Welcome
Welcome In your hectic daily life can you ever dream of a place, where you wake up with the sweet song of an unknown bird - as the first ray of the sun softly touches your eyes? Open your eyes, what you see through your windowpane, is no high rise building- it's a massive mountain covered with lush green forests -- real forests, standing there for thousands of years with innumerable species of flora and fauna. Most of them are still unknown to you. Come out of your wooden cabin, step to the green grassy plot-still wet with dew. Over your head is the crystal clear blue sky. Blue-as deep as a lover's eye. Close your eyes, take a lungful of fresh air-hold it. What do you feel? Is it different.......
Eastern Himalaya includes eastern-Nepal, entire Bhutan and the seven sister states of North-East India. The region is home of two of the highest mountains of the world - The Everest and Kanchenjunga. The diverse ethnicity of the people, the virgin forests, unique landscape makes this region one of the most attractive yet the least visited places in the world.
This site is supported at ground level by naturebeyond, a leading travel operator. Our infrastructure and ground support will make your travel a memory to cherish.
Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri is the district town, a municipality and the Civil Division in North Bengal with a population of more than 150,000 against a total population of 3,400,000 in the entire district. Situated on the right bank of the Tista River Jalpaiguri said to be derived its name from olive (Jalpai) tree, which were last seen growing here in late 1900. The Karala River divides the town into two parts and connected with few small beautifully laid bridges.
Jalpaiguri is a picturesque town having several avenue shaded by huge trees. A glimpse of snow-clad peaks of Kanchanjangha Mountains can be viewed from the town. A big well-maintained park by the side of Karala River is a nice place to spend some leisure hours among the fresh environment. Boating in the gentle Karala River upto the confluence of Tista can be a nice experience.
History of Jalpaiguri: The land and people of Jalpaiguri have a long history, which includes part of Assam, Coochbehar and the Rangpur District of present Bangladesh. Jalpaiguri has a presence in Mahabharata, which goes back to 10th century BC. There is mention of a king named Bhagadutta, a ruler of Pragjyotish or western Assam, who joined the great battle of Kurukhsetra on the side of Kourav. It appears from Mahabharata that he ruled over an area that extends from Bramhaputra River in Assam to Eastern Nepal along the foothills of Himalayas. The modern district of Jalpaiguri falls within this tract. Several rock inscriptions excavated from Jalpaiguri district refer the presence of some great ruler of ancient India. Bhaskarbarmana, the best known King of Gupta Dynasty, Sasanka are among the few of them.
jaldapara elephant safariDuring the medieval period there was a long chain of dense forest tract moving from east bank of Tista to the west bank of Bagmati River in Bangladesh Rangpur. These jungles were the territory of three Mongoloid tribes - Koch, Mech and Tharu. The Raikats - ruler of Baikunthapur had an important role in uniting Jalpaiguri. The evidences of their kingdom and palaces are still visible in Raikatpara in Jalpaiguri town.
Jalpaiguri as an administrative unit came into being in 1869, by amalgamating western Dooars with Jalpaiguri subdivision of Rangpur (Bangladesh). The most significant historical development after the formation of Jalpaiguri district was the growth of tea industry. It not only changed the landscape but also the socio-economic pattern of the district. The vast tract of forestlands becomes dotted with tea gardens, villages and markets.
Tourism in Jalpaiguri
For the last one decade entire Jalpaiguri district has been a pilgrimage for the tourist of different tastes and likings. Dense forests teeming with wildlife, lush green tea gardens intercepted by numerous meandering streams, small undulating hills, meadows and plateaus, historical structures, old temples, unknown-unspoiled destinations have made the region an important tourist destination in the foothills Himalayas popularly known as Dooars.
Attractions in and around Jalpaiguri town:
There are a number of temples, churches and historical monuments in the town. In 1885 the British tea planters opened the most prestigious Planters' Club in the town. Among the temples the Maskalaibari Kali temple, Yogmaya Kalibari, Bhadrakali, Brahmo Samaj temple were established in the town during the 1900s.
The temple at Jalpesh 23kms east of Jalpaiguri town is the most important one. The temple built in the year 1665 has a combination of Hindu and Muslim structure. It is said that Prannarayana, the king of Koch Bihar, built the temple with help of some Muslim architects he brought from Delhi. The temple houses one of the biggest Sivaling (the icon of lord Shiva), which is 3.05m in height. A very big and popular fair is organised here each year in February during the Sivaratri.
Bhutan - The Country
Bhutan is a small country in the heart of Himalaya. Druk Yul, as the country is called is the land of the thunder Dragon. The capital of Bhutan is Thimphu. The country is landlocked with India bordering three sides whereas in the North the towering mountains of the Chomolhari range provide the frontier with the Chumbi Valley of Tibet. Except for the southern part of the country, rest of Bhutan is mountainous, pristine beauty of which attracts travelers to this country.
In 1907 a hereditary monarchy was established in the country uniting the deferent groups into the Kingdom of Bhutan. During the next few decades India became independent from British occupation whereas Tibet was taken over by the Chinese. This meant dramatic changes for Bhutan. The kingdom singed treaty of friendship with India whereas it closed to traditional trade routes with Tibet. The status till date remains quite the same. Currently the Kingdom is moving forward under the leadership of its king Jigme Singe Wangchuk.
Tourism in the country is highly controlled by the government. Visit by foreigners is expensive and controlled by the government. Indian tourists can have easier access to the Kingdom. naturebeyond organizes regular customized tours to Bhutan with both international as well as Indian guests. This activities include adventure as well as leisure tours.
Eco-tourism in North East India
We at naturebeyond have strived to plan ecotourism projects in our area of functioning. naturebeyond members has been actively engaged in several social activities in the region for the last couple of decades. We feel the natural resources of our villages, if put to the world in its true form, will attract great admiration. This will not only help create economic opportunities for the local, but also preserve our natural heritage. Hence, we are highly enthusiastic about our eco tourism projects so that we can provide you a wholesome experience of pleasure and service and serve local communities at the same time.
naturebeyond’s eco-tourism initiatives include acting with the local people in remote villages in order to develop tourism as well as answer livelihood issues by empowering the people and providing direct financial benefits. We are closely associated with NESPON, an environmental organisation working at the grass root level in the north east. We are also working in close co-ordination with Forest Forum, an umbrella organisation of the people leaving in and around the forests. Together we are constantly developing several eco-tourism destinations which are placed in front of the travel fraternity from time to time.
guests dancing with the local peopleEco tourism is a small but growing segment of tourism. The international eco-tourism society has defined ecotourism as `responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.` The term is much used and abused because of its wider acceptability among the environmentally concerned travelers. Lack of a clear directive on what constitutes eco-tourism also has helped increase the abundant use of the term eco-tourism.
Understanding local people and their culture is an important part of eco-tourism. At naturebeyond we pride ourselves for being close to our roots. naturebeyond is closely connected to the different local communities and can organize ethnic tours for its guests. Information about the different inhabitants of the region and their culture can be seen in the peoples section.
lepcha girl looking through her windownaturebeyond has set up its own guideline in promoting genuine eco-tourism initiatives. For us eco-tourism means direct participation and benefit of the local community. You can find out more about eco-tourism guidelines of naturebeyond in the resources section.
Based on our guideline we have categorized certain accommodations as eco-tourism initiatives. A few such accommodations can be found in the eco-resorts section.
naturebeyond members take active interest in eco-tourism. Many of our members are active members of nespon, an NGO involved in the grass root environmental activity including eco-tourism activity. naturebeyond is also undertaking independent as well as joint projects in eco-tourism. More about our activities and initiatives can be found in the projects section.
Dooars
The Darjeeling Sikkim and Dooars region is home of some of the best forests of the world. The region has a number of national parks, wild life servers and reserve forests. Many of the forests are now open for tourism activity. The forests in Sikkim are still out of bound for most tourists. But the forests of North Bengal are open for tourists except during the monsoon.
forest Eco tourism resortBuxa was converted into a Tiger Reserve in 1982-83. The tigers are elusive and very difficult to sight. But the forests are alluring to any lover of nature. more on Buxa
Gorumara National Park is the home of large number of Rhino, Bison, Elephant and other wildlife. A jeep safari inside the forest is the best way to view wildlife. The animal population has grown so much over the past few years, the government is considering expanding the park area. One of the most easily accessible National Parks of the region. more on Gorumara
elephant safari at JaldaparaJaldapara Wild Life Sanctuary is famous for its one horned rhino and the elephant safari. The morning elephant safari inside the grassland is an experience of a lifetime. This is arguably the most popular Jungle of the region among the visitors. more on Jaldapara
Spread over North and West Sikkim, Kanchenjunga National Park is the largest forest area in Sikkim. The total area of the NP covers 2192 sq km or about 20% of the total land area of Sikkim. More on Kanchenjuga NP.
The Kyongnosia Alpine Sanctuary Eastern Sikkim is located near the famous tourist destination of Tsongo Lake. You will pass this sanctuary while visiting Tsongo lake from Gangtok. More on Peacock in GorumaraKyongnosia Alpine Sanctuary.
Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary is situated above the Tendong Hill in South Sikkim. The Sanctuary can be visited from Ravangla in South Sikkim. Day treks can be organized near the Sanctuary. more on Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary
The other major forests of the region include
Mahananda Wild Life Sanctuary,
Neora Valley National Park,
Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary
Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary
Travel Services
Nature Beyond Travel Services
Nature beyond is a leading tour operator of north east India. Adventure travel is our forte. We provide end to end service for adventure lovers right from organizing logistics to providing experienced guides and escorts.
In addition to adventure tourism specific services, we provide the following services for the leisure as well as Hotel Silver Oaks Kalimpong adventure tourists.
Hotel Booking- You may book the best accommodations in North East through nature beyond. We have wide network among the hotels. We do not recommend a hotel to our guests unless nature beyond members have personally visited the hotel and seen its infrastructure. See the Hotels Section of this website for detailed list of hotels along with photographs and tariff detail.
A car ready to be rented Car Rental - We have our own fleet of tourist vehicles for the best service of our guests. Car rental section of this website provides information on the choices of different types of cars and their tariff.
Flower in the hills Packaged tours - nature beyond organizes customized tours for guests. These tours are totally customized according to your requirement. The packaged tours section provides you with some suggested itinerary, you would have full liberty in changing / modifying the same.
On Rent - nature beyond provides adventure gear on rent for adventure lovers visiting north east India. Our adventure tourism gear might be anything from a Tent to a mountain Bike. Find out about things you don't need to carry in the rental section
3. Take advantage of 'green' hotel policies by reusing your sheets and towels if you are staying more than one night. The savings in energy and water costs and detergent usage are significant. It's been estimated that at least 70% of guests take advantage of this simple idea. Use your own shampoo and soap instead of the mini-bottles and bars provided in most hotels.
