Jaldapara Travel Guide
Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is situated at the foothills of Eastern Himalayas in Alipurduar Sub-Division of Jalpaiguri District in West Bengal. The river Torsha flows through this sanctuary which have an area of 141 Sq.km. Jaldapara, the vast grassland with patches of riverine forests was declared a sanctuary in 1941 for protection of the great variety flora and fauna, particularly the one-horned rhinoceros, an animal threatened with extinction.
The inception of the Jaldapara began with the dream of protecting the mammoth Indian one-horned rhinos. Jaldapara is a naturally gifted sanctuary surrounded by variety of woods, grasslands, fresh flowing streams, sandy river banks and tall blankets of grass lines. These refreshing elements of wildlife treasures are best suitable for animals. Jaldapara’s diversity sustains natural behaviors of animals by retaining feasible habitats for various species.
The magical Jaldapara Camp is located at the Sub-Division of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal, in a place called Alipurduar. This spectacular place is at the eastern side of its district. For ages West Bengal have been creating magnificent wildlife beauties by its wonderful governance of natural resources. The Jaldapara Sanctuary is a mosaic of woods, grasslands, perennial streams, sandy river banks and extensive belts of tall grass.
It contains a great diversity of flora and fauna of mixed deciduous forest, grasslands and river banks. The Malangi River also flows nearby from east to west. Drained by rivers Torsha, Malangi, Hollong, Chirakhawa, Kalijhora, Sissamara, Bhaluka and Buri Torsha, the Sanctuary provides extensive grassland which is last refuge to a wide variety of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and birds. Jaldapara is one of the most popular forests of Dooars.
The Hollong bungalow inside the forest is probably one of the most sought after tourist accommodation anywhere in India. Today Jaldapara has grown much beyond the Hollong Bungalow and has a large number of options for tourists visiting the National Park.
How to Reach Jaldapara
- By Air—Madarihat is the entry point for the sanctuary. It’s located on the NH 31 (Siliguri-Hasimara), 135 km east from Siliguri, 80 km north from Cooch Behar and 50 km west from New Alipurduar. Bagdogra is the nearest airport at a distance of 140 km
- By Rail—The nearest railway station is Madarihat which is only 7 km from the sanctuary. Only passenger trains stop here. Jaldapara Tourist Lodge is a walking distance from this railway station. But it will be easier to reach Birpara/Hasimara where all the mail and express trains stop. Both these stations are 20 km away from the sanctuary.
- By Road—Jaldapara is connected by road with Siliguri and other places in North Bengal. North Bengal State Transport Corporation buses, Bhutan Government buses, minibuses are available from Siliguri to Alipurduar via Madarihat.
Distance of Jaldapara from Below Places:
| Place | Distance (KM) |
|---|---|
|
Kolkata |
680 |
|
Siliguri |
126 |
|
New Alipurduar |
51 |
|
Buxa Tiger Reserve |
49 |
|
Chilapata |
35 |
|
Murti |
62 |
Weather
Jaldapara Temperature:
- Summer (Apr to Jun) — Temperatures are high and range between (21°C) to (32°C)
- Monsoon (Jul to Sep) — Regular and heavy rainfall happens. This is not a good season for tourists
- Winter (Oct to Mar) — Temperatures are low and range between (12°C) to (30°C)
- Best Season to Visit — Oct to Mar are the best season for tourism
Places to See in Jaldapara
The air in the Jaldapara is simply refreshing and one could sense the solitude of wilderness. The rhythms and sounds of jungle create magical effects on animals and visitors travel the mesmerizing Jaldapara Camp. Rhino is the ultimate trademark of the Jaldapara Camp.
The wildlife enthusiasts can experience the electrifying. In open woodlands, scattered grasslands and across rivers and glades scenes of strolling elephants is simply breath-taking. Wandering species such as tuskers and maknas can be spotted around the beautiful Hollong tourists lodge.
Other striking experience is when visitors get a chance to visit Jaldapara Camp during dawn and twilight zone as many species can be found in the low human traffic area. The herd of Gaur (Indian bison) and variety of deer such as chital, hog deer, Sambar and barking deer (Muntjac) can be seen marching around the sanctuary, camp in the early morning.
Amongst other species of Deer, Sambar is Asia’s largest Asiatic deer that are majorly found in bundle. Sambar prefers being close to streams and grasslands. Hog Deer by nature prefers tall grass unlike their contemporary Chital. The multi-talented ability of the barking deer fascinates visitors the most as it produces variety of sounds from its gifted vocal cords. In this thrilling camp of Jaldapara several wild pigs can spotted mainly around the open grounds and rivers as they dig tubers and bulbs.
Tourists visiting sanctuary long for the glimpse of roaring Tigers and Leopards but it is rare that these ferocious animals can be spotted during prime tourists’ hours. Visitors can try when few people are around, perhaps they may get lucky to spot these beautiful animals.
Rarest of the lot reserve includes Leopard, Fishing cat and Jungle. The remaining lot of the Jaldapara Camp is equally fascinating with the likes of Indian Civet, Common Otter, Fidgety Giant squirrel, hispid hare, Indian porcupine and pangolin.
A thrilling elephant safari is organized in the early morning from Hollong forest bungalow to offer the exquisite beauty of the vast grassland of Jaldapara. The elephant ride is the best possible way to explore the sanctuary with the rare sight of Indian rhinos and Asiatic elephants.
However elephant rides are always in high demand and they cannot be booked in advance. Tourists has to book the Elephant ride on the spot and a ride cannot be guaranteed. Recently elephant safari is also introduced from Barodabari Malangi Lodge of WBFDC. Tourists who do not get tickets from Hollong can avail of this option
The jeep safari inside the sanctuary is another major attraction. There are multiple Jeep safari being organized both in the morning and in the evening. The number of watchtowers where the Jeep safari takes tourists has increased during recent year. Tourists must travel in the forest department approved Jeep accompanied by a tourist guide
When the show of Tigers in Indian Circus was banned in 1998, many tigers were rescued and brought to the Khayerbari Tiger Rescue Centre. Leopards captured from the whole of Dooars area also find shelter here. The Tiger Rescue centre has a watchtower from where you can see the animals. There is also a battery operated small car which takes tourists on a ride inside the leopard area of the park. The rescue centre is about 15 kms from Jaldapara town.
Other Details
What to Do
Jaldapara is a birdwatchers paradise. Set out with a binocular and see the majestic flight of Hornbill, Racket-Tailed Drongo and Asian Paradise Flycatcher. See the splendours of sun set beyond the vast grassland of Jaldapara from you Bungalow deck. Jaldapara is exceptionally rich in avifauna because of varied terrain, mosaic of vegetation and rich insect life. More than 240 species of birds are found in variety of habitat- Grassland, water bodies, woodland.
The varied tree forests and rich shrub growth on the forest floor provide ideal setting for many woodland birds, such as Green Pigeons, Hornbills, Barbets, Parakeets, Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, Orioles, Drongo, Babblers, Thrushes etc. Brahminy ducks, whistling teals and Goosanders are winter visitors. The most common water birds are the large and little cormorant, Indian Shag, Darter, Egrets, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Pied Wagtail, Spur Winged Lapwing, Moorhen, and White Breasted Water hen etc. The night hunters in Jaldapara are the owls and the night jars
Where to Eat
The Forest Bungalows are the only accommodation available inside the forest. There are basic Bengali cuisine available in the hotels. There is no other shop or eatery in the jungle
What to Buy
The place is not for the shopaholics and there is nothing you can buy from here.
Get Around
To get around the place and visit other places of interests adjacent to Jaldapara, the only option for tourists is a vehicle on rental. The forest safari is organized in rented gypsies or elephant.
Top Destinations - West Bengal
– Bakkhali
– Bindu
– Bishnupur
– Buxa Tiger Reserve
– Chapramari
– Chilapata
– Darjeeling
– Digha
– Jhalong
– Lataguri
– Jairambati
– Jaldapara
– Jayanti
– Kalimpong
– Kamarpukur
– Lava
– Lolegaon
– Mandarmani
– Murti
– Murshidabad
– Rishop
– Samsing-Suntalekhola
– Santiniketan
– Sundarbans
– Tajpur
– Tarapith
Popular Tour Plans - West Bengal
1-3 Days
1. Murshidabad (2N/3D)
2. Digha (2N/3D)
3. Tajpur (2N/3D)
4. Bakkhali (2N/3D)
5. Sundarbans (2N/3D)
6. Kamarpukur-Jairambati-Bishnupur (3N/4D)
4-6 Days
1. Bakreshwar-Tarapith-Santiniketan (4N/5D)
2. Mandarmani-Digha (4N/5D)
3. Jaldapara-Chilapata-Buxa Tiger Reserve-Jayanti (5N/6D)
4. Lava-Lolegaon-Rishop (6N/7D)
5. Darjeeling-Gangtok (6N/7D)
7-10 Days
1. Jaldapara-Lataguri-Murti-Chapramari-Jhalong-Bindu-Suntanekhola (8N/9D)
2. Darjeeling-Kalimpong-Pelling-Gangtok (9N/10D)
3. Darjeeling-Gangtok-Lachen-Lachung (9N/10D)
4. Darjeeling-Pelling-Gangtok (8N/9D)
>10 Days
1. Darjeeling-Gangtok-Lachen-Lachung-Pelling (11N/12D)