A weekend tour for we Kolkatans most of the time lead us to Digha / Sankarpur, Bakkhali or Mukutmanipur in the past. The result over crowded locations, a nightmare while booking, noise pollutions and serenity tossed out of the window.
Well not any more. New locations are now discovered every alternate days (err may be an exaggeration). Choices now include Mandarmani, Junput, Garchumuk, and Deulti to name a few. Hence while planning our weekend trip this August I tried to find a place away from all the hustles and bustles, a place where I can relax, recharge my battery so that I can work frivolously once I return.
Googling for such a place revealed Tajpur which lies in the Purba Medinipur district of South Bengal. It is almost 180 Km from Kolkata and lies on the Kolkata - Digha route. For those traveling by car, cross Contai and then Chaulkhola (entrance to Mandarmani) and take a left turn from Balisahi more (also called Alampur Fisheries more). This is around 5 Km from Chaulkhola.
Once you reach Tajpur and visit the beach you realize how it feel to own a private beach. At 5 pm on the evening of 15th August, it was me and my wife alone at this 4 Km stretch of beach. It is aptly said in on of the websites that “Tajpur is one of the most secluded beaches in India
The best place to stay is the Tajpur Nature Camp. Note that there are no hotels or resort on the beach like that we have in Mandarmani. The nearest one to the beach is this. From here it is a 2 minute walk to the beach the path laden with casuarina trees on both side. Accommodation in the camp is good enough but please don’t expect star categories. As the name suggests, the camp has 5 tents, 2 rooms and 2 A/c rooms. Also since there is no electricity the power comes from generators. Because of this the generators are switched off for a couple of hours in the day to cool them. Please check with the management about their timings. Overall a comfortable place to stay for a day or two.
The Camp serves typical home cooked Bengali food and Kolkatan-style Chinese cuisine @ Rs 300 per person for the entire day (Bed Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, Veg Snacks & Dinner). There is also another one @250 where the options are limited. There is a separate accommodation for drivers for a nominal charge.
The beach at Tajpur is to relax. You are not likely to have many visitors around except the red crabs and that's the beauty of this beach. Take leisurely walks on the beach with your spouse or just sit around under the moonlit sky. Though you feel creepy being alone but the locals say that it is safe. You can also take a local boat & cross on another side which is very popularly known as Mandarmani.
Please note that it is a must to take a flashlight and some mosquito repellent like Baygon/Hit.
Synopsis
Route
Kolkata – Kolaghat – Nandakumar – Contai – Chaulkhola – Alampur (turn right)
Distance
Kolkata – Kolaghat : 74Kms
Kolkata – Nandakumar : 103kms
Kolkata – Contai (Kanthi) : 156Kms
Kolkata – Chaulkhola : 167Kms
Kolkata – Alampur – 174kms
Kolkata – Tajpur – 177kms
Reaching Tajpur by Bus
Board a Bus bound for Digha from Esplanade (Kolkata) & get down at Balisahi after Chaulkhola. The hotel can arrange for a transfer at extra cost or you can hire a motorized van to the hotel.Reaching Tajpur by Train
You can get down at Contai or Digha & geta pickup arranged from the hotel itself by prior information. * 2867 SHM DIGHA EXP SHALIMAR Dep.Time 08:00 DIGHA FLAG STN 11:20 * 2867A HWH DGHA EXP HOWRAH Dep.Time 07:55 DIGHA FLAG STN 11:20 (Only Sunday). Please check the timings for any changes done.Place to Stay
Tajpur Nature Camp
5 Tents @ 700/-
2 Rooms @ 800/-
2 A/c Rooms @ 1500/-
Food
Served at the camp @300 for the whole day (breakfast, lunch, evening snacks and dinner). There are no restaurants nearby and hence no alternative option.
To Do
Relax.... Take a boat and cross to the other side which is Mandarmani. You can also visit Digha/Sankarpur/Talsari/Mandarmani from here.
