South Bengal Trip Details
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Roads in Bengal are bad even by Indian standards. The average speed on highways are about 30-35 kmph. Locals were quite helpful in giving directions. Good eateries are hard to come by on the highways. Most towns and villages don't have a bypass and going through these tiny settlements is what slows things down.
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We arranged our Sundarban Tour via Tour de Sundarbans. It is a very professionally run and well organised tour and we will highly recommend it. The pick-up is on Day1 from Kolkata and you make it to the Eco Lodge by early afternoon. You have an option to arrive in the night as well, but that will rob you off time to relax and be ready for the following day's safari. The safari is day long on a luxury boat. The food on the boat is fantastic and there is a very good, clean flush toilet on the boat. The guides are very knowledgeable. You have an option to stay for the second night or head straight back to Kolkata after the safari. The lodge is a bit rustic, but comfortable. There is attached flush toilet. The staff is very helpful and helped arrange all our needs. On the flip side, the water in all of Sundarbans is muddy and lodge is no exception.
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Tatvam Residency, Kolkata We stayed in Tatvam residency couple of times for one day each. Pros: The rooms and bathrooms are quite clean. The staff was very courteous and very helpful. They helped us with car bookings and planning our sightseeing. We went there a week after the demonetisation. We did not have enough cash on us for booking a car for our forward journey. They agreed to take the car payment on credit card and then pay the car agency later. The tariff is quite reasonable. Cons: The place is not easy to locate and is not close to the city centre. It is a bit of a challenge to find transport to/from this hotel. The area surrounding the hotel is quite bad and there is no other option for eating other than to rely on the hotel itself. The food was pretty average.The Bengali thali was decent. But the Chinese and North Indian dishes were just about palatable. The rooms are small. The bathrooom had leaky plumbing.
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Bishnupur Tourist Lodge, Bishnupur Pros: This is a typical government run establishment with no frills attached. Pros: This is the only decent pace to stay in Bishnupur. There is quite a lot to see here. So you have to overnight in Bishnupur to do justice to the place. You are pretty much forced to stay in this hotel as there are very little options. The rooms and bathrooms are clean. The staff is courteous. The location is good and it is easy to find transport to tour the sights. The front desk helps with all travel arrangements. There is ample parking space. Tariff is quite reasonable. Cons: The food is pretty average. The interior decor of the rooms are just about what you would expect in a govt run establishment.
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The Fame, Murshidabad The main purpose of our visit was for touring Murshidabad's sights. There aren't any decent hotels in Murshidabad and we had to stay in Behrampore which is about 30 mins drive away. Pros: The rooms and bathrooms are spacious and quite clean. The bed was comfortable. The staff was courteous and helpful. The food was decent. The place is quiet at nights. Tariff is quite reasonable. Cons: The place is located a bit out of the main town. So it is a bit of a hassle to find transportation. There aren't any places to eat nearby and you are stuck with the restaurant at the hotel. The front desk was a bit slow.
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Golden Park Hotel & Resort, Malda Pros: This is one of the few good hotels in Malda. The rooms and bathrooms are clean and spacious. The staff is very courteous and helpful. The front desk helped us with all travel needs and their service is excellent. The service at the restaurant is quite prompt as well. The tariff is very reasonable. Cons: The place is located out of town. It is bang on the main highway and that is great if you are overnighting here on your way north. But if you are staying here to visit Gour and Pandua ruins, the place is a hassle to get to. You have to cross the entire Malda Town when coming from south. The restaurant food is not great. Since the place is in middle of nowhere, you are stuck with the restaurant for your meals. It is impossible to find any transportation outside the hotel. You have to rely on your own vehicle or on cars booked by the hotel.
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Kolkata to Hooghly: 75 kms, 2 hrs. Better leave early to beat Kolkata traffic. The road is decent till the Bandel turnoff. After that it is quite narrow and traffic ridden till the end.
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Hooghly to Bishnupur: 140 kms. Takes about 3 to 4 hrs at an easy pace. The roads are mostly one lane.
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Bishnupur to Shantiniketan: 130 kms. Takes about 3 to 4 hrs at an easy pace. The roads are mostly one lane.
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Shantiniketan to Behrampore: 110 kms. It takes 3 hrs and the roads are in pretty bad condition. It is not recommended to drive this at night time. Too many potholes and livestock on the road.
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Behrampore to Malda: 175 kms; 4.5 hrs. The road is decent till Farraka and after that it is slow going till Malda. Crossing either Malda or Behrampore is a nightmare at any time of the day or night
- Kolkata: Must sees are Victoria Memoria (1 hr), Indian Museum (1 hr), Dakshineshwar Temple (go by 7 am for quick dharshan), Netaji Bhawan (30 mins), Marble Palace (30 mins), Tagore House (1 hr), Jain Mandirs (there are three of them co-located), Botanic Gardens (2 hrs - try to take a to-to to save on time), Park Street Cemetery (30 mins).
- Bishnupur: It takes at least half a day to do justice to this place. The must-sees are Radhashyam, Jor Bangala, Rasmancha, Madan-Mohan, Shyamrai Temples. Baluchari Sarees and Terracotta horse are famous here.
- Shantiniketan: Everything interesting is in and around the Kala Bhavan and it is not worth touring the entire campus. The part that is worth seeing takes about 2 hrs on foot to see.
- Murshidabad: Must sees are Katra Mosque (30 mins), Kathgola Palace (30 mins - 1 hr)and the Hazarduari Complex. The Hazarduari museum alone will need 2 hrs. Don't miss the darbar hall in the Kathgola and Hazarduari Palaces. Whole of Murshidabad can be covered in about 4 to 6 hrs.
- Gour/Pandua: This is a full day sightseeing from Malda. Gour will take 3 to 4 hours and Pandua about 2. It is better to go in a small vehicle (no bigger than a SUV) as larger ones cannot get to all the monuments in Gour. It is better to recruit some local ASI employee to show you the sites. Must sees in Gour are Baraduari Mosque, Dakhil Darwaza, Firoz Minar, Qadam Rusul Mosque, Chamkan Mosque, Gumti Gate, Tantipara Mosque, Gunmant Mosque and Lottan Mosque. Pandua has just 3 places to see - Adina, Eklakhi Mausoleum and Sona Masjid.
TRIP ITINERARY