As the car turns left from Rajabhatkhawa in to Buxa Tiger Reserve, dense forest rushes in to engulf the glistening metal road meandering through it. It’s the perfect build-up of tanticipation (tiger-related anticipation). The 30-minute/16 km drive from the Buxa Reserve gate to Jayanti is entirely through lush green forest of matured trees and dense foliage. Sashastra Seema Bal (Armed Border Force) jawans in olive battle fatigue and toting INSAS rifle at the three-point Buxa Crossing adds to the eerie ambience.
Eyes are strained looking out for the elusive streak of yellow stripes, or the majestic movement of a giant pachyderm. But of course nothing happens- not even the stirring of a monkey or a peacock- and we arrive unmauled/untrampled/unruffled at the forest check post in Jayanti. A quick review of the forest entry pass issued at Rajabhakkhawa and we are waved in. Stay is arranged at Public Health Engineering Inspection Bungalow. This and all of the few other decent accommodations are located in the bank of the dry bed of Jayanti river. Rovers Inn (http://www.roversinnjayanti.com/) is quite popular among travelers, but I liked the look and feel of Banante Resort (http://banantedooars.com/) better. The latter has cottages; but it also has a separate building with two rooms at a higher level and a terrace which I liked best. I also spotted a Jayanti River view homestay by the side of the river. I heard there is a CESC guest house in the area too. The PHE Bungalow’s VIP rooms with balcony overlooking the riverbed and the mountains are unbeatable, only comparable or a shade less than the Forest Rest House. There is a Bhutiya Basti in the area- they run small grocery stores and eateries. Some of our travel group members loved the spicy Wai Wai noodles and vegetable momos served at such eateries.
There are multiple local tour options. A drive on the dry Jayanti river bed can be quite exciting. One also crosses the river bed to get in the forest for a tour. There are jeep safaris available, but other option is to go in with your own vehicle. Obtaining permission from the check post and hiring a local trained guide is mandatory (costs Rs. 200 for most destinations). There is a “watchtower trap” to watch out for. There are three watchtowers- Tashigaon, Chunia and BB. Tour guides and local tourist vehicles strongly encourage tourists to go to all if possible. But the chances of animal sighting during regular hours in all of them are equally dim. Of course animals come near those watchtowers, but not when rows of jeeps are roaring in, kicking up dust, and tourists are chattering excitedly about every leaf that is moving anywhere in the periphery. A better option is a drive through of the forest just to enjoy the beautiful forest ambience and the serene streams and interrupt the dirt tracks occasionally. The only wildlife we saw- a python- was during our drive along regular alphalt road. There are other tour options including Pukuri Hills and a stalactite cave known as “Mahakal Cave”. The latter has two variants- Choto and Boro, with different rates. A longer distance option is to visit Buxa Fort, which requires a trek for the last 2 kms. The squash momos at Santrabari, prepared by Bhutanese families at the foothill of Buxa Fort climb, are delightful. I chatted with the Forest Beat Officer whose office is located at Santrabari. He talked about the regular sighting of elephants in the area, but his view was that it is their area whereas humans are guests. He talked about the recent tiger census in the huge forest area, which is quite a project. Buxa Tiger Reserve was one of the first tiger reserve in India to adapt tiger census through DNA technique. Forest staff, aided by NGOs, travel through the forest and collect excreta in polythene pouch filled with silica gel and record the GPS location of the place of collection. The samples are later put through genetic analysis to confirm the presence of tigers and other predators. The Beat Officer felt that there are still 3-5 tigers, though they mostly stay in the higher areas of Bhutan mountains. However, wildlife conservationists are extremely upset at Bengal Forest Department’s dismal performance in toger conservation. Wildlife Institute of India scientists have reported that they did not find any sign of tiger in Buxa. According to them, the Bhutan vacation of tigers is a convenient excuse of the foresters to cover their inadequacy. Read more about the debate in in: http://www.sanctuariesindia.com/buxa-tiger-reserve-has-no-tigers/. A good official website, though not most current, is
http://www.buxatigerreserve.com/
We also went for a trip to Coochbehar- about 32 km from Jayanti. The only disadvantage is when we exit the Buxa Forest, the entry charge of around Rs. 600-700 for a car with 6-8 passengers have to be paid again at the Rajabhatkhayoa check post. It is therefore more economical to visit Coochbehar on the way in or out. The drive is through congested roads. Coochbehar is however a neat town with well maintained roads, heritage structures and nice people. We visited the two most important attractions- Madan Mohan Temple and the majestic Coochbehar Palace. On way back, we stopped a a local haat to buy Tulaipanji and Kalo Nuniya rice- both quintessentially North Bengal products.
Our three nights at Jayanti was most relaxing and refreshing. It is best not to do much. A daily drive around the forest is exhilarating enough. Rest of the time, it is rejuvenating to put your feet up in the balcony and stare at the vast expanse of the dry river bed with the endless flow of activities that go on it. An eerie ambience descends with nightfall, with the mountains, forest and riverbed presenting a silhouette with different shades of darkness in the open canvas. The moon showers a magical glow on the vast expanse which makes the place most surreal. Buxa’e Bagh nei, but boddo beautiful.
