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Bhutan Travel Diary 2024 - Day 0 - Kolkata to Jaldapara (Aranya Tourism Property, A unit of WBTDCL)
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A few introductory posts on Bhutan are already up on my blog (I’ll include the link at the end), so now let’s dive into the main part. I decided to call this segment Day 0 for a reason. Initially, I planned for us to fly in and out of Bhutan. However, while planning, my mom was visiting me in Pune for a few months and didn’t have her passport with her. When I tried to book flight tickets to Paro, I was required to provide our passport details, just like for any other international destination. Additionally, when my tour agency needed to apply for the e-permit, a passport or voter ID card was required. Since I couldn’t obtain my mother’s passport details in time to book the flights and secure the permits, I had to revise my plans.
Originally, we planned to start and end our trip in Paro, as the airport is located there. With that option unavailable, I had to consider traveling by road via Jaigaon/ Phuentsholing. This change meant adding extra days to the itinerary, as the journey from Bagdogra (the nearest airport to Jaigaon) to Thimphu takes 9-10 hours.
As mentioned in my previous blogs, we used the services of Amedewa Tours & Trek for this trip. They are a local Bhutanese company specializing in inbound travel. If you haven’t read the other parts yet, you might wonder why I chose a local Bhutanese company over Indian tour operators who offer Bhutan trips. While Indian tour operators might seem safer, selecting a local Bhutanese operator is also a good option. You just need to do due diligence before choosing any local Bhutanese operators. Every operator is registered under the government, and you can verify the authenticity of your local operator through this link - LINK. As long as they are on this list, they are 100% genuine, and there are no safety concerns. I was particularly impressed with Amedewa's thoroughness and attention to detail. Additionally, its owner, Tashi, is very accommodating and promptly addresses all queries and doubts. Based on my personal experience, Indian tour operators don’t offer as much flexibility. that was another reason for not choosing Indian Tour operators. For such local Bhutana
So having said all this now the plan looked like below:
- June 7 - Kolkata to Bagdogra ( early morning flight) | Bagdogra to Jaldapara ( Aranya Tourism Property)
- June 8 - Jaldapara - Jaigaon/ Phuentsholing - Thimpu
- June 9 - Thimpu Local sightseeing
- June 10 - Thimpu to Punakha via Dochula Pass
- June 11 - Punakha to Phobjika Valley | Back to Punakha
- June 12 - Punakha to Paro
- June 13 - Paro to Haa Valley via Chelela Pass
- June 14 - Paro to Siliguri [ Original plan was - Paro to Hashimara ( Train ) - this plan got changed last moment as we took a flight|
- June 15 - Siliguri to Kolkata ( early morning flight)
Fortunately, Amedewa arranged for our pickup from Bagdogra to Jaldapara and the drop from Jaldapara to Phuentsholing through a tie-up with an Indian cab provider. While I might have found a slightly cheaper option by researching local cab companies in Siliguri, I preferred not to haggle with a new company just to save Rs 1000. So, I entrusted this task to Amedewa. I must mention that all the cars they provided were in excellent condition.
The first step in realizing this trip was my journey from Pune to Kolkata. Notably, June 1st (Saturday) was election day in Kolkata, so to avoid any potential trouble, I decided to travel on the next day, June 2nd. Mom had already returned to Kolkata a fortnight earlier, so it was just me flying to Kolkata that day. The biggest challenge with the Pune to Kolkata flight is that there is only one direct flight, which is very early in the morning, requiring an early wake-up. For those wondering about the safety of traveling to Kolkata right after election day, I can assure you that I didn’t face any challenges. The cabs were available as usual. The best part of travelling on the next day of election was that the usual Sunday market which i have to cross to reach home, was absolutely deserted and that reduced my travel time largely.
After five more days, our travel day finally arrived. We had arranged for a known cab driver to take us to the airport. Our day began at 6:45 AM on a Friday morning as we set off from our home in Dumdum. Despite living just 20 minutes away from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, we aimed to arrive early to ensure a smooth check-in process.
Since it was early morning, there was practically no traffic on the road. We had already scanned our boarding passes into DigiYatra. DigiYatra is incredibly useful for bypassing queues at airports that have it enabled. Fortunately for us, both Pune and Kolkata have DigiYatra enabled.
This allowed us to go directly to the DigiYatra gates, scan the generated QR code, and verify our identity without needing to show a separate ID card. DigiYatra also provides separate entries at the security queue, reducing wait time significantly. I 100% recommend using DigiYatra for all your travels.
After bypassing the queue at entrance we still had to wait some time in the baggage drop queue. Next was security check in. This is one area I particular do not like because I carry quite a few electronic gadgets and to take them out in separate trays and again collect them after scanning is a lot of hassle. The best way to manage is to have the devices and accessories placed in either transparent pouches or individual organizers like a small camera bag). This way you don't have to pull out each and every gadget every single time. Security check in was also non eventful and it got done in a jiffy.
Then we walked towards our gates. On way we stopped at WHSmith to check out books. This is almost like a mandatory ritual for me. No matter which airport I am, I will definitely stop at the book store and do a quick survey. In case I find something interesting to read on the way, I will grab it. Since my mom is also a book lover so both of us can not resist the urge to visit these book stores whether we buy or not.
Since it was early morning, most of the shops inside the airport were still closed. We hadn't eaten anything before we left home so both of us were feeling a tad hungry. I do not remember which shop it was, but I got something which had a very unique name —fish kasundi patties. Never have I ever heard about such a thing. So I thought why not, trips are always the best time to experiment as you are already in a good mood. Along with that I also got a chicken patties, while my mom got machine made tea. Unfortunately, none of these tasted particularly good. The fish kasundi was a perfect disaster, none of the flavors went along with the pastry crust, it was like some hotchpotch of various flavors thrown in together. The chicken patties were also not fresh. Mom complained the tea was rather watery and I couldn't agree more. All 300 odd bucks spent was totally a waste.
Soon we were called for boarding. while we were in Zone 2, we were the last to be summoned for the gates. As the aircraft taxied down the runway, the engines roared to life, and we felt the thrilling anticipation of our upcoming adventure. As we ascended, the sprawling cityscape of Kolkata gradually unfolded beneath us. The vast expanse of Kolkata’s skyline transformed into a patchwork of vibrant colors and textures. The feeling of soaring above the clouds, with the promise of new adventures ahead, was a perfect start to our journey.
The aerial distance between Kolkata and Bagdogra is approximately 280 miles. Flying with Indigo, the journey took around 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete. Stepping into Bagdogra after what appeared like a million years, it felt great. So many things had changed. The taxi stand had now got permanent structures and everything was much more streamlined now. We collected our luggage and made way to the exit where our driver was already waiting for us.
The weather in Siliguri was something I didn't expect. It was reported the week before that north Bengal was getting a lot of pre-monsoon showers so I was expecting a better and pleasant whether in Siliguri compared to Kolkata. This is where the major disappointment was - the weather was as humid and uncomfortable as it was in Kolkata.
The distance from Bagdogra to Jaldapara is approximately 135 km. We would travel primarily via NH 27, then onto NH 517 and NH 17, reaching our destination in about 3.5 hours. After a 9-10 year hiatus, traveling through North Bengal felt incredibly refreshing even if the outside weather was bad. The only thing - we had to keep the windows closed and the air conditioning on throughout the journey.
We made a stop at Jaldapara before continuing to Bhutan, as we had a 5-6 hour journey to Thimpu the next day. Additionally, we wanted to spend some quality time in the Dooars to enjoy the forest. Like I mentioned we were coming back to North Bengal after so many years and there is a definite nostalgia we have about this place. So when we got the opportunity of staying one day somewhere near the border area, it was by default North Bengal. Let me mention one more thing over here, staying in Jaigaon instead of Jaldapara/ hashimara is definitely more convenient logistics wise as the next day your travel time decreases but the challenge is finding a good hotel in Jaigaon area. Most of the hotels there are lodges, 1 star or max 2 star properties and when you are with family you want to stay in a decent place, especially since we were a all ladies group. The other option is to stay overnight in Phuentsholing, which would mean you pay additional SDF for one day as you will be staying overnight.
There was one more option of stay which would pop up the moment you look up for Hashimara/ Jaldapara stays - Jungle book resort. But i went through the reviews which said they often have parties in their premises which is not something I appreciate when you are inside a forest. Hence we chose the WB tourism property over the private resort.
Finally the most awaited moment arrived when the landscape unfolded into endless stretches of tea gardens, each one appearing lush and vibrant. They were blanketed in a fresh, dewy sheen due to the recent rains, making the entire scene look almost surreal. British planters were the pioneers of tea cultivation in the Dooars and the adjacent Terai region. Today, Dooars Tea retains its British heritage and is regarded as one of the most exquisite tea varieties in the country.
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| Dooars Tea Gardens |
We arrived at the beautiful hidden gem, Aranya Tourism Property, at 1:30 PM. This property is managed by West Bengal Tourism. While entering into teh property suddenly an old memory got rekindled and my mother reminded me that we have been to this property earlier as well when we had done a North Bengal Trip some 10-12 years ago. And surely enough when I googled it told me that earlier this place was known as Jaldapara tourist Lodge which was rebranded as Aranya Tourism property.
The check -In process was smooth. They already had our details, we just had to provide our ID cards ( as mentioned during reservation) and they took a photocopy of them. Once we completed the check-in formalities, we headed to our rooms in the newly constructed brick block of the property. There are three categories of rooms/ blocks in this property ( detailed tariff is given at the end of the blog):
- Wooden block ( Old construction & most economic)
- Cottages & suites ( Old construction, suitable for medium sized families)
- Brick Block ( New construction with all modern amenities)
The brick block is slightly more expensive than the wooden block. The brick block is situated just adjacent to the wooden block and there is a flight of stairs which connects both the blocks. Just like the wooden block, the brick block is also having 3 floors. Something you should note here however is that this property doesn't have any lifts. So if you have anyone in the group with a mobility problem or a senior citizen, choose either the ground or first floor. We chose the first floor which would give us decent height and view of the forest and at the same time not too many stairs to climb. The property had someone carry our luggage to our rooms.
I was impressed with the room quality, which rivals with any 4-star hotel. At first look you wouldn't even feel this is a government property. Kudos to Didi to really spruce up the tourism game. The room is very spacious and chic. It has a number of amenities including flatscreen TV, AC, electric kettle and tea/coffee station, sofa, center table, a large double bed with enough pillows and surprise surprise two Kolbalish/ pashbalish (load pillows) for the Kolbalish loving Bengalis! Each room also has an attached balcony offering a beautiful view of Jaldapara National Park. There is additional chairs and table in the balcony for you to enjoy the view and relax. There is a big cupboard which has extra pillows and blankets. You can use this to keep your belongings. There is a separate wooden table to keep your luggage. The bathroom features sleek, modern fittings that exude both style and functionality. Soft, ambient lighting completes the look, creating a relaxing and luxurious atmosphere.
It was already lunch time and we were like super duper hungry. After a quick shower we headed for lunch at the in-house restaurant. The temperature outside was super humid and hot. Thankfully the restaurant area is completely AC. It has big glass windows which makes sure you can enjoy the surrounding view while you dine in.
I think because it was almost at the end of the lunch hour the restaurant wasn't much crowded. We found a nice table by the window and settled down. I had heard a lot about the food quality improvement in all teh WB tourism property from different Vloggers, so I was eagerly looking forward to try the food. We were presented with the menu which had a lot of items listed both under Ala carte and Thali menus. We opted for thalis - the simple reason being - taste maximum dishes on the menu. I selected the mutton thali and for mom it was chicken thali. I also keep hearing about the famous Boroli fish of this region and was super happy to see it on the menu. My mistake was to not notice that there were two different preparation of Boroli fish - simple fry and curry. I just said Boroli fish one plate to the waiter who also didn't bother to check with us which version we wanted.
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| Boroli Fish Curry |
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| Mutton Thali |
There was a lot of food in the thalis. The mutton thali came with - rice, mutton curry (2 pieces), aloo fry, bhindi aloo subzi, daal, papad, salad, chutney and rashogolla. In the chicken thali the mutton was replaced with chicken gravy. The boroli fish was served in a curry format which I really didn't want, I had visualized a super crunchy fried Boroli plate. But since it was already served and partly it was a miss form my side as well, we didn't send it back. Coming to the food, the best things I liked in the thali was aloo bhaja, bhindi subzi, daal and the chutney. The aloo bhaja and daal combo was super. But mutton was a let down. Nothing special there. Chicken was also average. The Boroli fish itself was fresh but putting it in a curry format wasn't working well. The ginger garlic wasn't sauteed well hence there was a raw smell of that in the gravy and it didn't taste nice. My first experience of having Boroli wasn't that great. I thought maybe for dinner I will again give it a try with fried Boroli. But good thing is, the taste of everything is very homely not like some hotel, so its light on the tummy.
After having a good meal, we decided to take a walk around the property. Along the way, we came across a painted map of Dooars that highlighted all the key places in and around the area. It was pretty interesting as we could spot some of the places where we have already visited.
Then we walked towards the beautifully manicured garden. The garden is really pretty filled with a variety of beautiful plants and flowers. The standalone cottages are situated around the garden's perimeter and they each have a name of a bird found in the forests of Jaldapara. Me and mom were the only two souls in the garden at that time, as I believe most of the tourists were either out for sightseeing or enjoying their afternoon siesta in the AC. If you're staying here for a few days, it's highly recommended to spend time in the garden, either relaxing with a book or simply soaking in the natural beauty. The safari booking office for Jaldapara is conveniently located right next to the resort, offering a significant advantage.
After spending some more time in the garden taking in the views, we decided to get some rest. After a nice and relaxing nap we ordered some tea and biscuits in the evening. We were still full from the lunch so didn't want to have much in snacks. We wanted to enjoy our tea in the balcony, but it was too hot and humid outside. So, after finishing our tea indoors, we stepped out onto the balcony. The sun was setting, and the forest was gradually coming to life. In the background, we could hear the sounds of beetles ( sound like bells) and peacocks. The call of the peacocks is a very unique experience for city dwellers. The peacock's call is a distinctive and resonant sound almost echoes through the forest. It begins with a series of loud, high-pitched cries that resemble a combination of a honk and a yelp, often described as "kee-ow, kee-ow." The call can be heard over long distances, piercing through the ambient noise of the jungle.
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| Evening Tea |
Since the humidity was a killer outside so we had to move back into the room. We spent some time browsing our phones and having a nice chit chat. Since I knew that from next day onwards getting a network might become a challenge so the urge of taking in social media was eminent. But we did have a nice adda also along with it. Especially the hot topic of teh day was Kangana Ranaut getting slapped by a security guard and the aftermath of it. In between I also took a backup of my photo and video dump from the day. This is an activity which takes a lot of time during my travels, but at the same time its something which has to be done.
The restaurant called and informed us about the dinner timings. So around 8 PM we decided to step out for dinner. I checked the current temperature and it showed 28 degrees outside. But I think the real feel was somewhere above 30s. It really didn't feel like we were so near to the mountains.
This time, we took the scenic route to the restaurant, walking along the backside of our room and through the main garden. The cottages were beautifully lit, looking quite enchanting in the dark. The property has I think 3 garden areas. The one in front of the brick block has many stone statues of wild animals found in the Jaldapara region. And those statues are so lifelike especially the slithering snakes hidden in the grasses, that it may give you a scare if you are not aware those are just sculptures! There is one small garden in the back of the brick block which opens to the Jaldapara national park, the view that we see from our balconies in brick block. And the third and biggest garden is the main garden which is surrounded by the cottages.
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| Brick Block - Our room was on the first floor |
I really appreciated the fact that the property used subtle lighting, which didn't cause any inconvenience to the guests at the same time ensured that the wildlife wasn't disturbed. In fact, it truly felt like we were standing inside the heart of the forest, surrounded by wildlife. The silence, punctuated by the sound of the night critters was was the most soothing music I had heard in a long time.
We walked along the backside of the wooden block towards the entrance gate. We could totally immerse in the silence all around. And that is one of the best things about this property. The lighting at the gate however was a different story - they had purple and green string lights which didn't really go with the aesthetics of the place but I think we can discount it as they had to put up something at the entrance to make it distinguishable if any tourist is coming at night.
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| Entrance Gate at Night |
There is a liquor shop in the premise for those interested. I think we saw a few locals purchasing liquor form that shop. There is also a small outlet in the property that sells wood carved artifacts. You can purchase some souvenir if you want from that place.
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| Wooden Artifacts on Sale |
There is an interesting thing right outside the gate of the property - a rickety old wooden bridge that connects the area coming form the main road with this property. We could see traces of a river below the bridge, but at that moment it was all dried up. Maybe when its full monsoon time the river comes to life. My adventurous spirit longed to walk across the bridge and explore the area at night. However, the locals advised us not to venture too far, as we were inside a forest zone.
We spent a considerable amount of time by the bridge, watching jeeps and motorcycles pass by. Each time a vehicle crossed, the bridge creaked in a way that made me fear it might give in, but it held up surprisingly well. There was an ominous, mystic vibe to the bridge, reminiscent of a scene from a ghost or thriller movie, as if something extraordinary was about to unfold. My brain went on an overdrive thinking about all the possibilities!
After spending some more time outside, we headed to dinner. This time, we both opted for the vegetarian thali as we were not that hungry. I also ordered a Katla fish fry on the side. The same alu fry and chutney was repeated in the thali. Apart from that we had a paneer subzi, cauliflower subzi, a different daal, salad, papad and, rashogolla. Veg thali was good but still the bhindi subzi they had served in lunch tasted much better. The katla fish was fresh and tasty. Since it was hot, we also took some packaged litchi drink ( paperboat) along with our meal. The restaurant has a corner where you can choose anything from the available packaged drinks at an additional cost.
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| Dinner Thali |
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| Reception Area |
We also informed one of the servers in the restaurant that we would need our breakfasts to be packed next day as we would be leaving quite early.
After finishing dinner, we headed to the reception outside the restaurant. Since we planned to check out by 7:30 AM the next day, we wanted to complete the checkout formalities that night. The receptionists, dressed in beautiful sarees as their uniform, added a touch of elegance to the experience, these small things make the overall experience a notch above any regular government properties. The lady at the desk handed me the final invoice, and I noticed a 12% GST added to the room tariff. I was a bit confused, and it seemed another group at the counter for their checkout formalities felt the same. The receptionist clarified that the online room booking charges didn't include the 12% GST. She pointed out that this was mentioned in the booking printout. The rationale was that if you didn't show up at the property, you wouldn't need to pay the GST amount; you would only pay for the room, which could be refunded according to the policy.
While returning back to the room we again took the long scenic route along the main garden area just soaking in the sights and sound of the beautiful night. In the morning I hadn't noticed, but they had a few lamps with little pug marks and they looked very cute in the night.
There was a peaceful silence all around. At one point the only sound we could hear was the crickets and I recorded that. You can check it out in the video linked below.
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| Sculptures of Animals at the entrance |
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| Wooden Block seen from the park |
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| Cottages |
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| Wooden Block seen form the park |
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| The Third garden which had life size animal sculptures |
We came back to the room and arranged all our luggage, next morning we wouldn't get time for packing. I put all my gadgets on charging and called it a day soon afterwards.
The simplicity and beauty of the forest stay at Aranya Tourism Property , with its unfiltered sounds and sights, provided a rare escape into a world where nature's rhythms set the pace, leaving us rejuvenated and inspired.
Stay tuned for the next part.
Day 0 - Trip Video:
Room Tariff as mentioned below ( as of Date 3rd August 2024, check the website for booking)
All Tariffs mentioned excludes 12% GST, so for final cost add 12% GST on top of the mentioned tariff
- A.C Cottage - Rs 3500 | Guest Capacity: 2 (Adult) , 2 (Child)
- A.C Cottage Large - Rs 4000 | Guest Capacity: 2 (Adult) , 2 (Child)
- A.C Suite - Rs 3700 | Guest Capacity: 2 (Adult) , 2 (Child)
- AC Dlx Brick Block (IIIrd Floor) - Rs 3000 (new block) | Guest Capacity: 2 (Adult) , 2 (Child)
- AC Dlx Brick Block (IInd Floor) - Rs 3000 (new block) | Guest Capacity: 2 (Adult) , 2 (Child)
- AC Dlx Brick Block (Ist Floor) - Rs 3000 (new block) | Guest Capacity: 2 (Adult) , 2 (Child)
- AC Dlx Wooden Block (IInd Floor) - Rs 2800 ( Old block) | Guest Capacity: 2 (Adult) ,2 (Child)
- AC Dlx Wooden Block (Ist Floor) - Rs 2800 (Old block) | Guest Capacity: 2 (Adult) , 2 (Child)
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