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Old 11th April 2019, 13:51   #1
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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

The route, dates and times:
Delhi - Manesar - Western Peripheral Expressway - Yamuna Expressway - Agra-Lucknow Expressway - Etawah - NH19 - Kolkata
Departure 8 pm on 3rd March, arrival 11 pm on 4th March.

Kolkata - Bardhaman - SH7 - Moregram - Farakka - Botolbari - Madarihat - Falakata - Salkumar Gate (Rhino Inn)
Departure 8 pm on 11th March, arrival 2 pm on 12th March.

Salkumar Gate - Jalpaiguri - Chalsa (Tiyabon Resort)
Departure 11 am on 13th March, arrival 5 pm. Stopover at Jalpaiguri.

Chalsa - Gorumara Sanctuary - Samsing - Rocky Island - Chalsa
14th March.

Chalsa - Coronation Bridge - Siliguri - NH27 - Purnea - Muzaffarpur - Gorakhpur - Lucknow - ALE - YEW - Delhi
Departure 8 am on 15th March, arrival 10 am on 16th March.

CiazzlerŽ came home on the evening of 28th February 2019. And we were on our way to Kolkata on the evening of 3rd March 2019. There's a wedding in the close family to attend at Kolkata, and then we planned to explore a part of the forests of North Bengal. But before that, we had to stop over at Manesar.

Now that the car came equipped with Fastag from the showroom, I had to figure out how to log in and load money into the HDFC account. Once that was done, we were on our way to Manesar, and then a left turn on to the Western Peripheral Expressway, where, sadly, they don't accept Fastag payments yet.

At Hodal, we turned off the WPE towards Palwal on NH19, and turned right again to take the road to Aligarh for some 30 km (of which about 10 km was tough for a sedan). Here, we connected to the Yamuna Expressway. The rest of the journey to Kolkata was routine for us, with the added happiness of some really empty roads between Allahabad (Prayagraj) bypass and Benaras.

4th March was Maha Shivratri, the last day of the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, and all truck traffic was being diverted north from Fatehpur, away from Prayagraj, even as a multitude of passenger vehicles of all sizes headed towards the city for the last snan of the Ardh Kumbh. Mercifully, therefore, the eastbound lane from Prayagraj to Benaras was absolutely devoid of traffic, and we raced through to reach the Ganga Bridge at Benaras (only to be held up there for almost an hour).

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-dawnonnh19.jpg

After crossing Dehri-on-Sone and the Sone river, we took a break at a Reliance Midway near Aurangabad. The food here is decent, but fuel prices in Bihar are far more expensive (about Rs.6 per litre for petrol) than in UP, JH or WB. Since we were a little low on fuel, took just enough to last us till the next Reliance pump we knew at Jharkhand.

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-img_20190304_120424k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-img_20190304_122111k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-img_20190304_094614k2000.jpg

Tyre troubles! On a whim, I'd clicked a truck tyre that appeared to be disintegrating...

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-img_20190304_082938k2000.jpg

Some kilometers down the road, as we started to overtake a trailer truck, the tyre exploded next to my ear. Thankfully, the shiny new car wasn't hit by flying debris!

And then, a little before crossing over from JH to WB, our own car's tyre was damaged by a pothole, and deflated (more details here (The CiazzlerŽ | Our Nexa Blue Maruti-Suzuki Ciaz Petrol (Alpha))).

Our other routine stop on this highway is at Shaktigarh, and here we are...

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-img_20190304_205254755.jpg

Kolkata, here we come!

Last edited by SS-Traveller : 17th April 2019 at 00:41.
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Old 11th April 2019, 23:32   #2
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

Wedding times are food times, fun times, and adda times. Bong weddings are not as big & fat as North Indian ones, but here's a glimpse of what goes on, in a photologue. I've tried to keep away/blur out personal photos...

The groom's house
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-bw_32k2000.jpg

This is edible!
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-bw_35k2000.jpg

The groom's last bachelor feast, aka Ayiburo bhaat
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-aiburo-bhaat.jpg

Gifts to the in-laws
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-bw_52k2000.jpg

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Religious ceremonies
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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-bw_126k2000.jpg

Gifts being dispatched
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-bw_123k2000.jpg

Wedding venue
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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-buw_1k2000.jpg

Now wedded
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-shubhodrishti.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-sampradan.jpg

Reception venue
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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-bw1-103k2000.jpg

Oh, and I like photographing wedding photographers!
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One tired photographer...
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-photographers-1.jpg

On the day after the reception, we left Kolkata for North Bengal in the evening.

Last edited by SS-Traveller : 17th April 2019 at 11:14.
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Old 15th April 2019, 21:20   #3
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

We hadn't explored the Alipurduar area before, and it took us over 9 years to finally make it there (Alipurduar - guidance needed). So, once the wedding was over, we were on our way to our first stop - Jaldapara - just because we hadn't seen any rhinos in the wild till date.

Even as many on the forum and off it said that the Hollong Tourist Bungalow would be our best bet for staying and spotting rhinos at Jaldapara, WBTDC of course had to play spoilsport by declaring on their website that ALL their properties are closed for renovation.

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-hollong.jpg

I dutifully filled up the online form, and got a response after a week, saying this...

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-hollong2.jpg

...which brought us back to the same page as I'd opened before! No joy there.

By this time, it was getting close to our proposed travel dates, and I fell back on good friend Samya (who is a bosom buddy of D-BHPian Samba too) who is from Jalpaiguri, to see if he could pull some strings and get us accommodation and safaris at short notice. And he (and his father) took on the task, assuring us of a worry-free trip to the region, and we are really really grateful & thankful to him for all the arrangements he made!

Strangely enough, we were to discover later that the Hollong Tourist Lodge was not under renovation, and it was full of tourists. On speaking with these folks, we were told that they had all made bookings online at the WBTDCL site 1 month ago, and were unaware of any closure of properties for renovation. This was very fishy indeed, but someday soon, I'd like to go back and spend a couple of nights at the Hollong Tourist Lodge once again.

The drive to Jaldapara from Kolkata was a lot smoother than we expected. Except for a humongous bump on the SH7 which scraped the car's bumper lip, we were able to avoid all the perils (read: traffic jams) we were warned about, especially at Farakka, which was then operating a one-way traffic system. As soon as we'd arrived at the head of the queue, vehicles started moving, and there was no wait time at all.

We were booked into a hotel by the name of Rhino Inn, with our Gypsy safari reserved for 3 pm, thanks to the owner of Rhino Inn, Kalu-babu. The place showed up on Google Maps, except there was one glitch. GMap wanted to route us via Madarihat, through the forest road to Hollong, and then beyond to the Salkumar gate, where Rhino Inn was located.

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-rhinoinnroute1.jpg

However, one cannot enter the forest with one's own car at the Madarihat gate and use this road for transit (only vehicles with confirmed Hollong Bungalow bookings are allowed in), so we ended up travelling an additional 50 km to Falakata, Salkumar, and then to the Rhino Inn.

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-rhinoinnroute2.jpg

The State Highway from Falakata to Salkumar Gate is a little tricky to tackle in a sedan. Here's a video from that road.

Potatoes being harvested near Salkumar
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_245k2000.jpg

And finally, by 2:45 pm, we were there.
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_243k2000.jpg

Last edited by SS-Traveller : 16th April 2019 at 14:55.
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Old 15th April 2019, 22:40   #4
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

Kalu-babu already had a hot lunch waiting for us on arrival, in the dining room. He personally waited on us while we gorged on the simple rice and fish curry. He's a proper gent, and a local person with immense resources and contacts in Jaldapara and the local area. He had made arrangements for our Gypsy ride, as well as an elephant ride the next morning, at very short notice.

Tired as we were after the overnight trip, we still eagerly looked forward to going on that Gypsy ride through the forest.

Dining room at Rhino Inn
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_215k2000.jpg

The entry gate to the Jaldapara forest, with the Rhino Inn in the background
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengalk2000.jpg

Notice on the guard house about rules for local villagers travelling through the forest (we'll later have a conversation about this in a video the next morning)
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_214k2000.jpg

Short Gypsy ride, to one of two watch towers first
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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_201k2000.jpg

View from the top. This is where the Forest Department raises and trains elephants for tourist rides
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The next stop - the lawn in front of Hollong Tourist Lodge
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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_203k2000.jpg

And we get our first sighting of a rhinoceros in the wild
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_44k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_40k2000.jpg

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Bonus sighting - dancing peacocks
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It was time to move on to the next watch tower. On the way, we spotted this wild elephant traversing through the forest.
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_51k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_52k2000.jpg

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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_55k2000.jpg

The pachyderm came right up to the watch tower where we waited
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_53k2000.jpg

In the distance, a herd of elephants approached
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_57k2000.jpg

Whether due to panic or because the safari time was drawing to a close, the Gypsy drivers bundled all the tourists into the cars, and quickly moved out of the area. We saw photos from another tourist at the Hollong lodge the next morning, in which the herd of some 22-25 elephants came up to the salt lick in front of the lodge and chased away the rhino grazing there. Ah, well - our bad luck that we couldn't pull enough strings to get ourselves a booking at the Hollong Tourist Lodge, whose residents had a grandstand view of the whole show! There'll be a next time...

Last edited by SS-Traveller : 16th April 2019 at 13:10.
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Old 16th April 2019, 13:29   #5
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

At the crack of dawn the next day, we were on our way to the Hollong Tourist Lodge once again, for our elephant ride. We took our own car, accompanied by a guide. Kalu-babu had already made arrangements for our gate pass, and the guide fee had to be paid.

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_90k2000.jpg

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A crowd had already collected for the elephant ride
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_75k2000.jpg

The elephants finally make their appearance
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_123k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_125k2000.jpg

Cute fella!
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All aboard!
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_126k2000.jpg

On our way
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CiazzlerŽ viewed from an elephant
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_88k2000.jpg

And the ride continues into the forest
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_87k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_89k2000.jpg

Fun times for kids - both human and elephantine
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_128k2000.jpg

Into the grasslands...
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_85k2000.jpg

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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_80k2000.jpg

...and through the tree cover
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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_227k2000.jpg

Sadly though, we did not spot any wild animals, whether rhinos or elephant herds, during the elephant safari, and returned to the ride point rather disappointed.

The following video is of our drive from the Hollong Tourist Lodge to the Salkumar Gate and Rhino Inn, and the conversation is worth listening to (it's in Bengali), apart from the glorious view.

Back at the Rhino Inn, we had a large breakfast, before driving to Jalpaiguri...
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_242k2000.jpg

...to visit Samya's family - where we were treated to a gigantic lunch spread. Had we known what was coming, we'd have skipped breakfast!
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_254k2000.jpg

And then we were on our way to the Tiyabon Resort near Chalsa.

Last edited by SS-Traveller : 16th April 2019 at 17:42.
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

The NH717 from Jalpaiguri to Chalsa, cutting through the Gorumara National Park is a freshly laid road with one or two bad patches, with sparse traffic. Speed enforcement is carried out regularly on this stretch, so cruise control comes in handy to stay within speed limits.

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_143k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_97k2000.jpg

It's a short 45-km drive, and we enjoyed the journey - to pull up at this place with a huge signboard bearing the name of the resort.

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_169k2000.jpg

No, they don't have our reservations, and they are a government-owned resort, but apparently, there's another (older) Tiyabon Resort a few hundred metres down the road. We looked at each other in disbelief - how on earth do two resorts of the same name coexist within a few hundred metres of each other, that too, one a government-run establishment? We then moved on to the other one (which, incidentally, was the one GMap was pointing to).

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_256k2000.jpg

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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_258k2000.jpg

A little rustic and unkempt, but this will do fine as our stop for the next two nights. The manager, Suroj, knew about us coming, and was very welcoming. In a few minutes, he'd called up someone to organise our Gypsy safari to Gorumara National Park for the next morning. Only problem is, this was a Thursday, so we wouldn't get access to the core forest area, and would need to be satisfied with a trip through the buffer zone.

The rest of the evening we spent relaxing on the banks of the Murti river, a short distance from the resort.

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Off-road enthusiasts, keep out!
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_134k2000.jpg

The Jyoti Ashram Catholic Church
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_260k2000.jpg

Erm... that's not Maruti!
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Dinner was good, but we weren't really hungry after the grand lunch!
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_263k2000.jpg

The next morning, our Gypsy arrived very punctually, and off we went to explore the forests of Gorumara NP.
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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_146k2000.jpg

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CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_96k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_270k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_274k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_272k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-gorumarak2000.jpg

Sadly, we didn't spot a single animal in over 2 hours that we spent driving around in the buffer zone - not even a deer. It appears that the local population has had a wonderful time consuming venison frequently, and there invariably are no deer in this area.

At the end of the safari, we stopped to buy some tea.
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_281k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_282k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_283k2000.jpg

Last edited by SS-Traveller : 17th April 2019 at 11:30.
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Old 16th April 2019, 20:47   #7
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

For our lunch, we decided to visit the Sinclairs Retreat Dooars at Chalsa Hilltop, on the recommendation of Distinguished BHPian Samba, and also because I was tentatively exploring a MICE venue.

A few glimpses of the Sinclairs Retreat
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-sinclairs-chalsa.jpg

Viewpoint looking out over Chalsa
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_286k2000.jpg

The Retreat as seen from the viewpoint
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_287k2000.jpg

The reception area
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_298k2000.jpg

The restaurant
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_301k2000.jpg

Menu and food
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-north-bengal-trip.jpg

Post-lunch, we wanted to explore further uphill, past Matelli towards Samsing and a place called Rocky Island.

The not-so-well-surfaced road meandered through tea gardens, some lush green and some shorn of their greenery...
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_166k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_164k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_105k2000.jpg

It's fun to watch the local folks...
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_163k2000.jpg

...and stop for a free car wash...
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_309k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_161k2000.jpg

...or stop to photograph...
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-tea-gardenk2000.jpg

...cherry blossoms!!
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_109k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_104k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_107k2000.jpg

Approaching Rocky Island
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_111k2000.jpg

At Rocky Island
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_306k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_307k2000.jpg

Photo-op
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_305k2000.jpg

Shot in the process of shooting!
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_112k2000.jpg

It was very tempting to drive on from here towards the Neora Valley, Lava and onwards to Kalimpong, but we had run out of time, and the need to return home ASAP was greater than our wanderlust.

Shopping - an integral part of any travel tale
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_313k2000.jpg

Last edited by SS-Traveller : 17th April 2019 at 00:31.
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Old 17th April 2019, 00:12   #8
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

It had been a few days of immense fun, but all holidays have to come to an end. So, the next day, we checked out at 8 am and headed towards the Coronation Bridge.

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_172k2000.jpg

Note to self: anecdote to remember! Somewhere a few km before the Coronation Bridge, we were stopped for checking. This being election season, such a check is always to be expected. The boys in camouflage uniforms asked me to open the boot - they'd be taking photographs too, they said. I popped the lid open.

There was one big shopping bag that they wanted me to open. I hesitated for a second, and they suspected something. Taratari khulun na (Open it quickly), one of them barked, in a not too pleasant manner.

I looked the man in the eye and told him, Taar aagey kotha din je oi bag e ja kichhu paaben, taar kichhu khaaben na. (Literally: Promise me you won't eat anything that's in the bag. Metaphorically suggesting, they might want to have a share of whatever is in the bag.)

Aarey ki achhe dekhaben toh! (Show us what's inside), the man snapped again, visibly impatient now. I pulled open the zipper of the bag...

...and in there were dozens of packets of different varieties of biscuits from Bisk Farm! The laughter all round, both from them as well as me startled my wife and daughter, who were happily sitting in the car unaware of the tension building up.

For those who are biscuit lovers, Bisk Farm produces some unique flavours of biscuits, as well as cakes and many other snack items. Sold mostly in Eastern India, they have not (yet) started selling their products in Delhi - and so we carry back quite a few kilos of their stuff every time we visit Kolkata (as well as ask folks to carry back some packets at times).

Threading through the dense late morning traffic in Siliguri, my sole constant worry was how to avoid scratching the paintwork. And then there was this gent in a Maruti 800, with steel Ambassador bumpers protecting his plastic ones! Jugaad at its best.

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_117k2000.jpg

Once across WB, the highway became less congested, and our journey back home was pretty much uneventful. Not often does one find dhabas serving delicious non-veg food on highways in UP, and this one near Kushinagar made us really happy, both in terms of food quality as well as the attitude of the owner.
CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_316k2000.jpg

CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)-northbengal_315k2000.jpg

Thanks for reading!

::: THE END :::

Last edited by SmartCat : 25th April 2019 at 23:09. Reason: as requested
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Old 17th April 2019, 11:39   #9
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

Mod note: Thread moved from Assembly Line to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 17th April 2019, 12:31   #10
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

Superb trip log SS Da. I have always liked your storytelling as it takes the reader to the trip with you. Since you were in Jaldapara, you cold have explored Phuetsholing as a day trip. It is just 45 min away from there.

Cheers,

Pawan
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Old 17th April 2019, 18:54   #11
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

Great travel log. Loved revisiting some of the places vicariously through your eyes. Jaldapara photos are lovely, I hope to make a trip there sometime.

I find your videos very useful and I watch them on your YT channel. Please do keep posting more videos.

By the way, on your way to North Bengal, did you take the Ghoshpukur-Ambari route? Is the road open for the full stretch? On our trip, we had to take a detour as a portion of the road was closed to traffic.

Looking forward to more posts from you. Cheers and regards,

Sutanu
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Old 17th April 2019, 22:01   #12
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re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

Quote:
Originally Posted by PapaBravo View Post
Superb trip log SS Da. I have always liked your storytelling as it takes the reader to the trip with you. Since you were in Jaldapara, you cold have explored Phuetsholing as a day trip. It is just 45 min away from there.
Thank you, Pawan.

Yes, there are a number of places we wanted to visit, including Bhutan, Neora Valley and Borong, Kalimpong, and of course, Darjeeling. How I wish I had an additional week to do all that, having reached an area that gives access to all of these and more within an hour or three!

However, the ladies wanted to visit only places they'd never been to earlier, and they wanted preferably to avoid the mountains (we'd also not carried any warm clothing with us). Hence the programme panned out as it did.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GwD View Post
Great travel log. Loved revisiting some of the places vicariously through your eyes. Jaldapara photos are lovely, I hope to make a trip there sometime.

I find your videos very useful and I watch them on your YT channel. Please do keep posting more videos.

By the way, on your way to North Bengal, did you take the Ghoshpukur-Ambari route? Is the road open for the full stretch? On our trip, we had to take a detour as a portion of the road was closed to traffic.

Looking forward to more posts from you. Cheers and regards,

Sutanu
Thank you, Sutanu.

I'm not sure which route you followed earlier, but this was the route we took: https://goo.gl/maps/Dg68JoGXf2Q2. The highway around Jalpaiguri is in the process of being widened, with multiple diversions and traffic jams, but we did not face any road closure or detour.
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Old 18th April 2019, 12:04   #13
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Re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

Superb well-written travelogue SS-Traveller.

Sad to read about the damages to your brand new Ciaz. Yes, low profile tyres can be a pain in our road conditions.

I've never been to the north-eastern part of India before and would love to visit someday. I have seen Rhinos out in the wild, but that was in South Africa, never in India. I should plan a visit to WB and other neighbouring states to see the Rhinos and other animals in the wild. Lots to explore.
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Old 18th April 2019, 12:09   #14
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Re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

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Originally Posted by SS-Traveller View Post

Thank you, Sutanu.

I'm not sure which route you followed earlier, but this was the route we took: https://goo.gl/maps/Dg68JoGXf2Q2. The highway around Jalpaiguri is in the process of being widened, with multiple diversions and traffic jams, but we did not face any road closure or detour.
Thanks SS-da. Yes, we had taken the same route up to Binnaguri, our destination.
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Old 18th April 2019, 14:49   #15
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Re: CiazzlerŽ Roadtrip | 4700 km, a wedding (Kolkata) and forests (Jaldapara & Gorumara)

Another Great travelogue SS Da, as if we are travelling with you.

Your write-ups always inspire us. In-fact, I started Delhi-Kolkata trips inspired by your famous NH-2 log.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SS-Traveller View Post
Delhi - Manesar - Western Peripheral Expressway - Yamuna Expressway - Agra-Lucknow Expressway - Etawah - NH19 - Kolkata
On a different note, how did you manage “Western Peripheral Expressway - Yamuna Expressway” section? EPE-JEW connection is open now? Or you have taken the route via Palwal ?

Safe drive,

Brdgs
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