Dooars & Gorumara

A belt of tea gardens and forest in the Himalayan foothills, where the Gorumara and Jaldapara reserves are home to one-horned rhinos and wild elephants.

The Dooars (meaning "doors", after the mountain passes into Bhutan) are the plains at the foot of the Himalayas in northern West Bengal, India. Stretching about 350 km from east to west between the Teesta River and the Bhutan border, they are a patchwork of tea gardens, tropical forest and countless rivers. This destination centres on Gorumara National Park in the Western Dooars, and most visitors stay in Lataguri village at the park entrance, where dozens of resorts and forest lodges are clustered. The main draw: take a jeep safari in the Gorumara and Chapramari reserves, or wait at watchtowers such as Jatraprasad, Medla and Chandrachur, where one-horned rhinos, Asian elephants, gaur and peafowl often appear towards dusk. About 50 km to the east, Jaldapara National Park has an even higher density of rhinos and offers elephant safaris (subject to the authorities). On the hill side, Samsing, Suntalekhola, Jhalong and Bindu offer sweeping tea gardens, river valleys and views across the Bhutan border; the banks of the Murti River are good for picnics and sunsets; and you can also stop at Totopara, the village of the Toto people, and the Jalpesh Shiva temple. Seasons: the reserves close every year for the monsoon from mid-June to mid-September. October–March is dry, with November–February the best time, though mornings and evenings are chilly and early mornings often foggy; in March–May animals gather at water sources and the chances of seeing rhinos are high. Getting there: the nearest airport is Bagdogra (Siliguri, about 80 km), and New Jalpaiguri railway station is about 70 km away; local trains serve New Mal Junction and Lataguri stations. Safari permits and jeeps must be booked at the Lataguri Nature Interpretation Centre or online, and they are in short supply on weekends and holidays. Stay 2–3 days. Note that getting out of vehicles is prohibited in forest areas, elephants cross the highways at night, and some reserves suspend safaris on Thursdays or on certain dates.

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