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WEST 532 exploring theirownfascinatinganddiverse region. visitors shouldlearnfromtheBengalisthemselves, enthusiastictravellers whonever tire of (Calcutta), therestKolkata ofWestBengal seessurprisinglyfew foreign tourists. Perhaps spiritualistsandrevolutionaries.artists, Overshadowedperhapsbythereputation ofitscapital famousforitseminentwriters,and haslongbeenconsidered thecountry’sculturalheartland, spotted deerandtheelusive kingfishers, inside are RoyalBengaltiger. darting the deltarivers oftheSunderbansrunthroughworld’smostextensive mangrove forest; templesHindu andmonumentalruinsoftheMuslim (rulingprinces).Further south, mud-and-thatch villages,andvestiges ofBengal’sglorioushistory:ornate, terracotta-tiled Bhutan,NepalandTibet. peoplesandculturesinto theHimalayan ofSikkim, treks andgushingrivers ripeforwhite-water rafting. These mountainretreats offer aglimpse the Raj. Here, giants amidHimalayan andrenowned tea estates, liesanetworkofmountain stations, loopingitswaytoDarjeeling,stillasummerretreat andaquintessential remnant of of destinationsandexperiencesas . and intothesultrymangrove deltaoftheBayBengal,few states offer sucharichrange hillsdowntothepaddyfieldsofGangeticplains Stretching fromthejaggednorthern Bengal West © LonelyPlanetPublications West BengalwasthecradleofIndianRenaissanceandnationalfreedom movement, As youheadtotheplains,brilliantgreen fieldsofricesurroundbustlingtradingtowns, hill chugsupthehillsthroughBritish-era Railway The ‘toytrain’oftheDarjeelingHimalayan

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

Admire intricate epics scenes fromtheHindu therapidsinawhite-water raftingtrip Ride Meanderup thewide (orwalkalongside)the Ride Enjoy360-degree views over and Nepal,Sikkim ( p565) Darjeeling between thetea townsofKurseongand Bishnupur onthe medievalterracotta templescarved of down theTeesta River from Serampore, ChandarnagarandHooghly to uncover colonial andMughalrelics in Singalila RidgeTrek West Bengalfrommountaintopridgesonthe (p537) (p559) HooghlyRiver Teesta Bazaar toy train (p537) (p552)

Bishnupur National Park Singalila Bazaar Teesta Darjeeling Chandarnagar Kurseong Serampore Hooghly

WEST BENGAL MEGHALAYA 533 (78km)

Jamuna River To Dhaka ASSAM

31 River Buxa Duar

River Jessore

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Phuentsholing n Wildlife

Sajnekhali Sanctuary a Jaigon Jaldhapara

Cooch Behar Pakhirala G Teesta

Benapole

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Basirhat t 00 50 miles 100 km Sonakhali (93km)

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Sunderbans o Canning To Thimphu Tiger Reserve Gosaba

Ganges s

h B H U T A N Bangoan

Ranaghat t Chengrabandha u 34 Krishnanagar Kalyani o Barrackpore M Jalpaiguri (CALCUTTA) Jatar Daul Bakkali Hooghly Namkhana

B A N G L A D E S H River Palashi B A Y O F B E N G A L Diamond Harbour Gangtok Godagari Bhagirathi River Berhampore Haldibari Kalimpong New Jalpaiguri Siliguri Teesta Bazaar Sagar

Hooghly Island Bansberia Mahesh Howrah Malda Pandua Gaur Kakdwip Haldia Serampore Kurseong 34 Raiganj Contai Lalgola Hardwood Point Tamluk Nalhati Mirik S I K K I M Bagdogra Tarakeswar Kolaghat Sainthia Chandarnagar Burwan Darjeeling Digha Panitanki Kakarbhitta Bolpur Radhanagar Kharagpur Park National Singalila Durgapur Suri Bishnupur Shantiniketan/ Kenduli 31 Chandipur Bankura Purnia Asansol

Baripada Grand Trunk Rd Trunk Grand (Balasore) Baleshwar O R I S S A Bhadrakh Lulung Bangriposhi N E P A L J H A R K H A N D B I H A R 2 Purulia BENGAL WEST and may not be correct. The external boundaries of

River on this map have not been authenticated 33

33 To Varanasi (344km) WEST BENGAL WEST To Patna (63km) 31 To Kathmandu (497km) lonelyplanet.com