WELLNESS RETREAT!

 Want to experience something different? A place where except the chair, table, fans and lights everything else had been created naturally. I am talking about a place named "Hidden Oasis" which is a resort to be specific and as the name suggests it’s really a hidden gem in the huge city of Pune. Many people don’t know about this place till now but it's not too far away from getting into the lists of major tourists spots in Pune and I will not be surprised even if it experiences the highest footfall. Being, new to the city even I wouldn't have known about it if not our college had taken us to this spot for a field trip and for which I can say for the rest of my life that my choice of entering into a media college hasn't gone wrong. 

The place is a one-and a half hour drive from the main city of Pune where buses and autos both plies. To be precise the name location of the resort is in a place called Saswad where both buses and autos ply and being new to the city I am not aware of the availability of trains to this place. The place is up the hills and the picturesque landscape is amazing and can any moment compete with the famous hill stations. 

I suggest to travel with a group as like other hilly areas here also you can do nothing in the evening and mobile network goes without saying is pathetic. Though it's a resort and when we hear it, we think of something luxurious as Mumbai's Taj hotel with spacious rooms, swimming pools and other amenities. But no, "Hidden Oasis" is nothing of that sort. I will not lie but even I had that kind of expectations and my first impression of the place wasn't too good but then the experience fulfilled my sadness. It's basically an eco-friendly project built on a huge plot with a variety of flora and fauna. The plants that the guide made us see were all created naturally and the animals that they keep were either rescued or abandoned which includes ducks, an emu, guinea pigs and rabbits. My biology isn't too good so i didn't understand half of the things the guide was telling us about those plants but I did enjoy seeing them and posing for aesthetic pictures with them. You may roam around if you want but have to be careful of the path because the plot's huge and if you get lost in the mountains google maps or mobile network will never be an option. 

                                         THE HIDDEN OASIS RESORT

There's a beautiful point where sunset can be viewed from the banks of a lake which situated near the resort. The guide took us for a walk to the side of the lake and it was very difficult to convince us to come back as long as the perfect photo of us wasn't clicked that we can post on Instagram. It wasn't our fault. Every time we don't get such a background with the Sun and the lake to capture ourselves in the lenses. The best part was the evening when the management arranged for a bonfire and everybody's hidden talent of singing and dancing came out in "Hidden Oasis". There's a bridge named "Burma bridge" which is created of wooden planks and ropes giving a feel of Tarzan while crossing it. Not to worry as it has a net tied below it so that one doesn't gets injured if accidentally falls. There are many military kinds of activities and ideal for NDA students to have a trial run before the actual exam. 

BURMA BRIDGE

A day or two is enough for the trip as after that it may feel monotonous. Definitely, you will create memories. You, will definitely feel an urge to return to the place again not only to see the plants and animals but also for the pleasant behaviour of the staffs and the management. There are much more to explore which couldn't be penned down. So, for those you must at least once to create this lifetime memory. 

THANK YOU!💖 

HRISHIT BHATTACHARYA

POINT-OF-VIEW!

Is Kashmir the only "Paradise on Earth"? Maybe yes. But certainly there are other places which may not be paradise but simply they are beautiful.  I can name one place which has comparable scenic beauty as Kashmir.  The name of the place is Chitkul; the last village of India after which the Tibet border starts. It's located in the state of Himachal Pradesh. 

A beautiful village which when you view would look seem that an artist has drawn on canvas. In November-December the roads get blocked due to snowfall but the weather here is cold throughout the year. The nearest railway station and airport is Shimla from where it's a 7 hour drive. One can also visit the place from Delhi or Chandigarh either directly by car or via Shimla. Nobody comes to visit Chitkul only. There's a series of spots Narkhanda, Kalpa, Sangla, Sarahan and one among these is the last village of India. Here let me brief you about that place only. About the other places; let's keep them for the next ones.                            

                                           THE VILLAGE OF CHITKUL

If you want to see snowfall then November-January is the best time. But roads get blocked most of the time. We visited here in October and the snowfall hasn't started then. So from the end of February to middle of October is the best time to visit.

                                           CHITKUL DURING SNOWFALL

Ample number of hotels are present here. But, the main attraction here is the stay at riverside camps in tents. So, it's my suggestion that whenever you visit please make sure that your travel agents have made arrangements for your riverside camp. The village is located on the banks of Baspa river and so the tents are also on the banks of the river and you can view it from the window of your tent. For photobic people the river creates an ideal background. Take selfies, photos, make reels do whatever you want. The tent in which we stayed arranged a bonfire in the evening but it was our bad luck as in the evening it started raining. A group is necessary in this travel as there is no place to roam around after the Sun sets and internet connectivity goes without saying is pathetic. This goes the first day.

THE RIVERSIDE CAMPS

The next day visit the Indo-Tibet border. There's an Indian check post upto which visitors are allowed and after that for 50 kilometers it's the area of Indian army where except  Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) nobody is allowed. You can talk with the army staffs, take pictures with them but make sure not to click pictures of the camp as it's a punishable offence. NDA aspirants can visit here to gain inspiration. 

                           THE INDIAN ARMY CHECKPOST

Now, about the food. They will serve you whatever you want but please here do control your tongue as everything is very costly because the items are not easily available. This problem was faced by us. We ordered whatever we wanted not knowing the cost and when we went to pay the bill we saw that our food amounted to Rs. 8000. At first we got a 440V shock but then realised that we should have asked for the price before ordering. 

Except cost Chitkul has another drawback. The road that leads to the place is two way and is very narrow with unending cliff on one side. Also after seeing the condition of the road I felt pity for the drivers who drive regularly in this kind of roads. Even if you are not a dancer you will become one when your car will move on these roads.

But, once you reach here you will forget the hectic journey and struggle you did to reach here. No, I am not exaggerating it. Still if you have confusions do visit the place and then you will realise I have said much less. 

THANK YOU! 💓

HRISHIT BHATTACHARYA

  

ENTER THE OCEANS!

Now, how about exploring an island? On the map of India you will find this tiny island in the Bay Of Bengal parallel to Sri Lanka. Though it may be tiny as it seems in the Indian map but it has lot to offer. You may have understood now that I am talking about Andaman and Nicobar islands. The most notorious place during the British rule has now turned into a major tourist destination. Not only from the country but tourists from all over the world flock to this island every year. 

No trains can avail here so only ship and flights can take you to Andaman. The ship takes a duration of nearly 3 days so most people now opt for the flights. Veer Savarkar International Airport is the only airport in this island situated in the capital Port Blair. A minimum of seven days is required to complete the tour and rather than travelling alone my suggestion would be to go through a travel agent.

I hope everyone knows Andaman was called "KALAPANI" during the British rule. It's due to the infamous prison the Cellular Jail in Port Blair. The freedom fighters would be brought here and tortured ruthlessly. The prison is now converted into one of the major historical sight of India. After exploring the jail don't forget to experience the light and sound show of India's freedom struggle and the history of Cellular Jail. If you don't watch it's a major missing. Visiting the ocean and not watching fish? It doesn't looks nice. Now, one cannot dive into the ocean to watch them. So, to solve the problem SSM aquarium is set up in Port Blair with variety of fishes on display. 

                                                CELLULAR JAIL

Do you think only Mauritius or Maldives have the best water sport? No, you are wrong. Andaman gives a tough competition to them. From Port Blair launches can be booked which takes you to some nearby places including a place called North Bay where it halts for around two and a half  hour. For water sport activities this is the best place. In this context let me tell you that we turned out to be lucky when we visited North Bay. The only danger in the waters of Andaman ae crocodiles which sometimes comes out to the beaches. For one such crocodile attack the Bay was closed for some days and opened just one day before of our visit and was closed again on the next day due to another attack. Now if it gets closed because of some such attack then it's your bad luck. Here the most adventurous sport which people enjoys the most is scuba diving. With oxygen cylinder on the back and wearing the divers dress it is a different feeling. A guide stays with you and takes you below the ocean and fishes pass through your body and you can touch the beautiful corals. They have a special type of camera where they click your underwater photo. But, don't try to show your skills here and abide by the saying of the guide. Most of the accidents in scuba diving occurs due to smartness shown by the tourist which can become a life threatening. But by following proper guidelines it's a safe sport. Another water sport taken mainly by the ones who are not confident in waters or not certified for scuba. It's known as sea walking. You will wear the divers suit with the only difference that here there is no case of carrying oxygen cylinders. A transparent helmet is worn with a pipe fitted which goes up so that you can breathe in the atmospheric oxygen and enjoy the underwater scenery. Last but not the least another diving activity is called snorkelling taken up mostly by older tourists. Here you are allowed limited activity and with the help of a mask and breathing tube you can get the underwater experience. Basically it's swimming just under the surface of water. Even if you are scared to do any of these there is solution. The glass bottom boat ride is another form of scuba where you can view the corals by a glass fitted on the bottom of the boat. Also, the dolphin boat ride is somewhat same with the difference that the boat resembles the shape of a dolphin and the look is more sophisticated. But underwater experience from a boat is enjoyed in the semi submarine ride which has a lower glass bottom deck section with inclined windows giving somewhat a diving experience. 

SCUBA DIVING

Now the Port Blair chapter gets over. It's time to explore the rest of the island. One important advice. If you have to buy anything especially medicine do buy it from Port Blair before leaving. As on the other parts there is very least number of stores. 

These parts are visited by ships which are included in your tour package. Mostly two islands are visited named Havelock and Neil. A 2-3 hours cruise takes you to Havelock island. But my request is when on the cruise just don't stay on your seat for the whole journey. The ships have a deck where you can climb and enjoy the beautiful oceans and even spot dolphins and fishes. Music is also played and many people show their dancing skills there. From young boys and girls to senior citizen everyone enjoys it. The journey doesn't seems monotonous.

In Havelock there is nothing much to do in the evening so it's better to go with a team. A beach is present here named Radhanagar beach where you can enjoy and swim in the waters. The main attraction is if you stand in the ocean after covering a certain distance you will be able to see the corals which are submerged in the water. The water is crystal clear allowing the underwater view. You can spend hours swimming there. Another beach is present here named Elephant Beach which is mainly famous for water sports activities. It includes the ones which I have mentioned earlier but scuba diving is not present. In addition to the ones above jet ski, parasailing and banana boat ride is present here. 2-3 days is enough to stay here as except the beaches nothing else is there to see.

                                            RADHANAGAR BEACH

From Havelock only another cruise ship will take you to Neil island which doesn't differentiate much from the previous one. Neil island only differs in the fact that it's more congested and sophisticated than Havelock. People come here on their way back to Port Blair from Havelock. Nightlife goes without saying is restricted to hotels and resorts. The Ramnagar and Bharatpur beach is best for water sports activities and here there is no crocodiles in the water. So, even if you miss North Bay you have a chance here. But the most popular attraction here is the natural rock bridge situated in Lakshmanpur beach. One can also spot interesting sea creatures like sea cucumber, starfish etc. The Kalapani beach is best for spending time in water.

                                      LAKSHMANPUR BEACH

Now, back to Port Blair by a cruise. No wait, the trip doesn't end here. The tribes of Andaman, Jarawas are left to be seen.  How can the trip end without visiting them?

The journey becomes hectic after this. From Port Blair it's nearly a 12 hour car journey to a place named Diglipur. You have to start very early in the morning nearly 3:30-4:00 AM and then also you will not reach Diglipur. You have to halt at a place named Rangat which you will reach by evening. On the way to Rangat you have to pass through a Jarawa belt where all cars maintain a certain speed and goes in a convoy without any halt. It takes nearly 2 hours to cross that belt. Here on the way you can spot the tribes but don't take their pictures or give food packets to them as it's a punishable offence. On the way there are two main spots. One is limestone cave and the other one is the mud volcano the only active volcano in India; both in a place called Baratang. Car is allowed upto a certain place and then by speedboats tourists are taken to the cave and volcano. Then once you reach Diglipur the main spot is the Ross and Smith islands. The 2 islands Ross and Smith are joined together by a sand bar to make them a single group of island. During high tide when the sand bar disappears it seems that the water of two different color; one blue and the other green creates a confluence. All together it's a wonderful experience which cannot be described in words. You will feel as if you are in paradise. But this we weren't lucky enough. From Diglipur jetty speed boats are available which takes you to that island. The water is filled with crocodiles and so they don't even take the slightest risk. The weather condition was bad on the day we reached. In our two day stay at Diglipur the weather showed no sign to improve. So you have to depend somewhat on your luck to experience the view.

                                          ROSS AND SMITH ISLAND

Now, again back to Port Blair and the trip ends. 

The name says Andaman and Nicobar islands. But Nicobar is totally inhabited by the tribes. Tourists or local people are prohibited from entering . So, you can only visit Andaman and not Nicobar.

Once you visit you will see that I haven't exaggerated the beauty of the islands. The trip will end one day but the memories you will create will last forever. 

THANK YOU!😊

HRISHIT BHATTACHARYA

 

    

MADE IN HEAVEN !

In West Bengal when we talk about hills we mainly understand Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Lava, Lolegaon and some other but after that by the word "hills" we understand Sikkim. But, the case is slightly different. In Bengal only there are many small areas which are not so much explored by tourists or haven't come to limelight. From a point of view of a tourists Darjeeling or Kalimpong offers more but simply as a beautiful place these are perfect. These are the ones which we call 'offbeat' areas though they cannot hold this title for long after tourists start invading them.

One of these is a place named Chuikhim. Basically, it's a village away from the main crowd. The place is developing as a tourist spot. So, it's better to visit in the developing stage than when developed. Once tourists starts crowding, a village takes less time than a bullet train to convert itself into a town. Chuikhim is a perfect place to rest away from urbanization. As internet connection will be very poor there will be no disturbance from social media or from calls. You can just rest and watch Kanchenjunga. Students who are overburdened with expectations, workers who always have a tension about their boss and office can definitely find solace in this place. 

CHUIKHIM VILLAGE

From Bagdogra airport or Siliguri railway station you can either hire a direct car or can explore Kalimpong for a day by a break journey. October-November is the best time to visit as after that landslides start taking place and many roads get blocked. This was experienced by us and the 2-3 hours journey was completed in 5-6 hours. 

Chuikhim is just a small village in the hills with only 260 families. So, there is no hotels or resorts to stay. But, the families have converted their residence into homestays to provide the tourist accommodation. The homestay in which we stayed was named MAINA MANTAREY HOMESTAY. Besides, being at a beautiful location with a clear view of Kanchenjunga from the bedroom the main thing for which we would like to visit again is the hospitality of the owner. He was so friendly that it seemed like he also came for a tour with us. In the evening he took us for a walk and made arrangements for a bonfire in which he too joined.

KANCHENJUNGA VIEW FROM CHUIKHIM

If you are foodie you have to restrict yourself here. Every item is not available here and has to be brought from the mainland. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in your booking package as there is no scope to eat outside the village. Fishes are rarely available. If you go on changing your mind it would be a stress on your purse. But the homestay owner do try to serve yo the best meal available. So, food will not be a problem to worry about.

If you go here with the mindset to see many historical palaces, forts, memorials etc. then it's completely wrong. The place doesn't have these sort of things. You can take a walk in the village and explore the birds and vegetation. Many unnamed  streams flows by whose side you can just sit and the time will flow. In this context let me tell that there's a river known as Leesh Chu that cuts through a place named Yelbong very near to Chuikhim. A natural cave is formed on the river which hasn't been explored till the end. Visitors are allowed upto a certain distance inside the cave. You all might have seen "THE JUNGLE BOOK". Also might have heard about tarzans. Let me tell you that a man stays in Chukhim up on the hills and lives the life of a tarzan. He lives in a jungle covered area in a tent. Eats fruits from plants and uses plant leaves and medicines. Our homestay owner took us to the place but unfortunately the man that time wasn't present in the tent. In the morning you have to be an early riser to watch the sunrise. If you once catch a view of it then this would be worthy of the struggle you had to do to rise early. In the morning there is option to trek the nearby areas like Lolegaon, Samtahar etc.

     
                                                RIVER LEESH CHU                                

You might not be able to imagine the beauty of the place in my words. But once you visit you will realize the beauty of the place. You will feel of revisiting whenever there will be excessive pressure or when you want to escape from urbanization.

THANK YOU!😊

HRISHIT BHATTACHARYA

 

   

THE CITY OF MANY THINGS !

 To Dominique Lapierre it's "THE CITY OF JOY". But to me along with joy it's "THE CITY OF CULTURE AND HERITAGE". Yes, I am talking about Kolkata "The Cultural Capital Of India". It may not be so much developed like New York or decorated as London but it has something of it's own which attracts people and you cannot discover it until you visit the place. 

If you are planning to visit the city then to get a full tour of it I guess you need at least 10 days. If you from Bengal then many trains are there which even I don't remember. For any other state also there is ample options for trains to which reaches either Howrah, Sealdah or Kolkata station. Out of these the Howrah or Sealdah is the best option. Prepaid taxi booths are available there to take you to your destination. For flights Dum Dum Airport and there is no such state that doesn't have a direct flight to Kolkata. Taxi sometimes charges high and so to evade this buses are there for every route which saves your time and money and also you can feel the "Bangali" culture. Oh, I just forgot to mention about India's first metro which started in this city and had developed it from time to time. For cheaper and comfortable journeys you can avail metro or even local train which has a much higher connectivity.  

Now for your accommodation which I guess even if  I don't tell you will find. But still I will tell you some of them. In the Howrah station or Airport area there are many hotels which are at a reasonable cost. But if you want to  stay luxuriously then don't worry; the city has arrangements for you also. Park Street and Salt Lake area mainly arranges for this. Some hotels include JW Marriott, Hyatt Regency, ITC Sonar Bangla, Novotel in Salt Lake and nearby areas while Park Hotel, Oberoi Grand in Park Street and neighbouring areas. The best time to visit is during winter in the month of December. 

                                ITC SONAR BANGLA

                                             HYATT REGENCY

For foodies nobody can compete with Kolkata. I would request you to taste the street foods like egg roll, phuchka, etc. Please don't forget to taste biriyani which you can find in most of the hotels but I would suggest to have it from restaurants namely Arsalan , Aminia , Oudh or Karims who are famous for Biriyani. For Chinese lovers restaurants like "Mainland China" or  "Chowman" serves you authentic Chinese. We have dedicated a whole part of the city to  China named as "Terity Bazar" or  "Chinatown". It serves Chinese breakfast early in the morning and finishes by 8:30 AM. Even here you can find some Chinese restaurants. So, if Chinese tourists come they will not feel lonely. For elite people Park street area is the best with the restaurants like Peter Cat, Mocambo, Lords and Barrons  etc. These are mainly pubs or restaurant cum bars. Now the main part for the desserts. You have to taste rosogolla the most important sweet of Bengal. Of course many other sweets are there and at every lane you will find one sweet shop. Please do taste our singaras and kachoris also.

                                            

                                                          CHINATOWN

 

                            

                                                         ROSOGOLLA

Now, coming to the tourist attractions it's an unending list. But, I will try to list some of the main spots below:-

1) JORASHANKO THAKURBARI:- Home of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore this place gives you peace whenever you visit it. Located in North Kolkata's Jorasanko area . Opening at nearly 10:00AM you can explore the prestigious house after depositing a nominal entry fee. The Girish Park metro station is nearest to this place which makes communication easier. 

                                 JORASANKO THAKURBARI

2) EDEN GARDENS:-  Every cricket player have a dream of playing at Lords. Next to it the stadium which is in their dreams is Eden Gardens. Built by the British in 1864 which makes it the worlds oldest stadium . A place where Brazilian legend Pele had played. Later it was converted fully into a cricket stadium. It's just a 5 minutes walk from the Esplanade metro. Though you can't have entry when no matches are being played but certainly you should have a glimpse of it. Very near to it is the Maidan market a large hub for sports accessories. They provide you the authentic thing at a much cheaper rates. But don't shy to bargain here. 

                                      EDEN GARDENS 

3) INDIAN MUSEUM:- Asia's largest and oldest museum with a collection of all rare and antique items the museum is a 2-3 minutes waking from Park Street metro. Opening at 10 AM you can explore our ancient world after paying the required entry fees which is very nominal of course.

                                         INDIAN MUSEUM

                                                                   

4) VICTORIA MEMORIAL:- Built as a tribute to Queen Victoria after her death this memorial now stands as an icon for Kolkata. Located at Maidan area you will find guides here who will give you a tour of the place. Inside you will find prominent features of British architecture in the colonial era. Just opposite to it is the Kolkata Race Course one of the largest horse racing venue in India. Races begin from July to September and again from October to March. They are held on every Saturdays of these months. Visitors get the taste of the royal and elite sections of the society here. It's accessible by any mode of transport but the nearest metro station being Rabindra Sadan. 

                                 
                                                 VICTORIA MEMORIAL

                                              

5) BIRLA PLANETORIUM:- The second largest Planetorium in the world and inaugurated by our first Prime Minister J.L. Nehru. From outside it gives you a vibe of the Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh. Regular shows are arranged here from 12 noon-7:00PM. The shows are conducted in Hindi, Bengali and English with different timings for different languages.

                                                    BIRLA  PLANETORIUM

        

6) SALT LAKE STADIUM:-Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan commonly known as Salt Lake Stadium for it's location. Football fans doesn't need any seperate description for this place. Witness of many historical events this stadium was established in 1984 and is the one to host Lionel Messi's first match as the Argentine captain against Venezuela in 2011. Also it organized the farewell match of Germany's legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn when Bayern Munich played against Mohun Bagan. Many such incidents are scripted here and as the name suggest it's located in Salt Lake. Numerous buses ply here and to ease transportation the E-W metro from Sealdah has a station has a station for the stadium. Though even here you can't enter when no matches are there but certainly take a glimpse.

                                     SALT LAKE STADIUM

                                              

7) INIDAN BOTANICAL GARDENS:- For nature lovers this is the best place located at Shibpur, Howrah. It's the home to many varieties of flowers and plants. The main attractions being The Great Banyan Tree which had made it's name in the Guinness Book for being the largest tree in the world though many parts of it were destroyed in a cyclone that passed over Bengal. Also the garden is famous for many varieties of orchids. But go here by bus or taxi because they pass over the famous Howrah Bridge which is a hanging bridge and you will not believe such technologies can exist if you don't see it.

                        INDIAN BOTANICAL GARDENS             

8) ALIPORE ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN:- The oldest zoo in India and a home to a large numbers of wild animals. It's the best tourist attractions in winter particularly enjoyed by the kids. Ample buses ply here . With a entry fees of Rs.50 you can enjoy the wildlife.

                     ALIPORE ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN

9) SOUTH PARK CEMETRY:- The writing was becoming monotonous. So, to make it exciting let me tell you about the 'so called' haunted place of Kolkata though nobody has seen anything here. The cemetry of many notable personalities are present here including Walter Landor Dickens son of English novelist Charles Dickens. The shooting of many films have taken pace here notably "Gorosthane sabdhan" a bengali film based on Satyajit Ray's "Feluda" series. Just opposite to "The Assembly Of God Church School" the cemetry is located which serves as a major attraction. The Park Street metro station is nearest to it and numerous number of buses are there which drop you at Mallickbazar and from there the cemetry is barely a 1 minute walk. It opens for tourists only during the day till 5 PM. It's closed in the night for the reported "ghosts" seen there.

                                  SOUTH PARK CEMETRY

There were many eminent persons from Bengal during the independence movement. Their birthplace and houses without saying is a tourist spot. Some of them includes the house of the founder of INA Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Elgin Road, Bhawanipore, the house of Swami Vivekananda in Simla Street, Hedua and the house of Raja Rammohan Roy which has now been converted into a museum among others.

Some other places which deserves a visit are Fort William, Dakhineshwar Kali Temple.For amusement do visit Nicco Park and Eco Park. Oops! Didn't mention about Mothers Wax Museum in Newtown where you can meet the celebritites but unfortunately you can meet only their statues. 

It's not possible to give a detailed description of every tourist attractions of such a large city. You have to visit this place and I assure you that you will have no confusion why Britishers made the city the capital of India during the colonial rule. 

AMIDST THE WAVES

                                                                         

Getting bored? Let's plan a short trip to Digha ; a coastal area in the state of West Bengal. Covered by the sea this place guarantees you refreshment from your tiresome life. Exams over , feeling lonely , got 2-3 days off from work or planning a date? Then this is the best place to visit for the people of Bengal.

Yes, if you are from Bengal 2-3 days is enough for the trip. 

For a pre planned trip to Digha there are ample number of express trains to take you. The best being Tamrolipto Express starting from Howrah at 6:55 AM and reaching by 10 AM. So, even if you are not an early riser but can take a little bit of stress to rise early and catch the train you will have the full day to enjoy by the sea. No problem if you cannot rise up early. You will get tired of the train options. Even you can use your personal car or rent one . Cars take 5-6 hours compared to train which take 3-4 hours. Options for buses are also open. Both private and government buses ply . The government buses are usually early in the morning at about 5AM with a common stop of every bus or car at Kolaghat and Mecheda .You can choose your convenient time to board. From Digha station there will be autos who will take you to your hotel.  

                                        A VIEW OF DIGHA STATION 

I would suggest to book the hotel beforehand because there is always a risk that you might not find reservation in any of them as people rush to Digha anytime. But the best time to visit is the winters or at the start of summers. It would be a complete waste of time and money if you go in monsoon as the sea waters are so violent that alerts are sometimes announced and so it's even risky to travel that time. Monsoons are the only time when there is off season. If you take my suggestions it would be best to book the hotel "SEA HAWK" just by the beach. In the sea facing rooms you will feel you are sitting just on the sea upon standing in the balcony. The cost  of these rooms is somewhat high i.e. Rs.4000/-. The location of this hotel is also another thing to cherish which is away from the main crowd of the people and the market. If you don't get a reservation there no need to worry. There are many more hotels for your stay.

DIGHA BEACH FROM HOTEL SEA HAWK

It's my earnest request that except lunch, dinner and sleep please do not step into the hotel. Roam around the beach by the seas in the evening and in the mornings you can also take a dip in it as many people do in sea beaches. You will feel an out of the world freshness upon sitting on the concrete walls of the beach and looking at the horizon. You can always enjoy the street foods of Bengal like "Jhalmuri" , "papri chat" etc. These suggestions were for a solo trip or with parents. But if you are travelling with friends then I guess I do not need to give any suggest

                PLACES TO RELAX BY THE BEACH

Now, for the tourists people who like to travel and explore. The first thing to see is the place of confluence where the river Subarnarekha drains into the Bay Of Bengal near the Bengal-Odisha coast. Except the confluence the main thing for which people visit there is the fish market where you can see how the fishes are unloaded from the trawler and bought to the market. You will find different varieties of fishes. Don't forget to taste some! But for this view you have to be an early riser or force yourself up early because the trawlers arrive early and they will of course not wait for you to have an experience. Apart from these there is the science museum, Digha ropeway, Dheusagar amusement park. These are all the matter of a evening and will be completed. 

                               THE CONFLUENCE 

Apart from these those who want sightseeing can visit Chandaneshwar temple, and the ample number of beaches like Talseri, Udaipur, Sankarpur etc. If you have are on a long tour you can visit Odisha where many more things awaits and is not very far from Digha. You can book cars or autos from the counters located in the marketplace or if you inform your respective hotel even they can arrange something. 

                      CHANDANESHWAR TEMPLE 

These were for the people who stay in Bengal. For those who wish to come from other state to visit Digha necessarily need to take a halt at Kolkata after getting down at Howrah or landing at Dum Dum Airport. After that you can follow the same travel itinerary. But you all have to come with a minimum of 7-10 days time in hand.            

So, this was all about the beautiful coast of Bengal. If you visit once you are bound to cherish your memories and will have a desire to come back.