27th March 2010, 07:52
| #16 |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
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| Some snaps of the Bakkhali beach during evening: The golden waters   The deserted beaches, you have all your privacy  The colorful chairs are waiting for you- for a price of-course   A crab  The setting sun  Our team minus me (I'm behind the lens)  Our team including me (Courtesy my new tripod gifted to me by my wife today-My Birthday)     The wave pattern left marks on sand   The beach lights  |
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27th March 2010, 11:17
| #17 |
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27th March 2010, 19:15
| #18 |
| Senior - BHPian  | |
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29th March 2010, 08:40
| #19 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 80
Thanked: 7 Times
| Quote:
Thanks for your comments. Yes, it is the same now as well. But the timings are well laid out for passengers. The vessel has a lunch break from 12 to 2 pm (Low tide). It is better if you could reach to the jetty well before that or after that, else you might have to wait for the high tide. If you start from Kolkata early morning, you can reach within 2 - 2.5 hrs depending on traffic. From Bakkhali it hardly takes 30 minutes to reach Namkhana, so plan your trip accordingly. | |
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29th March 2010, 08:55
| #20 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 80
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Continuing on my journey. We came back to the hotel at about 7 pm. It was time for some celebrations now. (Well it was my Birthday  today) as well as Chotoma's (My aunt) tommorow. So we decided to celebrate it together.B'day cake  Chotoma & Me  Well it is always good to celebrate ones B'day at a gathering for the gifts. (Thanks) If you are a foodie, I would surely suggest you to have at least one meal at this place. Fresh prawns, bhetki, crabs, ohhh, I am feeling like going there again. they make excellent "Chingri malaikari" Dining place  The hotel corridor  | |
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29th March 2010, 09:01
| #21 |
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29th March 2010, 09:02
| #22 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: TSTN
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| Wow, I got a good piece of information. I was about to ask, how come you witnessed a sunset in the east side; google helped me understand the reason & that made me tell WOW.  Could you pls shed some info on those "pricey" chairs? I couldn't understand as why they were put on the beach? Is it like a small time business? But then the beach is not crowded to make money, so how is it feasible? Also, is that entire stretch of beach deserted or only some parts of it are deserted? Edit - Oh!!! yes, Belated Birthday Wishes to you  |
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29th March 2010, 09:28
| #23 |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 80
Thanked: 7 Times
| Next morning we had plans to rise up early to see the sunrise. Well, we always make plans, can never actually implement it, that too getting up at 4.30 - 5 am in 2nd consicutive day on a holiday trip. So, after a lot of haggling with my alarm, finally got up at 6.30 am, Yawn!!! Suman & me went out to the beach, and walked about 2 - 3 kms towards east (left hand side when we hit the beach), my intentions was to find out a broken ship that I had located on wikimapia. However even after walking that long stretches, we were unable to locate it. The beach looked virgin as we were the only two walking on it (well to be precise, we were the only two legged creatures, we had other 8 legged creatures all around us- Hermit crabs). It was an amazing view, the sand seemed turned red, someting like red petals of flowers are scattered all over the beach. As soon as we walked towards one, it dissapeared in the hole (nest). Wherever we stood, we had an empty circle around us and thereafter crabs all around. As we moved ahead, so did the circle, and as we looked back, we could find red petals coming up in the place where we were standing moments before. Amazing!!! I had seen these crabs in Shankarpur and Talsari (Near Digha). Some pics of the beach in the morning.   The Hermit crab    The red carpet all arround, so many of them  The crab nest  Trying some acrobatics Suman & Me (In that order)   A Kingfisher (Could not take a clearer snap due to camera shake - forgot my tripod)  As it was getting hotter, we got back to our rooms. We had plans to visit Henry's Island as well, so we need to move out by 10.30 am |
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29th March 2010, 09:34
| #24 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 80
Thanked: 7 Times
| Quote:
The charge one way is Rs 190.00 (Including the Rs. 30.00 tax by Govt of WB), while coming the vessel took Rs. 160.00. Well seemed too steep for a 5 minutes piggy back ride. | |
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29th March 2010, 09:45
| #25 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 80
Thanked: 7 Times
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Thanks Aargee for your wishes.... The location is really amazing, it is the last tip of land in W.B and thereafter the Bay of Bengal. I heard there are rides available to Jambudwip (A un inhabited fishing island) as well from here. The boat ride is about 2 hrs one way and is not for weak hearted as the only means to cross are small motorized boats. There is no jetty on the island and during low tides one need to walk a bit in knee deep silt to reach the shore. The chairs are put on for tourist to hire for Rs.5-10 per hour. The local people also provide "massage" to the willing tourist. But as I was not sure about the oil and their expertise, chose not to take one. However, those I know, who have taken the service, have never commented in negative. As soon as you hit the beach you will find some crowd (more so in weekends). If you walk down to either side, you will feel the emptiness, only you accompanied by Hermit crabs. It's really great to have such calmness after a week long hustle bustle of the city crowd. | |
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29th March 2010, 10:13
| #26 | |
| Team-BHP Support | Quote:
 . But it does not happen in Mandarbani as the sand is much harder there. | |
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29th March 2010, 10:30
| #27 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 80
Thanked: 7 Times
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I had also enjoyed the beach drive and ride (on bike) at Shankarpur and a lesser known beach just after new Digha (Forgot its name). Luckily never got stuck. Unfortunately never had chance to visit Mandarmani, but have it in my plans. | |
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29th March 2010, 10:33
| #28 |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 80
Thanked: 7 Times
| I should also credit my sister Pinky and my wife Naicy for contributing to the photographs, especially on the jetty, as Suman & me were busy holding the steering. Most of the jetty pics have been clicked by them.  Not only the jetty pics, they were perfect photographers wherever they got hold of our cameras. Kudos to both of them. Last edited by Shantanu Sarkar : 29th March 2010 at 10:37. |
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29th March 2010, 11:39
| #29 |
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29th March 2010, 15:23
| #30 |
| BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Kolkata
Posts: 80
Thanked: 7 Times
| We checked out of our hotel at about 10.30 am. The stay here was quite good except for the intermittent powercuts last evening. Although gensets were running, they were not powering the AC's and it was a bit uncomfortable in this season. Our cars ready for the return journey  Quickly we drove past Frazergung and exactly at 4 kms from our hotel we had to turn right towards Henry Island. While coming from Bakkhali, we could not see the signboard (As it is painted only on the side of Namkhana/Kolkata). This was a narrow road with brick lining and passes through small villages. The road to Henry Island  After about travelling 2 kms, we got at the entry gate of Henry Island. They charge a small entry fee. We drove till Sundari Tourist Complex, ordered our lunch and drove another 200 meters near the beach where we had to park our cars. Our team  We had to walk another 200 odd meters and pass through a rickety bamboo foot bridge to reach the beach. The foot bridge  The road to the beach  The Henry Island beach   Walking at beach with umbrella (courtesy: Blessings of Sungod)   Extreme heat forced us to wear this    We returned to the Sundari Tourist complex. This complex is managed by West Bengal Fisheries Department and has a few independent cottages and 4 rooms in this tower. We went up the view point of the tower to have a look in the nearby places. Some pics to share with: The Mangrove forest with the sea at the far end  The sea (zoomed)  The approach road  The fishery  The road leading to the beach and the tents for tourists  The Sundari tourist complex tower  |
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