school here in 1901, which later developed into the Visva-Bharati University, with an emphasis on humanity’s relationship with nature.
A slow trip up the Hooghly River takes the traveller through industrial areas, peaceful villages, some tranquil meditation retreats and the terracotta temples of Bishnupur.
In Murshidabad, rural Bengali life and 18th-century architecture meld on the verdant shores of the Bhagirathi River. When Siraj-ud-daula was nawab of Bengal, Murshidabad was his capital, and he was assassinated here after the defeat at Plassey (now Palashi). The Bhagirathi River flows south to the Hooghly and was once the major trading route between inland India and the port of Kolkata, 221km south.
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Mirik West Bengal India Travel
Nestled near the Nepal border, halfway between Siliguri and Darjeeling, is this low-profile hill station and honeymoon destination. Mirik is surrounded by an undulating carpet of tea estates, orange orchards, cardamom plantations and forests of tall, dark Japanese cedars. It is a quiet retreat that remains off most visitors’ radars. Some of Mirik’s higher hilltops offer wonderful views of morning’s first light striking Khangchendzonga (8598m).
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Kalimpong West Bengal India Travel
This bustling bazaar town sprawls along a ridge overlooking the roaring Teesta River and within sight of Khangchendzonga. Kalimpong lacks Darjeeling’s crowds and commercialism, yet it boasts Himalayan views, tranquil retreats, Buddha shops, temples and churches, and a fascinating nursery industry.