Stunning beaches of Bakkhali and Gangasagar

About the destination

Bakkhali - one of the remotest destinations of India, a seaside village is in the state of West Bengal. Bakkhali is famous for its beautiful beaches, most of them white sand! They are so remote that reaching from Kolkata takes around 5-6 hours and we used public transport. This involved interesting modes of travel including cab, train, autorickshaws, and totos. The list included boats while returning :-) 

Trip Plan

Our main plan was to visit a wedding of a close friend in Kolkata (adjoining areas). The weekend was sandwiched in the process and a cool plan was laid out. The plan was to visit Gangasagar and Bakkhali. My friend, Sathish had already made it to Gangasagar for the Sagar Mela and was quite comfortable with the route and recommended taking public transport and I obliged.

Members : Karthik, Sathish Raja

Dates : 6, 7 March 2021

Trip route

Kolkata (Sealdah) - Namkhana - Bakkhali - Namkhana - Banuben Jetty - Gangasagar - Kakdwip - Kolkata (Ballygunge)

Day-1

The day started at 5:30 AM from Kalighat (Kolkata) from a hostel stay. We reached Sealdah around 6:15 AM, bought local train tickets to Namkhana - Rs.25 each. Namkhana is connected from Sealdah through the local trains and they operate with only 2 class sitting coaches. There are other options nor a fast train. The train started around 7 AM. We grabbed a couple of snacks (Ghugni and boiled egg) boarding the train. the journey to Namkhana would take around 3:30 hours. People going to Gangasagar shall get down at Kakdwip - which is around 45 mins before Namkhana. The train from Sealdah to Namkhana is the cheapest mode of transport for locals and hence the trains are expected to be crowded. If you opt for this route, do ensure that you are prepared for crowded trains and have taken a seat at Sealdah itself.

Reaching Bakkhali

Namkhana is the last station for local trains; everyone would get down. There are local buses and autorickshaws taking people to Bakkhali and any other small towns/villages en route. The bus stand is 200m from the station and you may take a toto or walk. We took a toto and then took a shared autorickshaw to Bhakkhali - RS.50 per person.

The ride is 27 kms and takes around 45 - 50 mins. We reached Bakkhali around noon and took an auto for looking around for rooms. Though it was a small town, it was quite sunny and, looked at 3-4 options before finalizing on Hotel Inodoy Nirala. We paid Rs.1500 for an AC room. The room was quite spacious and comfortable. Not a great place but still ok in the locality. We walked around and went for lunch pointed by a local driver to Hotel Poritosh. The simple restaurant seems to be very popular in locals and the food was definitely good. My friend, Sathish, enjoyed his seafood and said it was very good too!

The toto driver who helped us select the hotel, offered us a ride around for Rs.300 for 2-3 hours - covering all popular beaches and sunset views. We obliged and started the trip by 3:30 PM.

Sightseeing in Bakkhali

There are few beautiful beaches in and around Bakkhali.

• Bakkhali main Beach
• Henry Island and watchtower
• Lalganj Beach
• Fraserganj Beach
• Benfish Harbour
• Sunset point at Bakkhali

The Bakkhali main beach is easily approachable and one of the clean white sand beaches of Bakkhali. The water was quite a way inside and without waves. We spent few minutes and moved to the rest of the beaches. We saw this beach in the afternoon while we were looking for a resort/room.

Henry Island

Post lunch, our first point was the farthest to see - Henry Island. Henry Island takes around 35 mins for the 7 kms from Bakkhali. The cement roads are very narrow and only narrow vehicles like Totos can go. The Henry Island is a huge fishing community area - well-established and well maintained. There is an entry fee of Rs.50 for the persons and vehicle. There are no shops anywhere after you start from Bakkhali. So, do carry snacks and enough water with you. 

The walk from the small parking area to the stunning beach is quite good too. We went through the mangroves, the muddy areas hosting red crabs, and then through to the stunning beach. The beach was absolutely lovely and a perfect place for a peaceful outing. We spend some time here clicking snaps and walking around randomly. The beach does have not have waves, however, the mild breeze and the vast views are exhilarating.

Lalganj Beach

Lalganj beach is further North in Henry Island and is around 3 km from Henry Island beach. The Lalganj beach was too a very secluded destination and said to be very popular for red crabs in seasons. The beach is quite vast and is a good location to see a remote point of Sunderbans. Seems to be open for tourists to go by boat during some times of the year. After spending some time walking around the scenic beach, our next point was Benfish harbour.

Benfish harbour

The Benfish harbour is a fishing harbour and also shipbuilding and repairing yard. We were fortunate to see a great sunset view here before going to the sunset point of Bakkhali.

Sunset point of Bakkhali - Kargil Beach

Kargil beach is said to be the sunset point of Bakkhali. The beach is visible on a steep ramp put across to stop the sea from taking away land. The locals said that the water has been raising recently and especially during the cyclone Amphan, the beach had devastating effects. The beauty of nature is an example of how great the Kargil beach is and the sunset is a jewel on top of it!

Fraserganj beach

Once we witnessed the sunset, we went to the final point of the evening - Fraserganj beach. The Fraserganj Beach is walkable from the main beach at Bakkhali in a single stretch. This beach has a watchtower, though dilapidated because of erosion and the cyclone in recent years still is quite usable. The views from the top are very nice and that too by dusk!

We then came to the Bakkhali market area (few eateries), bought some local snacks, and reached back the room. We were quite tired from the long travel across the day, relaxed for some time, and hit the bed.

Day-2

Having enquired about the transportation all the way back to Kolkata via Gangasagar the previous night from the reception of the hotel, we had an almost clear plan unless exceptions. We started the day around 5:30 AM and took the first bus out of Bakkhali. It was a cloudy start and reached Namkhana jetty by 6:45 AM. There are two ways to reach Gangasagar.

Ways to reach Gangasagar

1. From Kakdwip, take a share auto, reach Harwood point for a boat. Take a boat from Harwood point, reach Kochuberia in 20 mins. Then, take a bus from Kochuberia to Gangasagar - 35 kms - 1-hour journey.
2. From Namkhana bus stand - take a share auto to Namkhana jetty - 1-hour boat ride to Banuben Jetty - Can get a share auto to Gangasagar only if there is crowd, else, need to do some spending for a private vehicle - definitely a costly affair.

The first option is what 95% of the people opt for cost as well as the most frequently operated boats and buses. The train journey from Kakdwip to Namkhana takes 45-60 mins hour too. Since we started from Bakkhali, we decided to take option 2 to cut down 1 hour of our journey time.

The boat jetty had not started the operations when we reached because of heavy fog around 7 AM. The visibility was almost 7m-10m. We waited for some time, one boat came and encouraged our boat to start boat. The journey was quite scary given the fact that the visibility was too low and at one point, there was another boat that came at a good speed perpendicular to our boat, and tactically both of them managed to avoid a clash. Since that moment, the driver reduced the speed and steered along with another boat, and reached the destination quite well.

Gangasagar

To our surprise, hardly only 5 of us were there to go to Gangasagar and were exploited by the local operators - rickshaws/autos/cars. After spending some time bargaining ineffectively, with no alternate options, we paid Rs.300 per person and managed to reach the temple in 25 mins.

We first walked down the road and reached the Gangasagar beach. The beach had fewer waves and no great crowd. The water was not so encourageable to take a bath, though a holy dip is the norm of the divine destination. We did sprinkle water on the head, did prayers, and walked to the temple - the Kapilamuni ashram. The sun was burning bright and we made fast moves, visited the temple, and had breakfast at a local shop.

 

  

 

The food was fresh and delicious, however, robbed for money - Rs.230 per person for 2-3 rotis, dal, and sabji we had. We took a bus to Kochuberia - 1-hour drive and reached Kochuberia jetty. Rs.10 is the ticket to reach the other side in the boat and takes 15 mins. Then, reached the Kakdwip railway station by a share auto, train to Ballygunge, and reached Kolkata by 4 PM.

Definitely, a welcome break from the 4 walls during COVID situations and, glad to be visiting such remote places in India and evidenced the diversity and beauty of nature. A great weekend trip from Kolkata, if you are visiting Kolkata and looking for an offbeat timeout!

Distances

• Kali ghat – Bhakkali – 118 kms
• Kali ghat – Kakdwip – 80 kms
• Namkhana – Bhakkali – 27 kms
• Kakdwip – Gangasagar – 35 kms
• Bhakkali – Henry Island – 7 kms

Kollimalai (Kolli Hills)

About the destination

Kollihills - Kollimalai is a very scenic and not-so-often visited hill-station in Tamilnadu. Kollimalai, 55 km from Namakkal, is fertile and serene hills and homes several spices, exotic tropical fruits, and medicinal vegetation. A weekend trip is idle to be planned for this destination.

Trip Route

Trip Route : Chennai - Ulundurpet - Attur - Mettala - Namagiripettai - Karavalli - Kollimalai (70 Hairpin bends) - Chennai
Trip Dates: 29 February and 1 March 2020
Trip Mates: Karthik, Sathish, and Siva

Kollimalai had been on the bucket list for a very long time and at last, on a short time span of planning, we hit the road. Kolli Hills is a part of Eastern ghats and well known for a road trip for the 70 hairpin bends it hosts! There isn't much to see apart from the amazing Akasha Gangai waterfalls and a couple of viewpoints.

We started by Friday evening 6 PM and reached Attur by 10 PM. We had dinner near Ulundurpet Toll at Hotel Arya Nivas, idlis and dosas were ok. The plan was to stay put for the night either in Rasipuram or Attur; and, then drive to Kolli hills in the morning. We did not book any rooms because we were concerned about the Friday evening traffic and how much we could cover. Fortunately, there wasn't much traffic and we reached Attur by 10 PM. We stayed in Hotel Raj Krishna in Attur. Probably the only one. The rooms were just ok for a night. Don't expect it to be too much for a night rather than basic amenities and cleanliness was just ok.

Day-1 - Visiting all important places of Kollimalai

Around 6:30 AM, we started from Attur to Kollimalai. There are several routes that Google maps would recommend; often through the mud roads to Kollimalai. Please do point to a specific location in Kollimalai like a viewpoint or the most popular Arapaleeswarar temple rather than typing as Kolli Hills. The most important point to note is that the ghat road with 70 hairpin bends is the most exciting part of the journey. Do follow the route recommended at the top of the blog for the best experience.

We reached Karavalli around 8 AM. A few km before Karavalli, in a small village named Nadukombai, we had breakfast. Hot piping idlies, freshly prepared parottas with sides of Sambhar, 2 chutneys, and veg kurma were fantastic. There are few small shops at Karavalli as well. From Karavalli, the forest check-post lets you to the ghat section of the trip. If one misses Karavalli, you cannot get anything to eat or drink until you reach the top.

Kollimalai is the name of the hill area and it has a number of villages. Most importantly, as a tourist, one needs to know a couple of names - Solakkadu and Semmedu. Almost all the tourist spots, hotels, and resorts are located around these 2 places.

The climb is only 21 km to Solakkadu but, through 70 hairpin bends! The roads are fantastic and the whole ride is exciting to see around as well as to drive. Hardly, there are spaces to stop the vehicle to see around apart from 5 - 7 places in the stretch - do stop wherever you see space allowing free movement of other vehicles and enjoy the views.

The 34th hairpin bend is very popular to stop by for a view of roads below. This is a nice viewpoint and normally all tourists stop here.

First, once we reached Solakkadu, there are 2 routes - one on the right towards Semmedu and the other towards Etukkai Amman temple. We took the left and decided to go to Etukkai Amman temple. En route, we had phoned and booked a room at AG resort and we stopped by to gather the room keys. The room was quite small for 3 people but ok for a night. The room and bathrooms were quite small and clean. No restaurants and parking areas for 4-5 cars. The resort (so-called) was under construction when we went, however no disturbances for us.

Etukkai Amman temple is a 300 m walk from the parking area. Etukkai Amman is a local tribal God and popular in the locality. The locals have a tradition of writing the wish in a paper and tying the same to the temple pillar. We spent around 10 minutes around and tasted the local soup (Mudavattukal kilangu) and kuzhi paniyaram on the walk back.

 

We next planned to visit Arapaleeshwar Temple. The temple is 17 km from the Solakkadu junction. This main deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. The temple is quite old with some history attached to it. The temple is said to be built by King Valvil Ori. The temple timings are 7 AM to 1 PM and 2:30 PM to 7 PM. There are a lot of eateries around the premises of the temple and all are pure vegetarian. Vegetarians, please ensure you have some food here, without which there are no pure veg restaurants anywhere in Kollimalai. The place has a lot of parking around the temple and shops to buy forest agro products like honey, pepper, and lots of condiments.

Agaya Gangai Waterfalls is 1 km walk down from the sides of the temple. The main attraction of Kolli Hills. One has to climb down (and back) 1302 steps to reach the falls. The steps are steep and can get very tiring. It takes approximately 30 mins to climb-down to the falls and 1 hr to climb-up back. Agaya Gangai waterfalls are the attraction of Kolli hills. Waterfalls from 300 feet of height and is an amazing view. The waterfalls on either the rocks or the pond like place near the rocks based on the water flow. One needs to get into the pond of water to get wet in the waterfalls. A rope is tied leading people through the pond towards the waterfalls for safety.

Definitely, a great place! We spent around 45 minutes in water. Do take snacks when you go down. Once you are out of the water, you would feel hungry and need lots and lots of energy to make it back to the top across 1000+ steps!

 

Once we reached the top, vegetarian food was available around Arapaleeshwar Temple. We next visited, in 1 km from Arapaleeshwar Temple, Valappurnadu View Point. There is a view tower and gives amazing views from the top. The rich colors of Kolli hills and the blue sky make it a wow viewpoint. Do not miss this place whenever you visit the Arapaleeswar temple.

My non-veg loving friends tried to have some non-veg food near the junction coming out of Agaya Gangai falls; however, it is cooked on pre-orders only. They did get some egg stuff, however. We decided to go around the Kolli hills via Arippilappatti - Selurnadu - Vasalur Patti - The hill road. The road was mostly less used apart from a few locals and a rare bus we could see. The views at few places were quite good, mostly covered with agriculture and pepper vines all around. We did stop in a couple of places to feel belonging to nature as much as we could! Overall, around a 1-hour drive before we reached the main tourist area.

The Boating place is a small piece of water and pedal boats for rentals. At Kolli, apart from Agaya Gangai nothing much other than the 2 viewpoints which have a special mention in this blog.

The Kolli Botanical gardens was a great mess. Rs.10 for entry and absolute pathetic with no maintenance at all. The walk ways as well had herbs and shrubs grown all over and give it a miss !

The last place to see in Kolli hills - Seeku Parai View Point. This is around 2 km from the Semmedu town. The viewpoint is definitely a must-visit in Kolli hills. There are a small parking area and a view tower. The view of the valley beneath and the hill above during the dusk was fascinating to see. We spent around 15-20 minutes to enjoy the view before we returned back.

We reached back to the hotel rooms. We bought some kuzhi paniyarams, Kolli pineapple, and some bananas as evening snacks. Relaxed for some time and drove from Solakkadu to Semmedu for dinner. Only 2 restaurants are available and both provide non-veg. Vegetarians - be ready to deal with it. The chilling weather and drive down for 6 km and back was fantastic though! We spent the night on the terrace for some time and hit the bed.

Day-2 - Return back to Chennai

We woke up in the chill morning, refreshed, and checked out. We had breakfast at a small shop near the Solakkadu market. We bought some fruits before we started back to Chennai. Nothing more to see and we hit the road back.

We had lunch at Hotel Vasantha Bhavan - simple meals, nothing more, near Ulundurpet toll. One of the bucket-list items off the list, after a very long time!