How to reach :-
Shankarpur is about 185 km from Kolkata
By bus :
Buses go to Shankarpur from Dharamtala/ Esplanade bus stand, Kolkata.
Shankarpur is near Digha and the place can be reached by taking any bus going to Digha. You need to getoff at a place called Choddomile or Chaulkhola (14 Miles in Bengali) between Contai (Kanthi) and Digha - just before Ramnagar. The sea beach is a 15 minute ride by a car from Choddomile. You need to book a car to pick you up from Choddomile. Ask the hotel to do the car booking.
Otherwise, you can go straight to the Digha Bus stand (a further 25-30min ride) and then hire a cab from there.
There is also a direct bus to Shankarpur.
The best bus to take is the 7:30AM Airconditioned bus run by the "West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation". It starts from Dharmatala Bus Stand (near the Maidan market). You need to book in advance - the earlier you do so the better.
 |
Another good bus is the Ex Armyman's Service.(Reclining seats/Video Coach)This starts from Golpark at 6.30 AM and is convenient for those travelling from South Calcutta. Again, advance booking advisable.
Travel Time by Bus: 4:30-5:00 (including a 30-40 minute snacks break).
You can also reach Digha by train from Howrah or Shalimar. The train starts from Howrah on certain days of the week. Only on weekends do the railway provide Aircon chaircars. |
|
By car :
If you want to drive down to Shankarpur from Kolkata(Calcutta) - the directions are as follows
Take the Second Hooghly Bridge
Follow Kona Expressway ( 4-Lane road)
At the Bombay Road crossing - take a left.
Follow Bombay Road ( 4-Lane road)
You can break at the A1 Plaza inside the Reliance petro station. It would be to your left - a 30-40 minute ride from the Kona Expressway - Bombay Road junction
Keep straight till you cross the Rupnarayan river ( the bridge is one way and the river is wide)
After you cross the river you will see the Kolaghat Thermal Power Station to your left
Immediately after the Power Station is a junction - turn left towards Haldia
You have now hit the Haldia Highway (NH41) - the road is being 4 laned - but most of it is still a 2 lane road.
Keep straight till you hit the Nandakumar crossing - you can identify it easily as the crossing has a wide round circle.
Turn right at this crossing - you have now hit the Digha Road
Digha Road is a 2 lane road - the road is smooth but narrow and the Buses drive at very high speed - so be extremely careful when overtaking.
Follow Digha road - you will cross Narghat Bridge, Chandipur, Bajkul, Heria, Kanthi (Contai).
At Choddomile before Ramnagar take a left towards Shankarpur This road is bad. You will have a river for company - it will be to your right.
The first hotel to come up is Hotel Nest ( The best place to stay but not near the beach)
After nest you come to a junction where the road bifurcates - the right road leads to the Joar and Matsyagandha tourist lodges
The left road takes you to the Shankarpur beach. Just before the beach an narrow unpaved road leads to the other hotels - Hotel Sandy Bay is the first. There are cheaper hotels down this road.
By train :
2867 SHM DIGHA EXP SHALIMAR Dep.Time 08:00 DIGHA FLAG STN 11:20
2867A HWH DGHA EXP HOWRAH Dep.Time 07:55 DIGHA FLAG STN 11:20 (Only SUNDAY)
What to see :-
After you get on the beach , you will see an endless stretch of sea kissing the beach. Beneath your feet you will see red crabs .. On the left side about 45 mins walking, you will reach Mandar Mani- a small beach. But do not take your car on the beach coz U may get trapped in the Quick Sand... And at nite on the desolated beach is a dream for the people seeking tranquility. Undoubtedly, SHANKARPUR is the Miami of WB.
Sankarpur Jetty
Sea Beach The Sea Beach near Hotel Sandy Bay is not crowded - unfortunately it is not a great beach with stumps of trees scattered all over the place. At places, the beach is muddy. The beach near the Benfish Tourist lodges is better.
What to buy :-
Conch shell trinkets as souvenir.
What to Eat :-
Hotel Sandy Bay serves good Bengali cuisine. Try their sea food - prawns, pomfret, bhetki, parse (a small sweet water fish - cooked whole with the bones - so you need to use your hands to eat), rohu (a form of carp). You can also try out their vegetarian food like mochar ghonto (spicy young green bananas), aloo posto, aloor dum (Bengali style), Kashmiri aloo dum , cholar daal.
Hotel Nest serves tastily cooked dishes. Try their fish preparations particularly prawn and topshe. Even if one is not staying there one can use the restaurant.Hotel Nest have boting park.
On the beach you have some shacks selling green coconut and tea. Bottled beverages like Coke/ Pepsi etc are also available.
You should drink bottled water - Kinley can be had from the hotel or the small shops near the beach.
I can bet that no one can leave Shankarpur without relaxing on the beach on a full moon night and a glass of vodka topped up with coconut water... The ambience is mesmerizing.. The bar at Hotel Nest is damn good. But from Sandy Bay U can face the sea directly. U can also get enough of country liquor over there. it s a local alcoholic drink very strong in nature.
Tourist Lodges :-
Tourist lodges run by Benfish, the Bengali Fishermen's Co-op:
Matsyagandha Rooms Rs. 200-500 "+91 (0)(33) 2455 1491 (WB State Fiseries Dept)"
Kinara Rooms Rs. 400-700.
Hotels :-
Sweet Home Hotel Hotel Nest - easily the best but away from the beach.They are adding more rooms and plan to put in a swimming pool and gymnasium.The distance from the beach wont really matter since they have a jeep standing by at all hours to ferry guests to and from the beach.Phone number - 03220264074
Hotel Sandy Bay , Rs. 300-500.
Hotel Ashoka Phone number 03220-264275
Hotel Bela Nibas
Sweet Home Inn Hotelis situated just 150meters the SEA BEACH. Contact number 9831003490(Mr. Pranab Ghosh) Room Rate-G.Floor(Double Bed)Rs 500 (Triple Bed)Rs600. -> 1st Floor (Double Bed) Rs600 1st Floor(Four Beded) Rs 1200.Car Parking Available at NIGHT...StAy iN cOmFoRT...
Benfish's newest tourist lodge - Jowar is excellent.Its a lovely property,still new and well maintained and also close to the beach.Villa type buildings with lawns and children's play area.
Booking :-
MANDARMONI
HOTELSHANTINIKETAN TARRIFF-1000-1800(A.C)
HOTEL ROSEVALLY-1800(A.C)-3000(A.C)FRONTFACING
HOTEL SINJINI 750
SHANKARPUR
MATSHOGANDHA-650(NON A.C)800(A.C)
TAJPUR
HOTEL RATE-650-750
JUNPUT
JUNPUT RESORT 500-900(A.C)
SAFAR-SONGEE
9B ESPLANADE(EAST ROW), KOLKATA-700069
PHONE - (033) 40048685
(0) 9163914473
Digha is about 14 km from Shankarpur
Sankarpur |
Sweet Home Inn Hotelis
|
