If you are tired of the scorching sun and the absence of rain in your surroundings, all you have to do is stop cribbing and set out on an adventurous weekend trip to a seaside where you can relax and enjoy. Though there are many such destinations near Kolkata like Puri and Digha which happens to be everyone’s favorite and traditional summer holiday destinations ; you can also, for a change explore Mandarmani , which is a very new seaside resort compared to the other two but is no less than the others. Mandarmani lies at a distance of around two hundred kilometers from Kolkata and can be reached in seven hours by car. Alternatively you can take a train to the nearest station , Contai and then travel the next half of the journey by rickshaws or buses which ply regularly from the Contai station. Personally, I have always preferred long drives as you get to see and experience a lot of situations when you are travelling via road. However you must remember that Mandarmani is a sea beach and is under the influence of high and low tides. Thus the timings should be carefully planned as no one wants to get stuck on the beach due to high tides.
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MANDARMANI BEACH |
Mandarmani itself is a seaside resort which stretches up to a distance of fifteen to eighteen kilometers. All along this stretch are numerous hotels and resorts which are almost full and quite busy during the tourist season. If you think that going to Mandarmani means only to sit and bask in the sun and take a nice bath in the water you are mistaken. There are a number of things to do.
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ONSET OF HIGH TIDES IN THE EVENING |
- Taking a walk out on the beach and watch the sunrise or the sunset is an amazing experience and you cannot afford to miss it. In fact strolling along the beach you can also reach the Mohana or the confluence of two rivers. However with the possibilities of Quick Sand you need to be careful around that place.
- There is a small village nearby where the tribals live. You can take a quick tour of the place and feel humbled by the humility of the people there.
- Tea stalls and Food stalls mark the coastline . Probably after each hotel there is one such stall. Here people can order tea, coffee, and occasional food and sit and relax and spend hours after hours watching the sea.
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SUNSET FROM A FOOD STALL |
- There is a fish market along the coastline. Interestingly, the vendors in this market have contracts with the hotel . Every morning they supply fresh fish to the hotel. The tourists can also pick and buy their fish and get it cooked from the numerous tea and food stalls on the beach and relish them for lunch or dinner.
- Certain resorts offer a lot of water sports like surfing and boating but these are only possible if they are compatible with the weather condition. Alternatively, you can play volleyball or other such outdoor games in the beach.All resorts have benches outside the gates where you can simply sit and read a book or observe the people on the beach.
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BENCHES OUTSIDE HOTELS |
- In the evenings there are many curio shops where you can buy small local items for yourself or for gifting purposes. Local kids also roam around selling shells of different sizes, shapes and colors. Or you can collect some of the beautiful shells from the sea beach itself.
- You can ride the local scooters which have a capacity of accommodating around twenty people at the same time and ply regularly for the tourists taking them for a ride along the full stretch of the coast at early mornings or in the evenings.
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CARS AND LOCAL RIDES IN THE BEACH |
- Local photographers are always on the prowl to attract customers . They click photographs in various ways and instantly print them for you in just 20 rupees per photograph. This rate is the same throughout the beach.
- Red crabs are found all along the beach and are a beauty to look at . Crab holes can be found at every corner of the land and you must be careful of teasing such holes lest it might invite the anger and bites of the crab.
Some very interesting facts about Mandarmani is that the whole resort thrives on generators. Thus two hours in the morning (6 am -8 am)and two hours in the evening (4 pm – 6 pm) , there is no electricity in any of the resorts. This is the best time when all the tourists flood the beach. Also, the curio shops can only be seen on the coast from 3 pm to 6 pm after which as the tide starts rising; the vendors pack up and no sign of the shops can be seen. The fish market too sits only early in the morning when business flourishes the most and no trace of it can be seen as the sun rises. Again they sit in the evenings and disappear by 6 pm. Such unique timings have been made so that the entire situation can be adapted as per the tidal timings of the place.
Off late certain tricky and dangerous situations have been reported but it has not dampened the spirit of the tourists visiting this place. Since the entire resort is built on a sandy beach, the probability of the wheels of your car getting seeped in by a quick sand is quite high. In fact my own car was stuck. Once such a situation arises you have no way out but to take the help of the locals. The locals have made it a business and charge anywhere between three thousand to five thousand rupees to help bring out the car. Often many daredevils have made the sea beach their own platform of showing stunts with their cars and have taken their cars out too much into the sea. At such times the car and many of the people inside have even drowned under the influence of the tides. Thus, it is important to remember that one must follow the rules and drive along the beach and enjoy it in a safe manner.
Nevertheless such accidents are common is every sea beaches and is the responsibility of the tourists too to take care and follow the rules of the place. Apart from such accidents which demand a bit of safety measures you can freely enjoy your stay at such a beautiful place . It relaxes your senses and re-energizes you from within to face the hustle and bustle of the city life with a smile on your face.
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RIPPLES ON THE BEACH DURING SUNSET |
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What a stunning view of the sunset at Mandarmani beach. Its a disgrace, that being an Indian i have never been to North Eastern part. Would love to visit someday.
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Im sure this place will not disappoint you if you are looking for a fun vacation with friends or family. You might want to try out the water activities / water sports offered by some of the hotels.
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Sounds like an interesting and relaxing place. I’ve never heard of it before! Thanks for sharing.
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Welcome. yes it is indeed a great and relaxing place to spend a few days with your family or friends.
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I’ve never heard of this place before! The sand is so white and the place looks so beautiful. Love it
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Thanks. Yes, its a developing place in Kolkata.
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This is a place that is new to me. What a lovely getaway not far from Kolkata. I think this would be a great place for a family getaway from the urban hustle and bustle of Kolkata.
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I agree! We do need to run away to spend a day on the beach once in a while, so relaxing… no matter where you are in the world, and if you love seafood its a plus 🙂 Thanks for sharing this one!
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I never heard of this place but looks like a great place to visit!
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Didn’t know about this place. Will have to look into it further.
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Yes its a developing seaside resort in West Bengal , India.
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Wow! I had never heard of this until your post. Thank you for introducing this place to me! I especially like the pink beach chairs!
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Yes. The pink chairs are great.
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I’ve never heard about this place before, so thank you for sharing. I love going to beaches, I’m def more of a beach person than a mountain person. It’s always fun to read about beaches around the world. Hope you had a great time there!
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I have been to a lot of beaches so I think Im not going to any beach for the next one year. But this place was great and is a recommendation .
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Would love to sit and chill at these pink benches! Do they have a view to the sea? The beach looks secluded and maybe you can have it all to yourself. Sounds lovely!
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Yes. They have a view of the sea. All hotels and resorts have benches at safe distance from the sea where you can sit and relax and enjoy the view even during high tides.
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Love this place, it seems ideal if you want to get away and have an adventure. x
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Riding along the beach would be fun, but I’d probably rather pay someone than try it myself if that’s the case! Had a few stuck-in-the-sand moments at various beaches around the world…! Looks like a great place to watch the sunrise!
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Well, riding would be great in the early mornings and early evenings for that is when the tides are low. Else I would not recommend to have a go cause here its not only cases of getting stuck in the sand but also of vehicles been washed away in the sea and never seen again.
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That sunset looks amazing!! I’d love to see something like this for myself.
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Well, I hope you come to India and visit this place then. 🙂
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I’ve not heard of Mandarmani before, but it definitely looks like an intriguing place to visit! Thx for sharing this post with us.
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You are most welcome. 🙂
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Looks a great place to spend a leisure time away hustle bustle of the city hotels.
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Yes absolutely.
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You are truly an amazing writer. I really love how you transmit your thoughts that rhyme with your words. The pictures you have provided are captured with the heart that speaks so much about the beauty of the place.
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Thank you so much . 🙂
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it seems live a nice place to visit someday…I love how natural it look. thank you for sharing
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I grew up in Orissa and if you ask what is your favorite thing about it.Hands down I would say beaches. I miss going to beach every other weekend and playing around. Your posts reminded me of my childhood. Thank You
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Oh thats lovely. I assume you have been to Puri? I havnt . Its on my list and hope to visit it sometime soon.
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I like the fact that most of it is untouched. It makes the whole place more peaceful and serene! It would be nice to stay here even just for a weekend.
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Yes. I went there for a weekend after my exams.
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I didn’t know that Mandarmani is such a beautiful beach and the best part is its accessible by a vehicle! It would be so much fun driving on the coast line!
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Yes it might be fun but the tides are very dangerous. So, I would suggest to play safe.
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Ohhhh, it looks so pretty there. But it also looks like you’d have so much more fun with a group of friends, than going just by yourself. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
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What an adventurous trip you had! I’ve never heard of Mandarmani before, looks like a cool place to explore! Thanks for the review, pinned your post for the later!
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Thanks. 🙂
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This looks really dangerous by yourself. But I’d take the chances with a team. 🙂
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I would agree.
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Looks like a great place to relax for a few days!
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Yes. absolutely.
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Love secluded beaches like this, away from pesky tourists (like me haha!). Thanks for the safety tips, and the note on electricity. That would definitely be a shock if you didn’t know about it beforehand.
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Yes i agree. It would still be okay in the winter months but not in summer.
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I have read many things about Calcutta. It is famous for its food and rich culture. I like your post very much.This is something different in which we actually knows about Calcutta. Very informative. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks. Glad you liked it.
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This does sound like a lovely place to spend some time by the sea, relaxing. It’s nice that there are so many activities and stalls by the water.
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Yes. the guards and the locals are always on the lookouts and taking precautions for the safety of the tourists.
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