India Travel

Travel details in North Bengal

Related Properties from Gurgaon

North Bengal in North Bengal

North Bengal, where the Himalayas soar from the flat alluvial plains towards Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan, holds some magnificent mountain panoramas, and also some of India's best hill stations. Most visitors pass as quickly as possible through Siliguri en route to Darjeeling, Kalimpong and the small state of Sikkim. For anyone with a bit of time on their hands, the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the one-horned rhino, bison and wild boar, east of Siliguri near the Bhutanese border, makes a worthwhile detour. Besides the occasional strike, few travellers will notice, but today the region is wracked by political turmoil, with

Moving on from Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh

Indian Airlines fly thrice weekly to Delhi (Mon, Wed, Fri 3pm). HRTC run numerous buses to destinations in Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. Most travellers prefer to book "deluxe" buses through operators in McLeod Ganj near the bus stand. Try Himachal Travels (01892/21428) or Potala Tours & Travels, Bhagsu Road, opposite Hotel Tibet (01892/21378). Buses to Pathankot, handy for train connections and road access to Dalhousie and Chamba leave every 30min from the rains bus stand in the lower town. As well as the services listed in the Travel Details on p.589, there are two or three buses a week

Information about Calcutta

The efficient and friendly Government of India Tourist Office, Shakespeare Sarani (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-lpm, is your best bet for information on Calcutta,'West Bengal and destinations further afield, and can assist with itineraries and booking tours.The Government ofWest Bengal Tourist Bureau. 3/2 BBD Bagh East, arranges tours of Calcutta and package trips around West Bengal. They also issue permits and book tours and accommodation at the Sunderbans and Jaldapara wildlife parks. Tourist information counters at the airport and Howrah Station offer the same services. English-language newspapers such as the

Information on Calcutta

The efficient and friendly Government of India Tourist Office, 4 Shakespeare Sarani (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-1 pm;) is your best bet for information on Calcutta, 'West Bengal and destinations further a field, and can assist with itineraries and booking tours. The Government of West Bengal Tourist Bureau, 3/2 BBD Bagh East (©033/248 8271), arranges tours of Calcutta and package trips around West Bengal. They also issue permits and book tours and accommodation at the Sunderbans and Jaldapara wildlife parks. Tourist information counters at the airport and Howrah Station offer the same

Malda and around in Central Bengal

The large, unattractive commercial town of MALDA. 340km north of Calcutta, straddles the highway co the north and is renowned for ins local mango harvest. A natural port, at the confluence of two rivers, it was once a prosperous trading post for silk and cotton: in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries it housed Dutch, French and English factories. Little of interest has survived from that period, but Malda makes a good base to explore the historic sites of Gaur and Pandua, both earlier capitals of Bengal, which can be reached by either bus or tonga. Malda is on the main line

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in North Bengal

Apart from Darjeeling and the hills, most of North Bengal is well off the beaten track; few travellers venture off the Darjeeling-Sikkim-Nepal road. Probably the best reason to do so is to visit the small Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, roughly 124km east of Siliguri. The sanctuary was established in 1943 to help protect wildlife against the encroachment of tea cultivation. Consisting of tracts of tali elephant grass on the banks of the River Torsa, and set against the backdrop of forested foothills, it now shelters around fifty highly endangered greater one-horned rhinoceroses, wild elephants, sambar and hog deer. jaldapara is open from

Coastal Bengal

The coast of West Bengal consists of two very distinct sections, on either side of the River Hooghly. To the east are the Sunderbans, one of the largest estuarine deltas in the world covering an area of 2500 square kilometres. Here you'll find the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve and the seaside resort of Bakkhali. On the west side of the Hooghly, an unbroken line of beaches goes all the way to Digha, the last resort before the coastline of Orissa begins.

By air in Delhi

Indian Airlines, whose main office is in the Malhotra Building on F-Block, Connaught Place, near Wimpy, operate the largest network of internal flights, though private carriers serve more destinations; tickets can be bought through travel agents or the main offices. All flights leave from the domestic terminal, 15km southwest of town, easily reached by the convenient EATS bus service (Rs50 plus Rs5 for luggage; 30min) that departs from Pahka Bazaar, just opposite Wimpy. Rickshaws and taxis are more expensive, but slightly quicker. Passengers on domestic flights must check in two hours prior to departure. A simple food counter sells tea,

About Calcutta and West Bengal

Unique among Indian stares in stretching all the way from the Himalayas to the sea, WEST BENGAL is nonetheless explored in depth by few travellers. That may have something to do with the exaggerated reputation of its capital, CALCUTTA, which is actually a sophisticated and friendly city that belies its popular image as poverty-stricken and chaotic. Certainly the rest of Bengal holds an extraordinary assortment of landscapes and cultures, ranging from the dramatic hill station of Darjeeling, within sight of some of the highest mountains in the world, to the vast mangrove swamps of the Sunderbans, prowled by man-eating Royal

Moving on from Kochi/ErakuEam in Kerala

For an overview of travel services to and from Kochi/Ernakulam, see Travel Details on p.1378. By air The new international airport (0484/610050, 610115. or 610116) at Nedumbassery near Alwaye (aka Alua), 26km to the north of Ernakulam, has been designed to attract international flights especially from the Gulf. Jet Airways has two flights a day to Mumbai, and Indian Airlines operates daily flights to Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, and Thiruvananthapuram. Indian Airlines flies six days a week to Chennai, and twice weekly to Goa, Coimbatore, Hyderabad and Calicut. If you want to fly to the Lakshadweep Islands, contact Casino Hotel, Willingdon Island f-

Central Bengal

Central Bengal offers little in the way of major sights to tempt tourists off the Calcutta-Darjeeling route. It is a low-lying rural region where the pace of life is in stark contrast to that of its frenetic capital, Calcutta. Shantiniketan, built on the site of Rabindranath Tagore's lather's ashram, is a haven of peace, and a must for anyone interested m Bengali music, art and culture. The other highlights of the region include a cluster of exquisite terracotta temples in Bishnupur, the rums of Gaur, the region's seventh-century capital, and the palaces of Murshidabad. capital of Bengal's last independent

Pandua in Central Bengal

The splendid Adina Masjid at PANDUA, 18km north of Malda, built by Sikander Shah around 1370, was in its day the largest mosque in the subcontinent. It now lies in ruins but these still betray the origin of much of the building materials - carved basalt masonry from earlier Hindu temples was used to support 88 brick-built arches and 378 identical small domes, the design following that of the great eighth-century mosque of Damascus. Other monuments include the Eklakhi mausoleum - one of the first square brick tombs in Bengal with a carved Ganesh on the doorway; and Qutb Shahi Masjid,

Moving on from Aurangabad in Maharashtra

Daily flights from Aurangabad to Mumbai (40min; $75) are operated by Jet Airways (8.45pm) and Indian Airlines (5.30pm). The Indian Airlines flight also carries on to Delhi ($175). Their office is on Jalna Road (3 0240/485421). Ail the state transport corporation (MSRTC) buses leave from the Central bus stand and the MTDC buses depart from the MTDC Holiday Resort. The MSRTC run good-value "luxury" daily night-buses to Mumbai. If you feel like a little more comfort, there are a couple of companies running more expensive a/c buses to most of the larger destinations; tickets can be booked through travel agents. Getting

Practicalities in North Bengal

Bagdogra airport, 12km west of Siliguri and served by flights from Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati, is connected not only with Siliguri itself, but also directly to Darjeeling as well as to Gangtok in Sikkim by helicopter.

Hospital in Goa

Panjim's largest hospital, the Goa Medical College (aka the GMC), in the west of town at the far end of Avda Dom Joao Castro, is grim and overstretched; if you're able to travel, ™ head for the more modern and better-equipped -Salgaonkar Hospital. Ambulances are likely to get you there a lot less quickly than a standard taxi. Music and dance Regular recitals of classical rri Indian music

Inter-island services in The Andaman Islands

Buses connect Port Blair with most major settlements on South and Middle Andaman, mainly via the Andaman Trunk Road. From the crowded, disorganized bus stand at the bottom of town, one daily government service at 5am runs via Rangat (6hr) as far as Mayabunder (9hr), from where you have to catch a boat across the straits to Kalighat on North Andaman in order to press on north to Diglipur and Ariel Bay. There's another daily service to Rangat at 6am. Several private companies including Geetanjali Travels (tickets at Tillie teashop by the bus stand) and the cheaper Ananda run deluxe

Travel details of North Sikkim

Jeeps tend to go when full, except for the Gangtok-Ghezing and Pelling services, which depart once daily. There are no train or plane services available and the helicopter service from Gangtok only operates to meet flights at Bagdogra. Buses cost a few rupees less than the Jeeps but they are much slower and tend to be a lot more uncomfortable. Jeeps Gangtok to: Darjeeling (5-6hr); Ghezing (4-5hr); Kalimpong (3-4hr): Pelling (5-6hr); Mangan (2-3hr); Siliguri (5-6hr). Ghezing to: Gangtok (5-6hr); Jorethang (2hr 30min -3hr); Pelling (30min); Yoksum (2hr 30min-3hr). Jorethang to: Darjeeling (2hr); Gangtok (4-5hr); Ghezing (2hr); Legship (1hr).

Travel details in Ladakh

The bus details here apply during the tourist season between July 1 and September 15 only, after which date the Manali-Leh highway is officially closed. Most other roads, including the highway from Leh to Srinagar Kargil, remain open till the end of October. Despite heavy snow falls, the road from Leh to the Nubra Valley over the open all year. Buses Leh to: Alchi (1 daily; 3hr); Chemrey (3 daily; 2hr); Dishit (Nubra) (1 weekly; 6hr); Hemis (1-2 daily; 1hr 45minl; Kargil (2-3 daily; 6hr 30min); Lamayuru (2-3 daily; 6hr 30min); Likkir (1 daily; 3hr); Manali (6-8 daily; 28hr); Matho (2 daily;

Travel details in Mumbai

Trains Direct services to: Agra (4 daily: 23hr 15min-27hr): Ahmedabad (4 daily; 7hr 10min-12hr); Aurangabad {2 daily: 7hr 20mim: Bangalore (3 daily: 24hr 30min); Bhopal (4 daily: 14hr); Calcutta (4 daily; 33-40hr); Chennai (3 daily; 24-29hr); Coimbatore (1 daily; 10hr); Delhi (11 daily; 17-33hr); Hyderabad (2 daily; 15-17hr); Indore (1 daily: 14hr 35min); Jaipur (2 daily: 18-23hr|; Jodhpur (1 daily; 22hr; change at Ahmedabad); Kolhapur (3 daily; 11 -12hr): Nagpur (4 daily; 14-15hr): Nasik (15 daily: 4hr); Pune (25 daily: 3hr 15min-5hr): Thiruvananthapuram (2 daily; 42tir); Udaipur (1 daily; 25hr: change at Ahmedabad); Ujjain (1 daily; 12hr 25 min): Varanasi (2 daily;

Australia and New Zealand

Auckland Hospital, Park Road, Grafton 09/797440. General traveller health advice. Travel-Bug Medical and Vaccination Centre, 161 Ward St, North Adelaide 08/8267 3544.Consultations, inoculations, first-aid/medical kits, post-travel examinations. Travellers' Immunization Service, 303 Pacific Hwy, Lind field, Sydney 02/9416 1348. Offers inoculations and general advice.