Getaway In Bengal

Have you ever been to a place where you feel limitless and part of the nature?

If you have, then here is few more places to add to your bucket list and if you haven't then PLEASE move out of that eat-sleep-work loop and explore the wildness of nature.

This summer I went to such 'heaven on earth' places, namely Rishyap, Lava and Loleygaon each one better than other.

The easiest way to reach any of these places is to reserve a car from Bagdogra (if you are traveling by plane), New Jalpaiguri (if you are traveling by train) or Siliguri (if you are travelling by bus).

In all these places you can enjoy dramatic view of woods

RISHYAP

Rishyap is an amazing place for those people who want to take a break from their daily banal life and spend some time with the natural world. Rishyap is pronounced as 'Rishop', where 'Ri' stands for mountain peaks and 'shop' means old trees in Tibetan language. It is a total package of woods and mountains. One can enjoy the majestic view of the Kanchenjunga range from Rishyap. There's also a sunrise view point. I also met a family who were staying in Rishyap for four days. Here's a view from the resort.

We stayed in Lovely Resort Rishyap hotel. Our room had great view of mountains. Quite unconventionally we chose monsoons to ‘enjoy’ rain in mountains. I sat by the window with a cup of coffee, holding a story book in my hand while watching it rain over the mountains. (Never mind, sometimes I get a bit poetic too). They food provided is also up-to mark. It is an awesome place to relax and enjoy for a day or two. (For more pictures kindly visit the gallery)

Our resort in Rishyap

LAVA

We reached Lava from Rishyap by car. But I think that it would be more fun if you trek for 4km from Rishyap to Lava. The path to Lava was breath-taking. There were sky high pine trees on both side of the road.

If you ask me I will say that if you ever visit Lava (which you should), you should stay in the cottages of WBFDC. No offence but otherwise it is worthless to visit Lava. Here is a picture of WBFDC cottages and its surroundings-

Seriously, it is the best place to spend time with your loved ones. If you haven't already been in Lava then what are you doing in West Bengal.

(Luckily, we got the best cottage in Lava. Please note our cottage was Gorkha 1 Non AC. You can book it on WBFDC's website. I know I should not share these with you but I want you guys to enjoy to the fullest. Our cottage's side faced the city of Lava and in the front there was a balcony where you can sit in chair enjoy the pine trees and our cottage was a little aside from the main path to the other cottages. Though it is a cottage for two people, we took an extra bed and managed to stay.)

Sitting on the chair and staring at the woods in Lava will make you forget all the worries of your life.

Loleygaon

This too is an awesome place during monsoon except the fact that you cannot enjoy the sunrise during monsoon. There is also a nice park where you can spend the afternoon. It would be perfect for couples. As we reached there in evening, we were not able to click good pictures. There are many shops in Loleygaon where you can buy things. I bought a kukri and some other things as gifts for my parents. There are also many nice restaurants. Like the other two this place also had a sunrise view point.

We stayed in the suites of WBFDC. It was a little costly but in comparison with what the suite offered us, the price was worth paying. Also the hospitality was also good. There was a nice lawn in front of our suite. And the scenery from the suite was also stunning.

Next morning we went to the Hanging Bridge. It was the most attractive tourist spot in Loleygaon. The 500 meters long bridge offered us a nice view in the woods. It was moving as we were walking on it. This was the bridge in the left picture.

When we were returning suddenly a huge pile of cloud covered the whole place. The fog created a ambiguous atmosphere around the bridge. We were returning using the path under the bridge. My cousins were going fast. I was going slow, taking photos of nature. Here is a picture when the forest was covered by cloud.

The Hanging Bridge and the path underneath it.

Hence, we concluded this amazing five day's trip with a budget of 8200 Rs/- per head and it was really worth the money.