All about West Bengal
West Bengal is one of the most diverse places in India. It is famous for its cultural heritage, art and crafts, architecture, and food. West Bengal has a plethora of famous tourist spots such as the Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
October to March is the best time to visit West Bengal.
The best places to visit in West Bengal are Kolkata, Darjeeling, Sundarban national park, Mirik, Digha, Mandarmani , Gangasagar, Siliguri, Murshidabad etc.
Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal. It is a treasure trove of cultural, traditional, and architectural heritage. The popular tourist places in Kolkata are:
- Victoria Memorial
- Fort William Kolkata
- Belur Math
- Howrah Bridge
- Birla Planetarium
- Indian Museum
- Kalighat Temple
- Dakshineswar Kali Temple
The famous things bought in Kolkata such as The Terracotta Souvenirs, The Sholapith Handicrafts, Conch Shell Bangles, Kantha, Baluchari & Tant Sarees, The Mystical Dokra Craft, Immortal Paintings of Kalighat etc.
Digha and Manadrmani are situated at a distance of 28 km from each other. However, these places are located at a distance of 300 km from Kolkata. The capital city is well connected with the rest of the state with the different modes of transport. You can hire a car from Kolkata and drive towards Digha, it will take 5 hours to reach Digha. You can also board a train from Kolkata to Digha or Mandarmani.
The best time to visit Gangasagar is from October to March. The month of January, especially 14 January, is the best time to visit here to take a holy dip at the confluence of the river Ganges and Bay of Bengal.
You need to take a bus or private from Esplanade (90 km) to Harwood Point. The ride will take around three hours to travel and reach Harwood ferry point near Kakdwip From here you need to take a ferry to cross the river Muri Ganga and reach Kachuberia. From Kachuneria local transport is available that takes you to Gangasagar within an hour.
Basically, one day is enough for Gangasagar from Kolkata, you should start your trip in the early morning and you can come back to Kolkata till the evening, but the ferry ride depends upon the tide. In low tide, the ferry cannot run and hence people have to stay on the island only.
The nearest railway station to Sunderbans is at Canning, 48 km away. You can board a train from Kolkata to Canning and from here Sundarbans is accessible only by riverine waterways. From Kolkata, people can also travel by road transport to Namkhana, Raidighi, Sonakhali and Najat from where Motor launch services are available for Sundarbans.
Yes, it is quite a safe place to enjoy a Jungle safari in Sunderban. It is home to The Royal Bengal Tiger. Sundarban is a remote area in West Bengal. You can reach Sunderban by crossing rivers, hence you will not get a proper mobile network most of the time.
