| If you are looking for an easy escape from the ever | | | | island for some extra bucks. And voila, he agreed. We |
| increasing hustle bustle of the city of joy without | | | | traveled couple of more kilometers further and landed |
| emptying your wallet much, then Bakkhali is an ideal | | | | on Mousumi Island. The beach was quite muddy but |
| weekend destination. Located just 130 kms away from | | | | there were absolutely no people around us. It was |
| Kolkata (Calcutta, India), Bakkhali can be reached within | | | | more like having a share of our own private beach. |
| 4 hours easily by road. It is a beautiful beach covered | | | | We returned around 3:30PM to Frazergunj Port. The |
| with white sands and less crowded than popular sea | | | | entire journey cost us around Rs.400 (for boat) and |
| beaches around Kolkata. Hotels are plenty and | | | | Rs.150 (for the boatman). |
| reasonably priced; all you need to have a very strong | | | | After having lunch near a small roadside hotel, we |
| bargaining capacity. There is not much to do at | | | | headed for the Bakkhali beach to enjoy the splendid |
| Bakkhali, but witnessing a sunset on the beach with | | | | evening. The sunset was brilliant on the beach, and |
| your loved ones can be an unforgettable experience. | | | | with decreasing sunlight the water level started |
| Hope this Bakkhali Weekend Travel Tips will make | | | | increasing. It was a well spent evening until we decided |
| your journey more enjoyable. | | | | to return to our room around 8:30PM. Before that we |
| Day I - We took a 7AM direct State Transport bus | | | | bought a chicken and gave it to a restaurant to cook it |
| from Esplanade Bus Depot, Kolkata to Bakkhali. It | | | | for ourselves. You can buy your raw food (meat/ fish) |
| charged us around Rs.70 each. An interesting part of | | | | and give it to any hotel for cooking at a very |
| this journey was crossing the river near Namkhana on | | | | reasonable cost. The food arrived in our room around |
| a barge. The bus itself is transported from one side of | | | | 10:30AM and we had a ball having chicken curry with |
| this river to the other on this barge. The process was | | | | roti and to accompany there was the deadly |
| a bit time consuming but gave us the opportunity to | | | | combination of rum-coke. Day I ended very quickly as |
| have a quick walk around the place and to take some | | | | we were too tired to do anything post dinner. |
| interesting photographs of fishing boats and other port | | | | Day II - We again headed towards the Bakkhali beach |
| related activities. The bus finally reached our | | | | around 8:30AM after having our breakfast. After |
| destination around 11AM. | | | | spending around two and half hours in the water, we |
| We booked a paddled van from the bus station to | | | | finally came back to our hotel. We left the hotel at |
| look for reservations in different hotels. Fortunately or | | | | 12PM and headed towards Henry Island by a mini van. |
| you can say, unfortunately we got accommodation at | | | | Henry Island can be reached within 15-20 minutes from |
| a hotel just 5 minutes walking distance away from the | | | | there. We also explored the Beach of Henry Island |
| bus station and a 10 minutes walking distance away | | | | which was entirely people-less at that time. Finally the |
| from the beach. The room was big enough with two | | | | same mini van took us to Namakhan around 2:30PM. |
| double beds letting four of us having our own share of | | | | The Bakkhali-Henry Island-Namkhana journey cost us |
| space. We paid Rs.500 for the room and it was a | | | | around Rs.300. We crossed Namkhana and took a |
| decent bargain. | | | | direct train to Kolkata. We were home by 6 in the |
| By 1PM, we reached Frazerganj port to experience | | | | evening. |
| the amazing boat ride on the Bay of Bengal. A | | | | Important Bakkhali Weekend Travel Tips and |
| paddled van took us to the port from our hotel within | | | | Suggestions |
| 20 minutes. We bargained with one of the boatman | | | | * An ideal weekend destination but can be very |
| and finally hired an entire motorized boat for ourselves. | | | | crowded during peak seasons, holidays. |
| The deal was to take us to the confluence point which | | | | * Hotels are very cheap but you have to bargain a lot. |
| was around 2/3 kms away in the sea. The sea was a | | | | * There is no ATM in Bakkhali |
| bit rough and with mangroves on one side and endless | | | | * Use lots of sun cream and body protection solutions |
| horizon on the other, we didn't need anything else to | | | | while out in the sun. |
| get high. But we enjoyed our chilled beer, which at that | | | | * The water at Bakkhali is not really good. |
| time had almost lost its coldness, thoroughly. We | | | | * It is advisable to take your own transport. |
| convinced the boatman to take us to some solitary | | | | |