Buxa Trekking - Dooars - Beautiful Colours of West Bengal - Destination East - Incredible India

Destination Buxa Fort

We are going to Buxa Fort. We have taken our breakfast-cum-lunch (after which Argha revisited the cottage that we checked out) at Jayanti and then started our journey. We are riding the same Tata Sumo that we hired for the morning trip. We have now crossed the river Bala. The road is very dusty. Our car is leaving dust cloud behind. I am wearing a red woolen cap to protect my hair from the dust. I bought this cap couple of years back near the Ghum monastery in Darjeeling.

We have reached a three point crossing and we are taking right turn. We are going towards Santrabari from where we will start trekking. This path is not that much dusty. It is a nice and comfortable journey through this part of the Buxa forest. On this way we have seen some agricultural lands and few human habitats. There are some kind of watch towers present inside these agricultural lands. Probably they are built to watch the crops from animals.

On the way to Santrabari

We have reached Santrabari. Its a small village. There are few shops selling tea, momo (a type of steamed bun without or with veg or non-veg  filling.) and noodles. We are leaving the car here to start trekking. It is a 5 km trek uphill. After visiting the Buxa Fort, we will return here on the same way. We have already walked a lot in the morning at Jayanti. But we are not afraid to walk another 10 km now.

We are hiring a guide. We are informed that its mandatory to take a guide here to support the local economy. From the conversations between the driver and the guide of the morning tour at Jayanti, we have come to know that no Bengali guide is allowed for the Buxa Fort trekking. Tourists have to take guide from Nepali origin. Anyway we are not digging into the socio political issues. We are only some innocent and stupid tourists after all.

We are walking uphill. The path is earthy and rocky mixed. The jungle is all around. In our school days we have read about the Buxa Tiger Project in our textbook. We have now got the opportunity to walk inside the Buxa Reserve Forest. Tiger is now rare here but leopards are very common. We are thrilled. 

Route map from Jayanti to Buxa

( Please don't judge by scale ;) )

The guide is a simple man. He is entertaining us well (some credit goes to the person who invented liquor).

A boy has joined us in the journey. He is returning from school. He lives at the village near the Buxa Fort. He has to walk nearly 10 km everyday to study in a school. He was waiting at Santrabari  to get some company for the journey. After all it is a jungle.

We are going to the Buxa Fort

We have crossed half of the distance. There is a resting place made for the trekkers. Let us take a break here. 

We are walking again after taking rest for some time. After ten minutes walk our guide brought us to a viewing point. From here we can see a part of the Buxa forest from the top. We can see the Bala river that we crossed by car in our way. The Jayanti river also can be seen from here. I am feeling happy seeing both the rivers from here.

The river Jayanti (left) and the river Bala (right)

We are walking again. This path is easier. Kind of maintaining same altitude with little variations. After walking for some time we found a tree got uprooted and has fallen on the road.

A tree got uprooted and has fallen on the road

Next part:   Buxa Part-2

Let me know your comments (all sort of) in the comments section ;)
 

Next part:   Buxa Part-2

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