How to reach :-
Mandarmani is best reached by road. The nearest train station is at Contai and the nearest airport is at Kolkata.
By road :
The road route from Kolkata is: Esplanade - 63km - Kolaghat - 3km - Mecheda - 80km - Contai - 12.3km - Chawalkhola - 4km - Kalindi - 4km - Dadan Patra Bar - 6km -Mandarmoni -Total 163km
As you travel from Kolkata, after crossing the VidyaSagar Setu take the Kona Express Way. After driving a while turn left to get the Mumbai Road. Drive till you reach Kolaghat. From here take left for the Digha Route. 2km before reaching Contai Town you get Contai By-Pass road. This road is around 3km long and would give you relief from the crowded city drive. It is a short-cut and again falls onto the Kolkata-Digha road. You drive another 10 km to reach Chawalkhola. If you come by bus get down at Chawalkhola and you can hire private vehicles from here to take you to your destination. Even the resorts have car pick-up facilities from Contai/Chawalkhola. Contact them earlier to avail the same. Take a left turn from Chawalkhola and follow the village road (be ready for a bumpy ride) till it ends. It is around 8km. This village road ends into a green beautiful sea side village called 'Dadon-Patro-Bar'. Here there are number of resorts newly created and some coming up, providing tourist a warm and fascinating stay within lush green landscape overlooking the sea-shore. This is the first group of resorts of Mandarmani. You can plan staying still further to experience an exciting drive ahead. As this road concludes, you can drive down from the road onto the wet beach and drive forward for 6km or so along this lonely stretch to reach another group of resorts of Mandarmani. If you choose the second option, donot drive after dark on the beach since it is pitch dark, and there is no one in the vicinity till you reach your resort. So you should start well in time. Enthusiasts please note that Mandarmani boasts of her truly virgin, 13km long motorable beach, longest in India. Total drive time from Kolkata to Mandarmani would be 3.5 hours. Also take prior information of high tides (only in the rainy season), because during high tides water may reach upto the motorable stretch of the beach.
By bus :
From Kolkata, catch a bus at Esplanade or at Howrah headed for Chawalkhola. You can avail any bus service headed towards Digha. State Transport Buses are available , fare is as cheap as 76 INR per head. A number of Dlux couches are runing daily having fare 100 to 110 INR. Whiteliners in Kolkata - Digha route (Rs 160/- per head) from Esplanade starts at 7.30 am
Just Before Rain, feel the thrill
What to see :-
You'll most likely be walking between your resort and the beach, however if you need to travel longer distances, avoid the temptation to drive on the beach. It's already had an adverse affect on the local ecology, and you'll only be making it worse... stick to the roads. One thing to be mentioned is that from Chawlkhola you will get mechanised/non-mechanised cycle vans which will take you to a place known Dadanpatrabar. Though this is not proper Mandarmani which is about 5.5km.
One thing what everyone should remember before going to Mandarmani is that there are no proper motorable road after Dadanpatrabar. After you reach Dadanpatrabar, you will have to drive through the sea beach. If there is high tide in the rainy season the beach gets partially submerged and sometimes you will have to wait till the low tide starts.
The beach - birds dot the sky and little waves wash the very calm, clean beach, as a few fishermen do their daily duty noiselessly.
It's just you and the beach, not a second person to disturb you.
Mandarmani, The Silvered Sea
What to Do :-
Relax, swim and enjoy the beach. You are not likely to have many visitors around and that's the beauty of this beach. Activities include table tennis, carrom, beach cricket, beach volleyball, and boat cruises.
Fishing :
Sunbathing - only possible from October to February
Swimming
What to Buy :-
Fresh fish & crabs - try buying some from the fishermen, if they have any for you.
Bazaa..r, The Sana Beach. A shopping arcade selling various imported items and fantastic locally made handicrafts. Shop n Stop, Debraj Beach. A shopping arcade.
Explore Mandarmani with Tracker
What to Eat :-
Typical Bengali food and Chinese (Kolkata style) in the resort where you are staying.
Santi, Debraj Beach resort. A multi-cuisine restaurant.
Shrimp Cocktail, The Sana Beach. A multi-cuisine restaurant serving tasty Indian, Chinese, Tandoor and Continental food.
Tulshi, The Sana Beach. A Jain restaurant.
Utsav, Debraj Beach resort. A traditional Bengali restaurant.
Hotels :-
Several resorts are spread along a 2km stretch of beach:
- Debraj Beach Resort , +91 33 2231-0909 ( contact@debrajresort.com , fax : +91 33 2231-0910 ), . checkin: 12 Noon ; checkout: 11:30 AM . Three star facility adjacent to the beach, contemporary design, and all rooms come with a/c and en suite toilets. Other amenities include a swimming pool, health club, games parlour,suvenier shop, book library and A.C.conference hall for up to 100 people. Utsav is their traditional Bengali restaurant, or Santi serves a wider variety of cuisines. Rs 1200-2800 .
- Digante , +91 98 3104-3365 ( digante@digante.com ), . A mid-priced beach retreat with a private sunbathing beach backed by sand dunes and Jhau plantations. AC rooms available, 24 hr generator. Durga Puja ceremonies are held at the resort, and Bidisha is the onsite multi-cuisine restaurant. Rs 1200-1550 .
- Garden Retreat , ( at the endpoint of the main road in Mandarmoni, just on the beach ), +91-9831167537, +91-9831769790 , . checkin: 12:00 noon ; checkout: 12:00 noon . Eco-friendly beach resort with standard sea-facing and non sea-facing rooms. Restaurant serving delicious Bengali, Chinese and Tandoor dishes. Private beach with imported Korean party-tents and beach-tents. Barbecue and camp-fire on the beach. Doctor on call. Travel assistance is also available. Rs.500-1200 + tax .
- Resort Hirak Jayanti , ( Near Garden Retreat Resort ), 033-2286-6969 , . checkin: 12 noon ; checkout: 11:30 AM . Some sea-facing rooms and some with a/c. Can provide meals to hotel guests only. Rs 1000-1800 .
- Rose Valley . checkin: 12 Noon ; checkout: 11:30 AM . All rooms have a/c and face the sea. Credit cards are accepted at their Kolkata office, and group rates are available. Boating, garden & a/c conference hall. Breakfast complimentary , drivers stay free or free pick up & drop from Chawalkhola. Rs 2000-3500 .
- Samudra Sakshi Resort , +91 97 3286 1020 . A resort with a small park, good for kids. Rs 400-1800 .
- The Sana Beach , +91 93 3250-4423 ( lnl@mandarmonihotels.com ), . "Eco-friendly" beach resort with accommodation options from camping through to suites. 3 meals a day available from Rs 500. They've also got the "Village of Bengal" on site, a local artisans' market/workshop, and a private sunbathing area on the beach. Shrimp Cocktail is a multi-cuisine restaurant serving Indian, Chinese and Continental food, or Tulshi is their Jain restaurant. They've also got Sourav, a 24 cafe, or check out Majlish, the hookah bar. Rs 1375-5500 + tax .
- Tarangamala Guest House , ? +91 99 3297-7184 , . checkin: 12 Noon . A basic mid-range hotel with cottages around a lake. Rs 600-800 .
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
Sunset at Mandarmani |
Sunrise at Mandarmani |
