A trek, night halt, a taste of local culture
and cuisine and all of them bundled into a 24-hour package
for visitors to Neora Valley National Park.
The forest department today opened Red Panda
Camp at Chaudapheri, an entry point to the park. Those putting
up at the cottage will be taken on treks and bird watching.
Local tribes will perform in the evenings.
The camp is located 8,000 ft above sea level
and offers a mesmerising view of the Kanchenjunga. This is
the first time that an accommodation has been set up at a
stone’s throw from the park.
Cottages run by West Bengal Forest Development
Corporation and the private entrepreneurs in this area are
mostly located at Lava, Samsing and Suntalekhola, which are
around 3-4km from the park.
“We had been receiving feed backs
from tourists, trekkers and jungle-lovers, who wanted accommodations
at the entry points. This led to the construction of the eco-friendly
cottage which has four double-bedded rooms,” said Tapas
Das, the divisional forest officer (wildlife II). “The
location is unique as Kanchenjunga is visible from the camp.”
The park is spread over 88 sqkm across the
Bengal-Sikkim border. The highest point Rachilla Danda, lies
to the north of the park.
Known to be a storehouse of wildlife, the
park is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. According to forest
sources, at least 31 species of mammals and more than 106
species of birds are found there.
“Tourists will have to book a 24-hour
package trip. We will offer little bit of trekking and bird
watching at the camp. They can reach here by midday and stay
at night, enjoying the silence of forests,” said S.S.
Bist, the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife),
who opened the camp today.
The department, however, is yet to fix the
tariff. “It is expected to be around Rs 700-800 per
person for one day, inclusive of all meals,” the DFO
said.
Courtesy: Telegraph |
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