Friday 19 February 2016

Dooars .. The Foothills of Himalaya

Hi folks !! 

At last I have sit down to write a travel post again as I promised so many days before. This time it is again on Himalaya.. mmmm not on mountains but on Himalayan valley.. Dooars .. yes Dooars is the name. People in and around West Bengal know about this place as it is one of the finest forest trip can ever be, but for people who do not have any idea about it.. just note it down. Its Dooars.  Let me share some geographical data about it. Well Dooars literally means the gateway as it helps Bhutanese to communicate with the people residing in plains through 18 different passages. The region is divided into two major parts. Eastern Dooars and Western Dooars. Western Dooars falls under West Bengal (Jalpaiguri District) and Eastern Dooars falls under Assam. Dooars ranges from 90 to 1,750 m altitude. Well there are major tourist spots in Dooars and they are Jayanti, Bhutanghat, Buxa fort, Chalsa and I am going to write on Chalsa as I visited this part in last October.

Let me clarify if anyone is willing to see high mountain peaks or something like that, then please drop the plan of Dooars. If you want calm serene greenery with no such rocks and hills, then Dooars will be ultimate choice. From NJP we went to Chalsa and stayed there. Our trip was of two days only so we made sure to utilize the whole timing. The time you start moving towards Dooars from NJP, you surely can feel the difference. Highways pass through dense forest and the silence of forest, the hide & seek game of sunbeams clearly make you feel that yes you are entering into Dooars. Over that different notice boards stating, drive slowly .. animals may cross the road surely thrill your expectations. 








We all except Supriyo 

Light and husk !! 



On the same day at evening we went towards Murti River -a very lightly flowing river that was sounding so beautifully with a sweet cherishing harmony. Anyone can cross the river as I saw my friends doing the same. I don't know about monsoon. Monsoon might bring much flow to the river but in October nothing was scary. We all stood in the river where our feet were clearly visible through crystal water. I love stones lying under mountain rivers. They look so pure. So watching and listening to the flow and sound of Murti can surely be a bliss to the people who love silence and serenity. While returning back to resort we decided to visit Lataguri Forest. It was dawning dark. We went inside the forest and we were lucky enough to spot two Bisons. As the night was knocking in, the forest was growing dark and eerie. Suddenly we felt too cold and we all started shivering. Night at forest is really thrilling. After passing through the Jungle we came back to resort and planned for the next.






Amrita and Me .. Dipping our feet in water


Murti

On the next day we started towards Samsing and Suntaleykhola. When you go through the tea gardens, I bet you will feel like singing some Pahari folk songs. The weather,the place, the people, the workers will make you feel like you are in a shooting spot. Just go for SRK pose and shot ready !! yes picture perfect .. ** wink**... Suntalekhola river camp can be a nice place to walk up and down. Don't forget to listen to the charm of chirping birds. Different tunes, different flowers and different trees will catch your eyes. Check out the pictures.







Sanjiban having momo at Suntalekhola

Three muskeeters

I came along,
I wrote a song for you,
And all the things you do,
And it was called "Yellow".


Sanjiban and Aurindam

Suntaleykhola River Camp


Yeah, they were all yellow.





Samsing

Fantastic Four @ Samsing Tea Garden



After having lunch we moved ahead Medhla forest that comes under Gorumara too. Guys we didn't have time so we opted noon. But if you have enough time then please go for early morning or evening safari. That is the best time. Make sure you book the tickets a day before for that. Anyhow our luck was not that bad as from watch tower we could spot most of the royal residents (animals). Elephants, Rhinos, Peacocks and Deers , we spotted them all. 
          
In Total : Me, Aurindam, Sanjiban, Saikat, Samrat, Supriyo & Amrita

Beauty in Yellow.



Medhla Tower


Rhino .. 







Best part was this ... 


Team work 


On the next day we went to Jhalang and Bindu. Both Jhalang and Bindu were really beautiful. You can easily spot the hills of Bhutan and even can see the cars going topsy turvy over the hills. But then that is Bhutan - an easy reminder will knock you. Yes the distance is that much less. Jaldhaka river separates Bhutan and West Bengal. The road towards Bindu is beautiful. Smooth and plain road that is accompanied by Rubber trees and the lite wind will make you feel so relaxed that you would love to sit there for a long time. We had very less time so we could not make it like that but yes have some time in your hand and then try to seize the nature more. Check out pictures.



Towards Jhalang



At Jhalang


Bindu

Jaldhaka and Bhutan.. 



Overall for 3-4 days weekend trip Dooars can be really good idea. If you haven't visited Dooars till now, pack your bags and go for it. Even I need to cover the other places of Dooars too. Till then take care and put your comments here. Thanking you ...

P.S pardon for typos if found any.

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2 comments:

  1. Ah, cannot believe it that I can be able to reach to this post too. What a surprise and what a lovely collection of the pics you have. It all reminded me the area where I spent all my childhood. How can I forget Bagh Pool, Jaldhaka River, and all those roads.... Thank you for reminding my childhood :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Alok.. I am glad that I tickled your memories ... Thanks for reading

    ReplyDelete

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