TUESDAY 28 OCTOBER 2014CALCUTTA TIMES, THE TIMES OF INDIA
VARIETY4
WHY GO? Firstly, because its the closest beach toKolkata. The
other reasons are, a greatdrive, one river crossing, fresh crabs
andfish and to check out if the Chotushkonebungalow really exists.
Need we tell youmore? HOW FAR IS IT? Over 135 km from Kolkata.
Thats a drive ofat least four hours with stops. ROAD MAPIts one
long, straight drive. Take DiamondHarbour road and go past Behala
andThakurpukur. Reach Namkhana via Amtala,Diamond Harbour and
Kakdwip. Cross thequirkily named Hatania-Doania creek withyour car/
bike on a ferry to reach Bakkhali.The ferry service is available
from 7 am-11 pm.HOW GOOD IS THE DRIVE?
Mostly even and uniform roads, since DHRoad is also National
Highway 117. Butonce you cross Hatania-Doania atNamkhana, the
carriageway is narrow, withvillages on both sides. So keep a foot
onthe brake. You can expect some trafficsnarls at Behala, Amtala
and DiamondHarbour, especially in the morning and
evening peak hours. WHATS THERE TO SEE? The vast stretch of the
Hooghly, whichflows just next to the road at DiamondHarbour, is a
breathtaking sight. FromBakkhali, you can take a boat ride toJambu
Dwip, a small, uninhabited andforested island out in the sea. Also
visitHenrys Island, a 10 minute ride fromBakkhali. Dont miss the
Crocodile Parkand mangrove forest not too far from thebeach. TRAVEL
TIPSStart early, since it is a longish drive. Noneed to pack your
food, as there are plentyof fish-and-rice hotels on the way,
espe-cially at Diamond Harbour and Bakkhali. Ifyou miss the ferry
at Namkhana, you mighthave to wait for up to 30 mins.
WHY GO? Kolkata the concrete jungle, ischoking you? And how
better tospend an early winter day than bylazing under a forest
canopy?Parmadan, or Bibhutibhushan WildlifeSanctuary, offers you
the opportunityto nestle under the shade of shishu,bamboo, arjun,
shimul, and shirishtrees. Its a compact 68 sq km forest on the
banks of the Ichhamati river.HOW FAR IS IT? About 80 km from
Kolkata. It should
take you around two and a half hoursto reach Parmadan. ROAD
MAPTake National Highway 35 viaBarasat. From Bongaon drive for 28
km to Naldungri. The sanctuary isa short rickshaw ride from there.
IS IT A GOOD DRIVE? Fairly good roads, but NH-35 can bevery
congested as it passes throughthe northern suburbs of Kolkata.Parts
of the road are quite bad forsome distance from Vedic village.WHATS
THERE TO SEE?
Apart from animals like deer,monkeys, peacocks and
rabbits,Parmadan offers great birding opportunities, especially in
winter.Look out for species likeshankacheel, nilkantha,
phooltushiand other migratory birds.TRAVEL TIPSFrom Bongaon, the
Bangladesh border at Petrapole is a short drive. Ifyou reach in
time, you can catch theflag march and gate closing ceremony at 5
pm. Carry a good pairof binoculars.
CALL OF THE ROADCALL OF THE ROAD
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BAWALI RAJBARI, Fading Grandeur
DEULTI, Vibgyor Sunsets
WHY GO? This 300-year-old heritage structure hasjust got a fresh
lease of life after anextensive restoration job. A few roomsare
already on offer for overnight stay(check out their website).
Daytripperscan gain access to the premises for`1,250 with lunch
thrown in and see thethakurdalan along with the restorationwork.
Apart from the rajbari, there is aguest house, a fish farm and a
plantnursery in Bawali for those looking for aquiet weekend. HOW
FAR IS IT? It is a short and sweet 35 km fromKolkata. Thats just
over an hour. ROAD MAPThe Rajbari is near Budge Budge. Youcan take
a right turn from ThakurpukurBazar and drive down Bakrahat Road
toreach Bawali. HOW GOOD IS THE DRIVE? Its smooth, even and short
and takesyou to one of the most spectacularzamindar homes around
Kolkata. Cherish the drive. You might face some congestion at
Thakurpukur and Bakrahat. WHATS THERE TO SEE?Plenty, for a day
trip. The rajbari itself isbreathtaking, spread as it is over 3
acres.Next to it is the Navratna Gopinath
Temple, which apparently inspired thearchitecture of the
DakshineshwarTemple. You can also visit the Hooghly atRaipur, which
is 7 km from Bawali. TRAVEL TIPSIf you really want to soak in the
atmosphere of the place, we recommenda weekend stay. Read and laze
around,take village walks, try your hand atangling. Basically, take
it easy beforeMonday hits you.
WHY GO? You must have heard almost everyonetalk of winter
picnics in Gadiara, butnever managed to go on one. Andwhere else in
South Bengal can yousee the confluence of three rivers Hooghly,
Damodar and Rupnarayan? HOW FAR IS IT? About 85 km (three hours)
fromKolkata. You can stop and stretch yourlegs a few times on the
way. ROAD MAPTake Vidyasagar Setu and drive on toNational Highway 6
via KonaExpressway. From Bagnan, take a leftturn and go past the
railway level crossing and head towards Shyampur.Gadiara is 8 km
from Shyampur and 33 km from Bagnan. HOW GOOD IS THE DRIVE? NH 6 is
generally a dream, though youmight be slowed down in placesbecause
of flyover construction. Onceyou leave the national highway,
the
road gets patchier but is still easy todrive on. WHATS THERE TO
SEE? Dont expect a busy, exciting day.Gadiara is a small town,
where you listen to the murmuring river in the lapof nature. Take a
leisurely boat ride asyou watch the fishermen cast their netsin the
river. You could ask your boat-man to take you to Geonkhali,
anemerging tourist destination, or crossover to Nurpur, which is on
the oppositebank in 24-Parganas (South). Theresalso an old fort
built during the time of Lord Clive.TRAVEL TIPSOn the onward
journey, do stop at AzadHind Dhaba in Uluberia for a
heartybreakfast of dal, roti and chicken.Enquire for lunch at the
governmentguest house. They will serve you lovelymaacher jhol and
bhaat. You could buysome fresh fish straight from the riverbefore
you return.
WHY GO? Because youve only seen an authenticBengali village at a
Durga Puja pandal.Also, you can check out the home andhearth of
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay,one of the masters of Bengali
literature. HOW FAR IS IT? About 65 km from Kolkata, which meansa
drive of about two hours. ROAD MAPStraight and simple, really.
CrossVidyasagar Setu and take NationalHighway 6. Go past Panchla,
Uluberia,Kulgachhia and Chandpur. At Bagnan, askfor directions to
Deulti crossing. The village lies at a short distance from
theDeulti railway station. Ask for directionsto Sarat Chandras
house. IS IT A GOOD DRIVE?The national highway is smooth, with
some slowdowns for construction work. The last stretch from
Bagnan is a brick road; so its great for some dirt biking. WHATS
THERE TO SEE? Theres a museum at Sarat Chandrashouse, which is
worth a visit. Anothermajor attraction is the RadhaMadangopal
temple, which has beautifulterracotta work. You can take a
walkalong the narrow paths through paddy fields down to the
Rupnarayanriver. See the village life, tune in to thebirdsong.
Relax. TRAVEL TIPSThere are no places to eat in Deulti, socarry
your food and water if you want tospend the whole day here. Or you
couldhave your lunch and nashta at thedhabas dotting the national
highway.
GADIARA, River Sutra
WHY GO? Its the gateway to the Sunderbans. No,dont shout tiger!
The striped beastsare in the jungles core area, manymiles from
Kaikhali. But the road to thissmall town, at the confluence of
Matlaand Nimaniya rivers, offers some fantastic driving
opportunities,especially on a bike. HOW FAR IS IT? About 115 km on
a bike, but 85 km bycar. So thats about 4 hours on a two-wheeler,
and nearly 3 hours onfour wheels with a few drink breaksthrown in.
Well explain the reason forthe difference. ROAD MAPIf youre biking,
youre in luck. Headtowards Baruipur railway gate and takea right
turn towards Gocharan. FromGocharan take a left to Dhosa and
headstraight towards Bodhukul. Ask thelocals at this point, as its
easy to missthe turn. The mud roads are fabulousfor some serious
offroading as youreach a wooden bridge that crosses a
tributary of the Ganges. Once you crossover to a brick road,
head towardsQuilla and from there to Kaikhali. If youare in a car,
drive straight towardsJoynagar from Gocharan. The roadleads to
Kaikhali.HOW GOOD IS THE DRIVE? Patchy roads, with the
Baruipur-Gocharan stretch being particularlybad. From Bodhukul to
HaerobhangaHaat, parts of the roads are brick andmud, so be careful
if it has rained. WHATS THERE TO SEE?Take a motor boat locals call
itbhutbhuti cruise on the Matla. If youhave some time, you could
ask the boatto take you into some of the creeks.Look out for deer
and crocodiles. Praythat you see the tiger. The NimpithRamakrishna
Ashram in Kaikhali is a must visit.TRAVEL TIPSThere are not too
many places to eaton the way. So carry some packedfood, chocolates
and water.
KAIKHALI, Mangrove Magic
PARMADAN OR BIBHUTIBHUSHAN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, Jungle Trail
BAKKHALI, Beach Paradise
6 things to avoid when meeting someone for the first timeH ave
you been on a fewdates? Not working out?Perhaps youre being
toopicky? Whether youre willing toadmit it or not, we humans
arevery judgmental when it comes tolove on everything from looks,to
the way people eat and eventheir teeth. And when it comes tofirst
dates, while we can forgiveand forget an awkward silence orsweaty
palm, there are somethings we just cant get over.
TALKING ABOUT THE EXFirst dates are about getting toknow each
other and finding outif youve got chemistry going on.Dont ruin it
by obsessing overyour ex. It will sound like youre
not over your past relationshipand make you look dull and
con-fused instead. So, if youre askedabout your past partner, keep
itbrief and dont delve into detailsthat the other person doesnt
needto know.
TARDINESSIts fine to be fashionably late ifyoure a girl. But if
youre a guy,thats a clear no-no. Be punctualand dress to the
occasion. Ifyoure in doubt, smart casualsalways do the trick and
help simplifying things. Also, it isimportant that you smell
good.Theres no bigger turn-off thanbody odour on the first date.
Also,memories are linked to smell, so
remember to smell amazing.
DRINKING TOO MUCHThis is especially bad if yourethe only one
drinking. If youreboth on the wine, pace yourselfbetween drinks.
While it is easyto drink when youre feeling nerv-ous, over-doing it
will only lead toself-destruction and a hazy mem-ory of a bad
date.
ARROGANCEDo you like to hear someone go onand on about how
amazing theirjob is or how many cars theyown? No one wants a lover
thatscocky and pompous. So dontexpose the other person to a
simi-lar scenario. For guys, try being
better listeners instead.
SITTING ON YOUR PHONEIts fine to keep your phone at thedinner
table if youre at a familydinner, but texting away on a firstdate
is a definite no-no. It goes toshow that you cant give all
yourattention to your date and wouldrather be interested in
otherthings.
BAD TABLE MANNERSAnything along the lines of talk-ing with your
mouth full of food,holding your cutlery like a penciland causing a
scene over splittingthe bill is an instant put off andwill not get
you asecond date.
Daily Mirror
The LSR group at KaikhaliLast Sunday Ride group enjoya break
with the local kids ontheir way to Deulti
The house of Sarat Chandra
Chattopadhyay
LSR
Paying more attention to your smartphone is a sign that things
arent going well
Wrap the sunshine on your shoulders, check the fuel anddrive out
on six great road trips from Kolkata
LSR
Compiled by [email protected]
