Dubbed the ‘City Of Joy’, you would find yourself right in the midst of pomp and adventure in Kolkata, as exhibited by the citizen’s joie de vivre. You can also explore numerous attractions around the city, which makes for an enjoyable weekend getaway with your friends and family.
Right from the thrill of evergreen, dense forests, the peace of serene beaches and mystery of historical hotspots, places around Kolkata offer all kinds of landscapes to satisfy the traveller in you. Let’s take a look at some of the hot spots in and around this city for a perfect weekend getaway.
Sundarbans
The UNESCO World Heritage Site is widely known for its lush mangrove forests, variety of wildlife and remarkable biodiversity.
Best Time To Visit
Sunderbans is visited frequently by tourists across all seasons. Summers can be pretty hot with higher temperatures with humidity rolling further in the coming months, with some heavy monsoons towards the end of the year. In all, September to March is the best time for you to visit the destination. The weather is quite pleasant around this time, with temperatures ranging between 25 and 31 degrees approximately. The sunshine is mild and inviting, making it perfect for you to step outdoors and indulge in sightseeing and other fun activities. If you could brave the weather during monsoon, you would enjoy the ride to Sunderbans as the whole scenery looks breathtaking.
Best Routes
There are several routes often plied by tourists in order to reach Sundarbans. It is perfect for a weekend getaway as it takes around 130 km from the West Bengal’s capital, making it easy to complete the journey. This route is best enjoyed in a car with your closed ones as you pass through some mesmerising sceneries throughout the ride. It would approximately take you around three to four hours to reach Sunderbans by car.
The best route is to ride till Canning Rail Station by car, which is 45 km away from Kolkata. It takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to reach there. From here, you’ll have to reach Sonakhali where you can board a ferry boat to reach Sundarbans.
Places Of Interest
One activity which peaks the interest of most travellers is tiger sightseeing. While taking a boat ride to reach Sundarbans, you’d come across some lush creeks, canals and waterways, making it a memorable experience for avid travellers. You would be lucky if you spot one or more tigers while you tour this secluded area. Katka is a renowned base for safaris near Sundarbans, and you can spot deer, monkeys and some rare species of birds here.
Sajnekhali is a bird paradise located near Sunderbans, where you can snap some beautiful photographs. The sanctuary is home to nearly 200 species of winged creatures living in its natural habitat. A prominent island near Sundarbans is Kanak, where you can find the Olive Ridley turtles. These rare and unique turtles pop out at these islands for their nesting season around December to March, making it a great experience for tourists to witness.
Bakkhali
Bakkhali features serene beaches with hard sand, and the 7 km coastline is perhaps the most breathtaking beaches situated in India.
Best Time To Visit
Being right on the coast, temperatures at Bakkhali feel hot throughout, with precipitation possible for nearly half of the year. Temperatures reach around 37 degrees Celsius around May and June, so if you are planning to drop by in the summer, it is better you travel safely by car. Usually, the best time to drop by the beach town falls between the months of October and March.
The monsoons are equally generous with heavy and continuous showers, and it puts a stop to a number of tourist activities and attractions. So, it is highly advised to take a look at weather updates before starting on your journey to the coastal town of Bakkhali.
Best Routes
The scenic town of Bakkhali takes around 3 hours and 15 minutes to reach from Kolkata. Travellers usually ply down via the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and NH12. It is situated approximately 130 km away from Kolkata. The journey is scenic and is a beautiful experience by car. The roadways are well laid out and there is not much traffic down this route. You can find some good restaurants and chai stops near Diamond Harbour which is ideal for a quick break.
The road runs through Diamond Harbour and Kakdwip to Namkhana, where the car has to be transported across the Hatania-Doania Bridge. From the Joka tram terminus down at Kolkata to Bakkhali, the 130 km stretch is a smooth and hassle-free journey for tourists. You could also use the route via the Kona Expressway to Bakkhali which is also blessed with great roads and stopping points, as it is part of the golden quadrangle project linking the four metros of India.
Places Of Interest
One of the popular places enroute is the Henry Island sea beach, a virgin beach famous for its tranquillity and crabs. Mangrove trees and crystal clear seawater attracts visitors from all around the globe. It also offers cottages and guesthouses for you to stay at, and some amazing local food. For a spiritual experience, drop by the Bishalakshmi Temple, a small and quaint temple built out of red stones.
You could also take a ferry down to Jambudweep Island, which is an isolated mangrove island, an abode to various species of reptiles, fish and bird species. It is a popular spot for fishing, but the island remains submerged for part of a year. For more wildlife sightseeing, you should drop by the Crocodile Park near Bakkhali, which is West Bengal’s only reserve park for crocodiles. The entire park is surrounded by mangrove trees and is a breeding centre for various crocodiles,ranging from babies to adults.
Bishnupur
Bishnupur, the temple town set in the Bankura district of West Bengal, is known for its lavish heritage, proud culture and brilliant architecture all around.
Best Time To Visit
Bishnupur is pretty much open for tourists during all the months. You would experience the lavish town in all its glory when you take a road trip in pleasant weather conditions. Winter is the perfect time to plan a trip to Bishnupur as the weather remains cool and pleasant, making it favourable for sightseeing and other activities. The temperature during this season usually ranges from 12 to 23 degrees Celsius.
During the summers, the weather here gets scorching hot, and it would be highly uncomfortable to roam around and get to visit every temple here. The temperatures around this period range from 32 to 42 degrees Celsius, so it gets extremely hot to travel. Monsoons turn the town into lush green.. Also, the presence of high humidity in the air can make your overall experience disastrous. It would help to keep an eye on the weather updates before you plan a trip to Bishnupur.
Best Routes
There are several ways to reach Bishnupur from Kolkata by road. The heritage town is set at around 140 km from Kolkata and takes approximately 3 hours and 55 minutes to reach the destination by car. The most popular route is via Asansol, Durgapur, Panagarh and Bankura, which is slightly longer in route, but you get excellent, smooth road conditions all the way to Durgapur, some scenic jungle views, good resting points and less to moderate traffic throughout.
The other alternative route is through Dankuni and Arambagh which is the shortest route to Bishnapur, but is strewn with some average to bad road conditions. You would also witness heavy traffic at places like Dankuni, Champadunga and Arambagh, which makes it less ideal. There is another possible route you could take through Singur, Tarakeshwar and Arambagh which again faces bad road conditions and traffic.
Places Of Interest
The old cultural town has a lot to offer in terms of history, as it goes back all the way to 694 AD when it was ruled by the Malla Dynasty. You would find several stunning monuments enroute such as Rasmancha, which is a unique temple surrounded by a beautiful garden. Rasmancha was built in order to enable a mass scale worship of the deities during the Ras festival. The mammoth structure lights up during the night, as you would be mesmerised by the marvellous sight of Rasmancha. There are several other temples around here which would pique your interest as well.
Bishnupur Museum, primarily known as the Acharya Jogesh Chandra Purakriti Bhavan, is one of the prime places to visit. From microliths of the Mesolithic Era to sculptures of the 12th century, the museum has an invaluable collection. You’ll also find some coins and artefacts from the very ancient rulers in Bishnupur, right from the Gupta kings to the Pal kingdom. The museum also houses a music gallery and a tribal art gallery which shouldn’t be missed out on.
Summary
In this article, we have covered pretty much the most popular spots around the city of Kolkata. The places range from wildlife sanctuaries, to lush green jungles and popular devotional and heritage sites. You would be facing a busy and hectic life throughout the week as most citizens do in the bustling city of Kolkata, so it is relieving indeed to take some time off your work schedule and disembark on a beautiful weekend getaway.
Find time during the best travelling season, make sure to plan in advance and enjoy ticking off these spots one by one off the list.
