The Portuguese Delight - Daman

The love for Travel takes you to varied places in search of contemporary sights, or a new generation illustration of cultures. India is blessed with the most varied setups of edifying civilization. Here, you can find not only the ethnic Indian cultures, but also foreign cultures who visited India like the Parsis, Dutch, French and Portuguese. All these cultures intermingled with each other forming blends of cultures with their unique characteristics. The west coast of India was has a prolonged history of Portuguese reign and many settlements are recorded. These places offers the visitors a complete different outlook of culture, landscaping and people. In this journey, I will be taking you to the most famed destination from Indo-Portuguese history.

Daman, the administrative capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DNHDD), a famed destination on the western coast of India washed by Arabian Sea, lying 171 km from Mumbai, India. The place receives heavy tourists during weekends from Maharashtra and Gujarat. Daman was under Portuguese rule for around 400 years. It was added into Independent India in December, 1961. During these years, the place was converted into a mini Portugal and had seen great cultural mix-up. In present political context, Daman has two administrative territory, Moti-Daman and Nani-Daman, divided by the Daman Ganga River. The Darotha River acts as the southern border, and River Kolak acts the northern border with Gujarat. People born before 20 December, 1961 can apply for citizenship of Portugal, but they need to leave Indian Citizenship. 

Places to Explore

Devka Beach:  

The beach side of Nani-Daman area, mostly known for its landscaping with pebbles and blackish sand. During low tide time, the water recedes quite a good distance. It is commercially developed with beach sports, beach shacks, and beach-side resorts. With rapidly increasing tourism, degradation of Beach has been witnessed.

 

Jampore Beach:  

The beach side of Moti-Daman area. It has golden sandy touch to the beach. The beach is also developed commercially with most beach activities. It seemed more clean compared to Devka. Stay options are less but food stalls are abundant.

Rocky patch of Jampore Beach

St. Jerome Fort:  

The fort located near riverside of Daman Ganga River in Nani Daman area, which is standing tall from Portuguese times. The construction of this fort was initiated by Dom Jeronimo de Azevado, the 12th Portuguese Viceroy of India in 1614, and it was completed during Dom Franciso de Gama in 1672. The entry gate of the fort has a beautiful and nicely intact idol of St. Jerome. The most intact building inside the fort is Church Of Our Lady Of Sea.  

 

Entrance Gate of St. Jerome Fort

Moti Daman Fort: 

The fort has a large area cover of around 30000 sq.m. and is a part of Moti-Daman area. The fort is known for big bastions, two massive entry gates and it houses many canons. Many important landmarks of Daman is encircled inside this fort. You can drive through inside the fort.   

 

Daman Lighthouse: 

It is housed inside the Moti Daman Fort, near the banks of Daman Ganga river and Arabian sea confluence. There you can see the old lighthouse, which is closed and a new lighthouse is constructed which is operational and in use.

 

The Old and New Lighthouses

Dominican Monastery:

The place is presently in ruins and lies inside Moti-daman fort, but is an old church construction dedicated to Saint Dominic and was erected in year 1567. It was an important place of worship in Daman. The place is a classic spot of photography lovers. 

 

Ruins of Convent of the Dominican

The Collector Office: 

The constructions of Moti Daman Fort are well intact and presently, these building are used as the Administrative buildings. Being the capital of DNHDD Union Territory, the place is a busy government office area. The Secretariat and Collector Office are important office buildings.  

 

The Secretariat Building inside Moti Daman Fort

Cathedral of Bom Jesus:  

An old church in Moti daman fort area constructed in 1603. The outer structure is pretty basic, but internally the central area resembles the Old Goa Church. 

 

Church Entrance and Sign Board for Tourists

Mirasol Lake Garden

The Mirasol Lake garden is an artificial setup developed for the entertainment of kids, with facilities like Toy train that circles the lake area, Paddle Boating option for families and food stalls. The basic entry fee is Rs 10, but inside all activities are separately charged. 

 

 

 

Jetty Garden:  

The city garden area built and maintained by the local muncipality. The place offers a beautiful escape beside the river. The view of the bridge is amazing at night. A selfie point is also made for "I love Daman"

 

Captioned at the river side

Confluence of Daman Ganga with Arabian Sea:

The place is near St. Jerome fort. The area is basically a fisherman jetty. But the view is marked by the merging of silent Daman Ganga River with the rapidity of Arabian Sea. It gives a beautiful scene especially early morning. 

 

Daman Ganga merges with Arabian Sea

Mini-Punjab Experience in Daman

Veera da Dhaba is a grand restaurant in Daman, which is externally themed like a fort, and internally it has a well designed setup that resembles Punjab and its culture. The food is good enough. I highly recommend a visit to this place, not for the taste but for the Punjabi ambience. 

Veera da Dhaba

How to Reach:

Daman is well connected with all modes of transport. The nearest railway station is Vapi, which is around 12km from the place and is an important stoppage for most trains running on the west coast line. The roads are pretty good and is nicely connected to Mumbai (180km), Silvassa (27km) and Surat (124Km). Daman itself has an airbase with limited flights. Airport at Mumbai and Surat provides good connectivity to Daman.

Where to Stay:

There are many options for your stay depending on your pocket size. Beach resorts are costly like the Golden Beach Resort, near Devka Beach that can cost you around Rs 5000/- per room. The place has a nice dining area with great food options. The cheaper option that i opted for is Hotel Gurukripa on Seaface road which can cost you around Rs2000/- and its dining area, The Daman Delite is a very satisfying place to eat in an optimum cost. If you are here for weekend relaxation, select Devka Beach area for beach fun, party and good beach stay options.   

 

Hotel Gurukripa

How Many Days:

A visit to Daman can be easily completed in 2 days, one day for Nani Daman and other for Moti Daman.

 

The city of Daman offers an amazing beach experience for the visitors to get a chill feel around every niche of the city. The beaches are well equipped for experiencing everything like beach activities, water sports, and dine on beach shacks. The town offers a laid back atmosphere with colonial time buildings that holds history within it. Many of the construction of Portuguese age are still intact and gives us an idea of their architectural instincts.  The only downside is the massive scale of visitors have led to excessive pollution of the beaches with wine bottles, plastic deposits damaging the aesthetics of the beautiful coasts. Anyone who is reading this, please spread the message of keeping our country's natural beauties intact and safe. Enjoy barrels of drinks, have carton full of chips, booze around with beer but at the end just deposit those things at appropriate garbage cans. This will make your next visit as beautiful as your present. 

 

Happy Traveling and Keep the Beauties Clean !

The Enchanting Coastline - Karwar

 

Karwar Coast

Traveling is a beautiful experience where your mind synchronizes with the harmony of nature and outdoor. Humans are animals, and Animals really feel happy when they are in Wild. Humans by the virtue of their intellect, recreates and improvises their experiences. Every visit becomes memorable depending on likes and dislikes of a person. Some travelers relates excellence in tourism based on quality of resort they are staying, some find excellence in food that they experience, and some just find their leisure as the fun part far away from the stresses of city. Let's visit a destination that provides an amazing mixture of all these experiences.

Karwar, is a beautiful city in the konkan coast, in the coastal limits of Karnataka state. The region shares its boundaries with state of Goa, which is 20km from Goa border. The town is basically a fishermen town and agricultural base, the economical status of the region in normal, with a laid back feel. The place is known as one of the cleanest and green area in the region, enabling it to be developed as a Eco-tourism zone. Being in the konkan belt, the area offers beautiful natural gifts like backwaters, waterfalls, green valleys, coastal beauties and sea experiences. Let's dive deep into the treasures of this amazing region.

 

 

THINGS TO SEE

Beaches Around the Area: 

1. Rabindranath Tagore Beach: Located at city centre, accessible easily and the most visited place in Karwar. The beach is well developed, with golden sands, children area with miniature games, and water sports. All this makes this place a perfect family point to relax and have a beach fun.   

 

Karwar Beach

2. Devbagh beach:  The beach is bit isolated and lies on the junction of Arabian sea and Kali River, giving the place a tranquil feeling. The beach offers a lot of beach activities and water sports. To reach the place, take a boat from jetty at Kali River Garden.

 

3. Majali Beach: A small beach stretch in Goa-Karwar border. The beach is clean and offers a tranquil feel to all visitors. It is less visited due to its distance from the city. 

City Tour in Karwar:

Sadashivgad Fort: The fort is built on a 200ft hill in 1715 AD by Basavling Raja of Sonda and named after his father Raja Sadashivling. During Portuguese reign, it was named as Forte-de-piro. Presently, the fort is in ruins but provides a great place for photography lovers as it gives a great view of coastline.

Entrance area of Sadashivgad (ruins)

 

INS Chapal Warship Museum: The warship was an active member of Indian Navy during Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, but later decommissioned and converted into museum. The ship is well setup with decoys of captain, sailors, doctors, and ammunition. The setup is placed at a garden near Karwar beach. A do visit to appreciate the role of defense services in our life. The entry is only Rs15 per person and it is open from 10am to 1pm, followed by 4.30pm to 6pm.

 

INS Chapal Warship

Rock Garden: The garden placed near the coast, is well known for its amazing rock cut statues and sculptures. Life size statues depicting cultural happening, lifestyles and local traditions are depicted by the artists. The entry fee is Rs 40 per person. 

Rock Garden Entrance

 

Tree Park: A small tree covered jogging garden near costline for locals and visitors to walk around and relax.

Kali River Garden: A beautiful garden developed by local authority near the Kali river jetty. The garden has beautiful landscaping and the lovely river flowing beside gives a serene experience. There is a small refreshment shop for basic food items.   

 

Kali River Garden

Religious Spots:

Shejjeshwar Temple: A not so grand temple dedicated to Shiva, in lingam form, which is believed to be part of panch (five) athmalingam of Gokarna area, which is close to Karwar. The folklore takes to time of Ravana, King of Lanka, when he was given the Atmalingam and was instructed that it would stay permanently where it is first placed on the land. It is said that Ganesha, came as a boy and placed it at Gokarna while Ravana was performing rituals. As Ravana could not remove it from the ground, but he removed some pieces of the lingam and threw them in four different direction. The Shejjeshwar temple is built on one of those locations. 

 

Shejjeshwar Temple courtyard

  

Kalika Temple on Island: A mangrove forest island in River Kali, which is marked sacred by locals and there is a temple worshiping Goddess Kalika. It can be covered by hiring a boat for visiting all the island destinations in river and sea spots.     

 

Boat ride for Devbagh Beach

Island Visits:

Sea-farers from Arabia called Karwar’s port "Bait-e-kol" in arabic for ‘Bay of Safety’, especially due to many islands that provides the ships a safe stop. In present times, the few notable islands marked important for tourism are:

Oyster Rock Light House: A beautiful construction from British times, which became operational on 25 March, 1864. The place can be reached via 11 km boat ride. Tourist can have the option of climbing the lighthouse or just have some lovely clicks from boat. 

View form Oyster Lighthouse

Kurumgad Island:  A long drive on boat into sea can take you to this island, which is inhabited by few human settlements, with roads and a famous Narsimha Temple. The shape of island is like tortoise back, giving it the name. Apart from that, the island has a good forested area, giving it a beautiful lookout. The island witness an annual festival circled around the island temple. It can be reached via 1 km boat ride from Devbagh beach. The island has a luxury resort, Cintacora Island Resort for adventure seekers, but it is costly on the pocket. 

From the rocks of Kurumgad Island

 

Madhyalingad (Sanyasi) Island: A small forested island beside the Kurumgad island. It can be pictured while having a boat ride from Devbagh beach.

Anjediv Island:Presently, the island is under Navy control so visitors are not allowed to get down on the island, but can be seen via boat ride. The island has a history with Portuguese reign. Though, nearest coastline is of Karnataka, amazingly Anjadiv comes under state of Goa. It is home to Anjadiv fort and a pair of churches.

How to Reach

The city of Karwar has a beautiful railway station in the Konkan railway line. Most trains running in the route from Mumbai or Mangalore stops here. The city is well connected with Goa and other coastal cities via western coastal highway. Nearest major airport is at Dabolin, Goa which is around 90km from here.  

Karwar Railway Station

Who should Visit

The place has something for everyone. It is a preferable coastal destination for those who like tranquil area with a slight touch of city.

Where to Stay

The most sought after stay option is Jungle Lodges Devbagh Beach Resort, but it can be a bit high on the pocket, but provides a good stay experience. The residencies availble in the city provides a cheaper option like Sterling Karwar, Citrus Karwar which can cost you around Rs 2000-3000 per day.

Number of Days Required

A 1 night, 2 day stay is sufficient to cover the place.

A Story Bite:

Karwar Beach was renamed as Rabindranath Tagore Beach. It is said that Rabindranath Tagore stayed here at the age 22 years in year 1882. He lived with his brother Satyendranath Tagore who was the district judge of the city during that time. The interaction with nature inspired him to sort down his first verse drama Prakritir Pratisodh (meaning the Revenge of Nature). The famous socio-cultural festival Karavali Utsav/Tagore Festival is held every year in October. It showcase local cuisine, art and handicrafts, with live musical performances. 

Scenes around the outer zones of Karwar

Every tourist destination stays in the memory of the visitors. But, there are instances and moments that keeps the memory cells charged up for once lifetime. My memory of Karwar visit recalls me the slow moving Kali River merging with the aggressive Arabian sea, the hundreds of Black Kite and Brahminy Kites flying in the clear sky feeding on the fish feast offered by the river and sea. The lush green coastal lands and islands offered  a lasting impact on my touristic mind. A drive from Karwar to Goa takes you through beautiful forested land over a nice four lane route. A perfect drive for road trip lovers.

Keep Traveling ! Keep making Memories !

Into the Blue Mountains - Ooty

View of the hill town

Traveling, an act of going to different places in search of moments that inscribe a permanent romantic impact in our memory cells. These memory cells provides the much needed energy and motivation when your esteem and strength goes extremely low. If you appreciate your motherland, then you will find beauty in many romantic aspects of our country, and hills have always been a target of many tourists that finds these places a facet of romantic escapes. In India, impressive mountainous destinations are recognized in Himalayas, the Vindhychals, the Aravalis, the coastal ghats and many other destinations. 

 

Let's walk into the Blue mountains ... 

Udagamandalam or Ooty is one of the most beautiful hill station in our country. It is located in Nilgiri Hills of Western Ghats in the state of Tamil Nadu. The hills are known for their local tribes the "Toda", whose settlements and villages are still in existence. It is one of the most famed summer destination from British times. The word Nilgiri means "Blue Mountains", and is the name given because of the seasonal blooms of the "Neelakurunji" flowers, which beautifies the valley every 12 years. Ooty is also famous for its fantastic Tea estates and Nilgiri Tea is accepted internationally for its fragrance and aromatic feel. The hills are also famous for UNESCO World heritage railways, "Nilgiri Mountain Railways".

 

Things to Explore

I. Lakes around the area:

 

1. Ooty Lake:

The one image from Ooty that is most seen in travelogues, movies, and visited by almost everyone in Ooty is the Ooty Lake. It is beautiful lake covering 65 acres, famous for boating and is developed with all travel comfort like gardens, children park, food stalls etc. It gets extremely crowded during seasons. The place was initially developed by John Sullivan in 1824. 

 

Ooty Lake and boating zone

2. Pykara Falls and Lake: 

Pykara is a sacred river for the Todas, which is a local tribe of Nilgiri hills. It originates in the Murkurti area and travels through gaps and valleys. It forms two falls of 55m and 61m. The place is around 21 km from Ooty town.  The river is dammed and the reservoir formed is well developed as boating spot. 

 

Dam on Pykara River and reservior

 

3. Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake is located in the silent valley area,about 25 km from the Ooty. The lake is important tourist and picnic spot in the region.The lake is famous for variety of fishes and birds, and notable for the scenic sun rise and sun set views.

 

Emerald lake area

4. Avalanche Lake

Avalanche Lake is located 28km from Ooty. It is said that the area got formed due to a landslide in 1800's. The area is famous for orchids, and other flowering landscape and Trout fishing. 

 

Avalanche Lake views from hill

5. Kamraj Sagar Dam and Sandynalla Lake

It is located 10km from Ooty. It is a favorite for the tourists and a wonderful picnic spot. An ideal place to go and chill with your family, it is often frequented by a lot of bird watchers.

II. Valleys and Gardens

 

1. Ooty Botanical Garden

Established in 1848, the garden with terrace type layout is developed on the slopes of Dodabetta Hill. It is one of the most popular spots for tourists. Many unique tree species are available here, with most popular attraction is the Fossil Tree Trunk that is said to be around 20 million years old.

 

A beautiful area in Botanical Garden

2. Deer Park

A beautiful garden by the lake which has a lot of caged and semi-caged Deers. The visitors can walk around the area and have a playful time with deers, but should be done with respect.

 

Area around the Deer Park

 

3. Ooty Rose Garden

Established in 1995, The Government Rose Garden is situated on the slopes of the Elk Hill at an altitude of 2200 meters. The flowers are arranged in five curving terraces covering four hectares. It has large collection of roses.   

 

Gardens of Rose Garden

 

4. Wenlock Downs 9th Mile Shooting Point.

The meadows offers excellent views for the visitors. The place is open during day time, with a small entry fee. Many activities are available for visitors, like hiking, horse riding. The location was a hunting site during British rule.

 

Wenlock Meadows

 

5. Dodabetta Peak and View Point

The name signifies "Big Mountain" in local Badaga language. There are 24 main peaks in the Nilgiris, whereas Doddabetta is the highest peak at a height of 2637 meters. The summit area is flat, allowing travelers to sit and enjoy the relaxing ambience and nature’s green gift. Tourists move up to the summit to enjoy the inspiring sunrise and sunset.Visitors can avail use of telescopes in the Telescope House maintained by Tourism Development since 18 June 1983 to gaze over the ideal town of Ooty. 

 

Over the peak and by the edge - Dodabetta

III. Heritage Buildings

 

1. St. Stephan Church
The building was established in 1830, with beautiful stained-glass windows, depicting beautiful painting representing the scenes of the Last Supper.

 

Outside the church

2. Ooty Stone House

It is said to be the first construction in Ooty valley, by John Sullivan in 1822. The locals used to term it as Kal Bungalow. The land was purchased from Toda tribes. It has an antique and ghostly feel, which stones which are dark, but the structure is intact. There are many stuffed skins and models of animals hunted by Sullivan.

From outside the house of John Sullivan

 

3. The Post Office, Ooty

In 1826, postal services got started in Ooty. The services were carried on Government bungalow, Ooty until 1833 when the services were shifted to Mount Road. The office that houses the Head Post office of Ooty is identified as a heritage building and can be seen in picture below. This office serves as collection centre for other seven branches of the area.

 

The beautiful Late evening snap of Head Post-office of Ooty

There are many other colonial building, heritage houses, colonial style guest houses that beautifies the whole city of Ooty and gives it an old British lookout feels.

 

Experiences in Ooty

 

1. Nilgiri Mountain Railways

The romance of Nilgiri toy train started in 1899, and it has been in the hearts of visitors ever since. This quaint journey was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005.  It covers a distance of 46 km in 5 hours. It chugs from Mettupalayam, drives along flat planes for 5km initially, then ascends rapidly in the next 12 km to a height of 4,363 ft. It makes it way through dark and winding tunnels, sepia feel forests, gorgeous slopes. It crosses few charming locations like Kellar, Coonoor, Wellington, Lovedale, and finally makes its stop at Udhagamandalam. The lovely feel cannot be exxplained in words, but can only be experienced. The station of Ooty is itself a tourist spot with small museum, photography area and garden.

My Say: Just have a ride through Nilgiri Toy Train. You can skip the visit to city. No regret.

Train at station

The chugging train through valley

 

 

2. The Tea Factory and Tea Museum

The good portion of the Ooty and Conoor valley is covered with Tea plantation. Tea of Ooty is deliciously fragrant and exquisitely aromatic tea, with high tones of delicate floral and golden yellow liquor. The place will provide a lovely experience for Tea lovers. A visit to Tea Industry is recommended.  A Tea Factory and Museum is operated by many factory owners, and is a well managed tourist visit which engages the visitors to enjoy a walk amidst Tea plantations, experience the processing of Tea leaves, and can enjoy the Tea tasting opportunity at  Factory outlet.

 

 

Tea Factory and Processing area

How to reach

Ooty is a hill station which can be reached from either Tamil Nadu via the Coimbatore route of 85km or from Karnataka via the Mysore route of 125km. Wildlife lovers prefer the Mysore route as it takes you through Bandipur National park. Both Coimbatore and Mysore have good connectivity through railways and airways. 

If traveling from Coimbatore side, reach Mettupalayam, a suburban railway station in outer Coimbatore, which is the origin of  Nilgiri Mountain Railways. The journey costs Rs 145 (2nd Class) and Rs 470 (1st Class). Unreserved seats are available in some trains costing Rs 75. Do check the timetable when you are traveling.

Where to Stay

Ooty is a well developed hill station with numerous options of stays and resorts. Depending on your pocket capacity, you can have stays of Rs 1500 to sky limit. For better experience, book your stay a little outside the city which may cost Rs 3000 per night. Few good once like King's Cliff, Sterling Ooty Elk Hill, Woodberry are good but can cost you 4000-6000/- but well to do.

Who should Visit

No choices here, anyone can visit. A perfect family destination.

Number of Days

Ooty has lots of activities to experience. So, a minimum 2-day visit is required. But for a comfortable stay, 3-4 days can be planned which can include a day at nearby Coonoor. 

 

 

Hill stations offers a visitor with an escape plan, if you choose to accept it by giving you an opportunity to leave behind every thought, every moment of stress and let you indulge in a tranquil moment decorated amidst nature with a little salt from human architecture. Ooty is not a regular tourism destination. It is complex blend on natural escape, a lot of colonial setup, an urban outdoor in between high hills with all required facilities, making this place a suited spot for minds of all desires. If you have the courage to get it out of the hills, it can deliver you with plentiful options. 

 

 

 

I always say this in most of my blogs, Hills, Beaches, Valleys, and other scenic areas are mesmerizing due to the 100% involvement of nature, and any interference in the ration will damage its pristine value. So, whenever you put your steps on such outstanding environment, do take utmost care that you don't leave your marks behind. Let nature Nurture it and maintain it for you to have a revisit ! 

Keep Traveling.. and Built Memories !

Enchanting Lagoon of the East - Chilika Lake

The Beautiful Lagoon - Chilika

Mother Nature provides multi-dimensional travel destinations with a variety of choices that you can select as per your love and preference. India has been blessed with a variety of landscapes and natural gifts that a traveler can opt based on your choices. We have options of landscapes like hills, plains, deserts; then we have options of natural creations like Waterfalls, beaches, islands and many other preferences for a traveler to jump on. Along with these well known landscapes, there are some rare natural creations which has the potential to offers amazing experiences.

Chilika Lake is Asia's largest lagoon, present on the east coast of India, in the state of Odisha having a cross-section area of 1100 sq.m. The place offers a geography, which is very unique to itself and very few ecosystems are available which match it in prosperity. The lake is connected to Bay of Bengal through a small mouth which is essential for maintaining the salinity of the lake waters. The unique geography of the lake allowed the growth of many unique wildlife, which have adapted to the habitat and calls this place as their home. Any dastic variation in the salinity of the lake makes a degrading impact on the eco-system. Chilika lake has been developed as tourist spot and a bird sanctuary by Odisha government. The efforts got accelerated due to presence of Irrawaddy Dolphins in the waters which are nearly threatened and fears extinction due to habitat loss, hunting and careless approach towards its conservation. The area is a well identified wetland marked for conservation.

Information on Ramsar Convention declaring Chilika for Wetland conservation

Things to Explore

 

1. Dolphin Sightings

 

The area is known for Irrawaddy Dolphin and Bottle Nose Dolphin sightings, but being a rare species and amidst a lot of noise and boats, you may not get the chance to see them properly. Best time to watch the dolphins is between 7am-9am. Do avoid this tour during mating season of Dolphins, else after few years the activity will be deleted from this list. 

 

Irrawaddy Dolphin (Pic: Kalinga TV)

2. Rajhans Island

 

The last island on the eastern part of lake, with Chilika lake on one side and Bay of Bengal on other side. It is one of the better points to see in Chilika.

Sandy Rajhans Island

 

3. Sea Mouth Island

 

A sandy patch of land which is open only during low tide which acts as the mouth of Chilika where sea water enters the lake. Be careful while exploring this land and be sure to take guidance from your boatman. This place is famous for Red Ghost Crabs.  

 

4. Kalijai Island 

 

An island near Barkul Jetty which has a temple dedicated to goddess Kali. It is said that the temple was built to console the souls of two woman who died on the island. Presently, the Island is more used a tourist and picnic spot. 

 

Kalijai Island and its temple

5. Breakfast Island

 

A small island spot near Rambha Jetty which can be accessed by boat ride. It has an old building constructed on it. 

 

6. Dinosaur Island 

 

A nice island near Rambha Jetty which can be accessed by boat ride. The name is given due to a artificial dinosaur statue on the island. Its a photographic place.

 

Breakfast Island (Left) and Dinosaur Island (Right)

7. Chilika Eco-Park, Satapada 

A garden developed near Satapada Jetty, by Chilika Development Authority which can be a good place for children to have walk and evening fun. It has a blue whale skeleton kept in the garden.

Along with these spots, there are many other small islands, sandy lands and natural beauties around the area that can be seen, photographed and explored. 

Blue Whale Skeleton at Eco-park

 

Bird-watching Experiences 

 

1. Nalabana Island Bird Sanctuary (Allowed with prior government permissions)

Indraprasth Island having an area of 15.53 sq.km, which host a lot of birding activity due to its suitable habitat. The island emerges out of the lake during post monsoon times. The problem with the area is that only professionals are allowed inside the island with prior permission from Wildlife department. General tourists can explore the surrounding islands of  Bhusandpur, Soran, Parikuda and Chadheighara islands. 

 

2. Mangalajodi Bird Conservation Area

A beautiful wetland with grassy patches attract a lot of birds to this area. During season, the area is a famous bird photography site. Do maintain discipline and respect while venturing into these habitats. The activities at the place opens up early in the morning till 6 pm evening. Bird watching towers are also available in the area.

 

Pricing: For Day tours, You can book the tour package at around Rs 3000/- for 4 persons which includes fixed menu food, boat ride and a bird guide. If you want to stay here, you have options of cottage which costs around Rs 4000/- per couple and  if you opt for dormitory, it costs you around Rs 1000/- per persons. A full fledged birding trip can be arranged at a cost of around Rs 7000/- for 2 persons which includes stay for 1 night, fixed menu food and two birding tours.

Mangalajodi Bird Watching area

Facility for Exploring Chilika Lake

Chilika Lake has been well developed with multiple entry points. The well known entry points are Rambha (south), Barkul, Balugaon (West), Mangalajodi and Satapada (North), from where the lake can be explored as per comfort of the traveler. Odisha Tourism department authorized Jetty services are operating a number of lake tours, especially from Satapada and Naupada side, as the area is close to the mouth of Chilika Lake, which is separated from Bay of Bengal by a sandy patch of land and a mouth where lake merges with sea. This area is famous for Dolphin point.

 

Satapada Jetty Area

 

All tourist boats available for service are Motor driven as the travel distance is large and takes good amount of time. The boat services are managed by Motor boat association of Satapada. The jetty area is well built and provides the tourists with facilities like safety jackets, resting area, washrooms, small eateries for refreshments, and car parking facility as well. There are 6 travel routes covering different islands marked at the facility with individual pricing. (refer image below). Along with that, additional charges are applicable for picnic, night halting of boat, etc. So, before boarding the boat, have a proper conversation with the boatman to get a clear picture of your trip.

Rate chart for Boat service (Dolphin Motor Boat Association, Satapada Jetty)

Tip: If you are visiting Puri, then visit Chilika from Satapada point as direct road connectivity of 40 Km is available from Puri. But, if you are coming exclusively for Chilika Lake, then Rambha is a better entry point which has good stay options as well.

Warning:

Book your boat ride with utmost precaution to avoid fooling as the jetty guys will claim many fascinations and view points to see, but actually these are just marketing gimmicks. During your visit to the different island, you will find hawkers trying to convince you for purchasing artificial jewelries,  Artificial pearls in the name of real pearls, Artificial Gem stones imitating them as originals, food purchased here can be extremely costly, and prices can be asked randomly, so do ask the price before ordering.

 

How to Reach

Chilika Lake can be reached from many directions. To enter the lake from southern points,  Brahmapur acts as an important railway head where many trains stops and it is only 46km from Rambha jetty. In this case you can enjoy Gopalpur by Sea before you visit Chilika. The other way is reaching Bhubaneswar or Puri. If you are staying at Puri, Satapada Jetty can be reached easily via road trip of 48km. If you are coming by airways, Bhubaneswar is the only option. According to your arrival point, decide your stay area and points to visit.

Where to Stay

There are many stay options available around Chilika near Rambha, Barakul and other entry points. OTDC Panthanivas runs a resort near Barakul, which is a good stay option. Daveen Chilika Resort is an island resort near Satapada. But all these resorts may costs a bit and being at the outskirts, the only thing you can have is Chilika Lake and lots of birds.

I will suggest that book your stay at Puri, which is a proper town with all facilities, food options, and the best part is you can have stay options at comparatively cheaper cost.

Who should Visit

The place is good for most travelers, but it will be liked more by Nature enthusiasts.

Number of Days

You can have this place covered in 1 day which is around a 3-4 hour boat ride. Further extension of the trip can be done as per personal choice. 

Chilika Eco-park, Satapada

Increased tourism in these kind of area provides a two sided coin, where on one side it provides revenue for locals so they support in conservation activities, whereas increased movement of motorized boats results in accidental killing of Dolphins and damage the environment due to oil spills, giving a negative impact. Now, it is on us, the travelers, who can make a difference by adopting better eco-tourism habits. Also, avoid visiting Chilika during Dolphin mating seasons i.e. July to January. So, whenever you are touring an Eco-sensitive zone, do respect the wildlife and give them a respectable approach, as we are visiting their home for appreciating them, and strictly they are not meant for entertainment.

Beware, any mismanagement of the zone will result in damage to the eco-system, which will automatically reduce tourism in the area and finally losing earnings for many whose family is sustained by these tourism business. So, its a sensitive cycle that needs to be conserved for the sake of both animals and humans.

Enjoy Traveling and Be Responsible towards Wildlife !