A trip to Hollong, Jaldapara

A trip to Hollong, Jaldapara

Elephant Safari at Hollong, Jalparada

Life is short, well, not according to Seneca, but it's still short. That's if you consider broadening your scope, and adding more to your To-Do list. There are many places left to explore, and it's utterly impossible to visit them all. It's just not very practical to visit the Alps, when you're here on the other corner of the world. But that shouldn't stop you from getting in touch with nature, the very source you practically emanated from. And I got to realize it once again, after my recent trip to Hollong, Jaldapara.

Situated in the outskirts of Dooars, the Hollong tourist lodge houses 6 double-bedded rooms. It's essentially a sort of eco-village that gradually rose to prominence after the Jaldapara sanctuary was declared a National Park. And why not? It does have a flawless touch of nature, with the unmistakable fragrance of wildlife enveloping the whole resort.

First look 

Our resident rhinoceros! 

At first, Hollong didn't seem to be of particular importance to me. It sports a nice bungalow-type wooden building, which serves as the central part of the resort, with a multitude of multi-coloured flowers decorating the courtyard. Trees and shrubs populate the corners, and you can almost always hear the peacocks and peahens if you pay attention. A short brook separates the resort from the neighbouring ground, which serves as a deposit for salt, used to attract the wild animals. Bysons, rhinos and peacocks are your constant companion, once you get to reserve your seat facing the ground. In the words of my father, the ground itself is similar to a stage, where animals of all kinds are gradually making their entrance, paying us a visit, getting themselves captured in the frame, and leaving for the woods. It reeks too much of artificiality, but is otherwise pleasant, especially if you're a city-dweller like me.

What astonished me further is how narrow the brook is. It's somewhat like a channel, and seriously speaking, a leopard can almost always make a leap over it. Thankfully, that didn't happen when we were there. It does, however, give you some wonderful spots to take your shots from. I wish there were some more benches though, but you can always drag in a chair from the resort, if you're a boarder there, that is.

Ok, so how is the place special? 

The heroic gang of Bions make their entrance

Believe me, Hollong isn't going to inspire and delight you much if you don't have a passion for nature and all things natural. If you're willing to shoot some photographs of wild animals, you can always visit a zoo instead. But what the place provides you is a serene environment and the fragrance of nature. It's beautiful, poetically so. It gives you a couple of moments to walk away from all your troubles and anxieties, and forget about your daily chores. It provides you with some cherished memories, and of course a couple of good poems if you're into poetry. But otherwise, it's pretty lame. The only animals we got to see were an age-old rhinoceros, a couple of Indian bisons and a peacock. Of course, there were a few flocks of parrots too. But overall, considering the expenditure, it's nothing special.

The beauty of Hollong, however, lies in its serenity. Although you have every gift of modern technology at your disposal, including well-furnished bathrooms, a well-planned dining hall, picturesque rooms and even digital HD TV sets, you are well away from the constant din and materialism that seems to accompany the ambience of the city-life. Yet, it isn't a country-life either. Instead, it's a sort of pleasant hotchpotch between the two, combining their best features.

Yeah, these windows truly steal the show!

The resort's central building is wooden, and it's really picturesque. Especially in the early hours of dawn, you'd simply want to sit in front of the building, and admire the glory of the resort itself, while savouring the morning air, and tea/coffee as per your choice. In addition, all the rooms harbour big English glass-windows, which turn the surrounding scenery into a sort of stage, to loan the same term from my father. While sitting on a chair and enjoying the view from my window, I was experiencing what I'd call oneness with nature for a while. It's a meditative beauty, which my pen (well, keyboard) fails to capture and reproduce properly.

Nights are really pleasant, when you can enter your REM phase of sleep, while listening to the sound of wilderness outside. Peacocks continue to scream, shattering the otherwise unbroken silence of the night air, and it's a majestic experience. Searchlights are provided if you ask for them, but there's no way you can capture an animal, either in your vision or your camera's lens, thanks to the pitch-black darkness outside. The best time for photography is the golden hour, i.e the last hour before sunset, and the first one following sunrise.

Facilities 

Sunset at Hollong, through the not-so-green canopy

If you are an early-riser, you can enjoy the elephant ride that is organized daily. Even if you don't like to get on the top of these mighty beasts, you can still enjoy the view when other tourists are boarding their Howdahs. And in addition, the place turns especially magical during the early hours of morning. If you're not feeling safe enough, you can always get the tickets and board the daily Jeep-Safari that's held at around 9 O'Clock in the morning, obviously after taking your breakfast. But in my experience, a walk through the wilderness is far more beautiful. Most certainly, you'll have to stay cautious or risk getting eaten up. Okay, that last part was a bit exaggerated, but you do get the idea.

Food and lodging is exquisite, and for good reasons. Each room costs Rs. 3000 if you don't have a quota. In the case you're lucky enough to have a relative working in the Forest Department, you can avail the same facility for Rs. 50. Yeah, I know it's unfair, but this is the only way that goes on here. Meals are Rs. 400 per head, if you're availing the lodging. Whether you're into eggs, fishes or chicken, the same charges apply. It also covers the afternoon tea, breakfast and bed tea, so that's pretty cheap after all, compared to the lodging fee. The accomodation is exquisite, and the dishes are really palatable. It's a Maharajah's experience, combined with the flexibility of tourist-life, if you ask me.

Bird-watching is an added benefit. So get your binoculars ready, folks.

How to reach Hollong 

The Hollong Tourist resort at night,
an ultra-high exposure shot

Trains connect the nearby Madarihat station to New Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and all other local stations. If you're journeying from Kolkata, I'd suggest getting to Alipurduar first, from where you can board any bus going to Madarihat. From Madarihat (the nearest semi-town), you can hire a jeep or even a rickshaw right into the national park. Be sure to get your papers ready, because sometimes people are challenged by the guards on duty at the gate. If you have a reservation at the lodge, it's no problem. MakeMyTrip and other travel sites offer easy online booking facilities.

If you don't happen to have an advance booking there, no problem. You can always find accomodation at Madarihat, although rooms aren't very cheap here either. Tourism is the primary industry here, and they're going to charge you sharply.