Never hesitate to open the door to every breath
of fresh air, new beginnings and most importantly to embrace the uncertainty of
the unknown. I did that in February this year. At times you need to escape the
real to live the reel or rather discover bits of the real you, struck down by
daily reel life!
After a lot of coordination, bit of planning and follow ups for the first time the entire family agreed upon taking a small holiday to a gorgeous hill station situated in the North of Bengal - Dooars.
We flew to Bagdogra - a small airport connecting the north of the State and hill stations around it to rest of India. Another drive for two hours - before the doors opened to Dooars - a delightful, scenic and peaceful hill station filled with large and lush tea gardens, some wild elephants and delicious momos.
The name Dooars is derived from “doors” as the region is the gateway to the whole of North-east India and Bhutan.
Apart from being green and gorgeous Dooars can truly act as that catalyst to help you relax and breathe in its rejuvenating air. It was a sojourn through rolling hill slopes, absolutely splendid, vast and lush tea gardens, meandering mountain streams and a bevy of beautiful Sal forests.
The picturesque Teesta River flowing away in front of your naked eye flanked by the daunting and undulating hilly terrain wanting to kiss the endless sky is simply breath-taking. One can even capture, a blue outline of the great Himalayan ranges in the horizon. A drive through the Dooars plains, the gateway to Bhutan and the whole of North east India, was truly a wonderful experience for the entire family.
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| The Teesta - what a view |
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| Wanderlust - Tea Gardens |
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| Love this one - Radhika my sister in law |
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| Feeling free & green |
Dooars is also well-known for its rich biodiversity and forests, the most notable of which are Gorumara National Park, Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, and Buxa Tiger Reserve - home to the rare one-horned rhinoceros, wild elephants, the mighty bison, leopard, spotted deer, sambar, hog deer, reptiles, huge wild tuskers, wild boars, and the rarest variety of and birds, including peacocks.
While we were driving back to our resort one afternoon we spotted a wild elephant from a distance. It was quite interesting to witness the carefree attitude of the lovely huge animal, strolling away across the local rail lines. The officer in charge had to inform the controlling station to slow down any approaching train. This is apparently very common in Dooars and one of the important tasks of the rail officer on duty.
Other places of attraction in and around the region include Jayanti, a beautiful spot encircled by the Jayanti River and the hills around. Bhutanghat famous for its scenic beauty, is close to the river Raidak that borders Bhutan.
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| Bhutan Border |
While driving around and stopping by sights and sounds of Mother Nature do not miss enjoying some local Druk beer and delectable momos.
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| Enjoying an amazing view and that's The Druk Beer |
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| Momolicious |
The Stay: http://www.sinclairshotels.com/dooars
We stayed at this pretty resort called Sinclairs Retreat Dooars located at Chalsa Hilltop spread over 20 acres of verdant green. We took walks admiring the open spaces and nature. Waking up to the view of colourful flower beds was wonderful. We hired a few cycles and went cycling one evening within the resort.
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| One of the many flower beds |
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| Cycling Fun |
One evening while we were going for dinner, the resort was hosting a musical evening by the lawns. The local Santhal dancers were performing by the bonfire. It was fascinating to see them rhythmically sing dance and make merry!
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| Folk dance by the bonfire |
So I would surely recommend everyone to try and visit this place especially if you are planning a short trip anywhere near Calcutta or the North - East.
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| Family.... |
Love
Debarati
