Tucked away within the eastern Himalayan foothills of West Bengal, Jaldapara sanctuary is home to one-horned Indian rhinoceros, elephants, deer and variety of birds. The Torsa River cuts through 100 sq km sanctuary that consists of lush forests and grasslands. The rhinos are usually visible in the swampy grasslands. The forests lodge inside the sanctuary is the best place to stay. The elephants riding point is also nearby. Trained elephants of the forest department take visitors (usually four to an elephant) on a two-hourly ride through the forest. The elephant-drives are experienced enough to locate rhinos; even if you are unlucky with the animals, an early morning ride through the picturesque forest can be rewarding. You can also pay a visit to the elephant camp nearby to see the calves or the trainee-elephants. In the evening, you may be able to catch animals at the salt lake opposite the lodge.

How to go: Jaldapara is accessible through Siliguri town, 120 km away. Madarihat, on the Siliguri-Phuntsholling highway, is the place to get off. There is a tourist lodge here. The forest bungalow inside is about 9 km from Madarihat.

Accommodation: The state-run Tourist Lodge at Madarihat has quite a large number of rooms including dormitories. The Hollong Forest Lodge inside the sanctuary has very limited accommodation. Both can be booked through :-

West Bengal Tourism:
3/2 BBD Bag (E),
Kolkata-700029.
Tel No.-(033) 22254723
E-mail id: dtwbtour@vsnl.net
or
M-4 Building, Hill Cart Road,
Siliguri
Tel No.: (0353) 511974.

Best Season: November to March