Imagine the perfect peace. Very little traffic, no
pollution, no noise…just the melody of birds and
rustling of tree leaves under the brilliant blue sky.
That describes the drive from Silliguri to the
Dooars region, the distance of approximately 65
kms. A place that makes the busy life seems far away.
A place that is stress free and leaves you full of
energy, confidence and totally rejuvenated. Welcome to Dooars Derived from the word
Dooars, the Dooars is a gateway to Bhutan and
the northeastern states of India. A few hours
from Silliguri in North Bengal, the region remains
unexplored by a majority of tourists. It offers
fascinating views of the valley, tea gardens, hills, wildlife, flora and fauna. What more could you
ask for?
Planning for Dooars
The best time to visit Dooars is between Mid September and April when the sky is clear and the weather is pleasant. Winter is particularly a good time to visit to catch a view of the most exotic migratory birds.
Summer: Temperatures usually start rising from March onwards and warm weather continues till
September end. However the temperature never
reach an unbearable limit and there is usually a
cool breeze, in the mornings and evenings even
during the warmer months.
Winter: The cold season starts from first week of November and generally continues till February.In case there is a cold spell from the Himalayas,
temperatures might drop low and a thick jacket
might be needed, in addition to light woolens.
Monsoon: The refreshing tropical rains make the
forests appear vibrant and picturesque. It is important to pack few essentials before your
trip. These include swimming gear, pair of
comfortable pants or jeans; light t-shirts and
shorts, comfortable walking shoes (no high
heels), sunglasses, cap and a camera to keep
shooting pictures.
Driving in the Dooars region
The drive from Silliguri to Chalsa in Dooars is
simply breathtaking. The stretch from Silliguri to
Sevoke is relatively smooth and one passes
through the Kalu Rimpoche Monastery at Salugara
and the Mahananda Wildlife sanctuary. Once you
cross the famous Coronation Bridge, also called Baghphool; constructed in 1947 over the mighty
Teesta River, the drive becomes even more
exciting. You will encounter monkeys and
remember to carry peanuts and bananas to feed
them. The road ahead passes through the tea
garden belt and lush green forests via Oodlabari and Malbazar to reach Chalsa in the Dooars.
Places to See
Gorumara National Park, located on the banks of rivers Murti and Raidak has vegetation of riverine
grasslands interspersed with savannah
woodlands. The park is breathtaking with its
rivers and mountain ranges. Besides the one
horned rhinoceros, the fauna of the park include
Indian Elephant, Indian Bison, leopard, and different species of deer, turtles, pythons,
monkeys etc. and more than 200 species of birds.
Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary, situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas and on the bank of
river Torsa in West Bengal is vast grassland with
patches of riverine forests. The Jaldapara
sanctuary is a mixture of a mosaic of woods,
grassland, swamps and streams. You can also
catch a glimpse of the Asiatic one-horned Rhino!
Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary, situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas and on the bank of
river Torsa in West Bengal is vast grassland with
patches of riverine forests. The Jaldapara
sanctuary is a mixture of a mosaic of woods,
grassland, swamps and streams. You can also
catch a glimpse of the Asiatic one-horned Rhino!Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary, situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas and on the bank of
river Torsa in West Bengal is vast grassland with
patches of riverine forests. The Jaldapara
sanctuary is a mixture of a mosaic of woods,
grassland, swamps and streams. You can also
catch a glimpse of the Asiatic one-horned Rhino!Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary, situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas and on the bank of
river Torsa in West Bengal is vast grassland with
patches of riverine forests. The Jaldapara
sanctuary is a mixture of a mosaic of woods,
grassland, swamps and streams. You can also
catch a glimpse of the Asiatic one-horned Rhino!
Buxa Tiger Reserve is the largest forest in North Bengal and has the second highest tiger
population in West Bengal after Sunderbans. The
park has a rich population of elephants, Indian
bisons, leopards, many species of deer and many
smaller mammals, innumerable species of birds
and reptiles. Buxa is rich in bio-diversity and has a rare collection of orchids and medicinal plants.
Chapramari, another forest is approximately 960 sq. kms and is made with the canopy of large
trees like Teak, Sal, Bahera, Kawla, Dilenia,
Mallotus, Chilaune, Lali etc. as well as 83 type of
different recorded grass including the giant
elephant grass, the guatemala etc. Some beautiful
wild orchids ornament the forest and this jungle is home to a large number of wild animals.
The Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 158.04 sq.km. and many wild animals are
found here, not to mention the beautiful birds.
The Sanctuary offers some beautiful trekking
routes from Sukna. Golaghat, Deorali and the
Latpancher-Mana track are the favourites for
trekking and bird watching.
Lava located 85 Kms from Darjeeling via Kalimpong is a forest village with a Buddhist
Monastery amidst a sea of evergreen forests at
an elevation of 2100 m.
Surrounded by very
large tracts of protected forests ranging in
elevation between 1600 and 2400 m, it includes
the remote and uninhabited Neora National Park, and it is a bird watcher’s delight. Some of the
most sought after and least known birds of India
can be spotted here.
Suntalekhola is a stretch of Sub-montane forest near Neora Valley National Park . With the backdrop of glistering green and blue sky with
touch of everlasting beauty, Suntalekhola is a
unique offbeat destination in the Himalayan foothills of Dooars. The trekking route from
Samsing to Suntalekhola is a favourite spot for
trekking enthusiasts as well as nature lovers. The
sinuous flow of mountain streams adds the
beauty of the place.
Samsing is the Range Office of the Neora Valley National Park, 3kms before Suntalekhola. The
drive to Samsing is a pleasure trip along
meandering emerald green river, the cool shades
of orange orchards, sleepy hamlets, picturesque
tea gardens and the lofty Himalayas.
Bindu is a small village on the border with Bhutan. It is 80kms from Siliguri and has
developed based on a hydroelectric (hydel)
power project. The River Jaldhaka, forming the
India – Bhutan border, provides some good birds
and can be viewed well from the barrage.
Kalijhora is a small area of forest on the northern edge of the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, at an
altitude of 300m. It is an hour’s drive from
Bagdogra. It’s a good place to see several
lowland forest species. The place is noted for its
campgrounds, which provide enough open
space to organize activities.
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