Planning Dooars

The Dooars valley is famous for its wildlife sanctuaries, the notable ones are the  Gorumara National Park (75 km from Siliguri), Chapramari forests (68 km from Siliguri), Buxa Tiger Reserve (200 km from Siliguri) and the Jaldapara wildlife Santuary (124 km from Siliguri) are the important ones.
Siliguri is the to gateway to the Dooars. As Cooch Behar is the headquarters of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation, the place is well connected by long distance bus routes to Siliguri as well as to Kolkata, Jalpaiguri and other areas of the stateThere is a broad gauge railway service connecting Cooch Behar with Kolkata via New Jalpaiguri (NJP railway station near Siliguri). The meter gauge railway service via Alipurduar can also be avail of. The nearest airport to Siliguri is Bagdogra, connecting Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati.
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Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary

Situated in Alipurduar Sub-division of Jalpaiguri district  of West Bengal  at aboutt 124 km from Siliguri. This sanctuary was constituted in  1941 for the protection of Wild Life, particularly one-horned Rhinoceros which was threatened with extinction. River Torsa runs through the sanctuary. The forest consists mainly of  tall elephant grasses. The wildlife, in addition to one-horned Rhinos, are Royal Bengal Tigers, wild Elephants, Deer, Sambhar, Barking Deer, Spotted Deer and Hog Deer, wild Pig, Bisons and a number of Birds, Peafowls.

General Information

Area : 114 sq. kms.

altitude : 61 metres (200 ft.)

Best Season : October to May, particularly March & April, when new grass is growing.

Off Season : 15th june to 15th September (Sanctuary closed)

ConductedTours

Jaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary including Dooars & Phuntsholing (Bhutan) - 2 days.

Rates : Accommodation at Hollong Tourist Lodge/ Jaldapara Tourist Lodge at Rs. 1100 per head for Indian tourists and Rs. 1575 per head for Foreign tourists.

Tour is inclusive of food, accommodation, elephant charges & transportation.

Tour starts from Tourism centre, Govt. of West Bengal, M-4 Building, Pradhan Nagar, Hill Cart Road, Siliguri - 734403 every Saturday at 12 noon and returns to Siliguri on Sunday by 5 p.m.Elephant ride is arranged for viewing of wildlife, preferably at dawn.

Arrangements are available at Hollong Tourist Lodge,

P.O. - Madarihat, Phone - (03563) 262228

Accommodation

Jaldapara Tourist Lodge

P.O. - Madarihat, District - Jalpaiguri

Phone : Madarihat (03563) 262230

Number of rooms :

22 double bedded rooms @ Rs. 1000 including all meals;

13 bedded dormitory @ Rs. 300 per bed including all meals

6 double bedded Hut Rs. 650 per cottage with food.

Reservation Authority

Tourism Centre, Govt. of West Bengal

3/2, B.B.D. Bag (East), Kolkata – 700001

Phone : 22485917 / 22488271

Tourism Centre, Govt. of West Bengal

M-4 Building, Pradhan Nagar, Hill Cart Road,

Siliguri – 734403

Phone : (0353) 2511979, 2511974, 2432561

Tele Fax : 2511979, 2432561

Transport
Road : Jaldapara is connected by road with Darjeeling and Siliguri & other towns of North Bengal. North Bengal State Transport Corporation Buses, Bhutan Govt. Mini Buses and Private Buses are available from Siliguri to Alipurduar via Madarihat.

Route :-

a) Darjeeling - Siliguri - Jalpaiguri (via New Teesta Bridge) - Maynaguri - Dhupguri - Gairkata - Birpara - Madarihat (140 miles or 204 km) or

b) Darjeeling - Siliguri - Sevoke - Bagrakote - Mal - Chalsa - Nagrakata - Binnaguri - Birpara - Madarihat (214 km).

Journey time from Siliguri is about 4 hours

GARUMARA NATIONAL PARK

This park is located in the Dooars region of Jalpaiguri district. River Murti, Jaldhaka and Ingdong have passed through this national park. In the year 1949, Garumara Forest was declared as wildlife sanctuary when it was a small forest. Later in the year 1992, it was declared as a National Park, comprising of 89 kms. of diverse forest.

Lataguri is the nearest small Tourist Strip near Garumara National park. Private Resorts / accommodation are available here. Tourist may visit Garumara in day time staying at Lataguri.

Day visit permission to the National Park may be obtained from : Nature Interpretation Centre, Department of Forest 9Govt. of West Bengal), Lataguri

HOLLONG TOURIST LODGE:

P.O.- Madarihat, Dist.- Jalpaiguri

Phone : (03563) 262228

No. of rooms : 7 double-bedded rooms

Rs. 425 + Service Charge Rs. 150 for Indians

Rs. 850 + Service Charge Rs. 300 for foreigners.

Food (dinner, breakfast & bed tea only ) compulsory @ Rs. 110 for Indians and Rs. 160 for foreigners.]

Tourism Centre, Govt. of West Bengal

M-4 Building, Pradhan Nagar,

Hill Cart Road, Siliguri - 734403

Phone : (0353) 2511979, 2511974, 2432561

Tele Fax : 2511979, 2432561

E-mail : maitl@dte.vsnl.net.in

Tourist Bureau, Govt. of West Bengal

1, Nehru road, The Mall,

P.O. – Darjeeling

Phone : 254050

Divisional Forest Officer

P.O. & Dist. - Cooch Behar

Phone : 227185