Diary of North Bengal 7/ Samsing, Santalekhola and Rocky Island

‘Rocky Island’- means an island which is made up of rocks! I was a bit surprised hearing the name for the first time.

Generally we have islands in the sea. We know about Majuli Island, the largest River Island, located in the middle of the Brahmaputra River. But after all Brahmaputra is a vast river. How can be an island here in North Bengal in the middle of the small mountainous streams! 

Riding on this curiosity, we started the journey from Murti. We were to visit a few spots, namely Samsing, Suntalekhola and Rocky Islands. We took Meteli bound road from Chalsha more. The scenery changed completely as we crossed Meteli. Amidst the lush green tea gardens, we moved ahead. The workers were busy plucking the tea leaves. The mountains approached us as we reached Samsing. The place, called Samsing is known for its tea gardens. The real beauty lies in Santelokhola, about four kilometers from Samsing. It is a heaven for the nature lovers.  

The famous Neora Valley National Park, starts from Samsing. The National Park ranges from the sea level to almost ten thousand feet above sea level. There is a trek route through the dense forest that starts from Samsing. 

On proceeding towards Santalekhola, the road became mountainous. The beauty of the road was amazing. As we moved through the various hair-pin bends, we could hear the chirping of various types of birds. 

We had to leave our own car, in a place which is just one-and-a-half kilometers from Santalekhola and take a local car driven by a Nepali man.  

We wondered as to why we had to leave our own car. The driver answered our query. This step has been taken to improve the financial condition of the region. But one can take their own car, if they have booking in the WBFDC cottages of Suntalekhola.  

Finally we reached Santalekhola. It’s a Nepali word, where ‘santale’ means orange and ‘khola’ as many of us know, means small stream. Situated at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level, the place earned its name from the small stream, which we had to cross after reaching Santalekhola. 

We crossed the hanging bridge above the stream and moved towards the WBFDC cottages. The stream, which is coming down from the mountains, is flowing beside us. The main attraction of Santalekhola is its solitude and also the chirping of birds. It is an ideal place for bird lovers. 

To enjoy the real beauty of Santalekhola, one has to spend at least a night in the WBFDC cottages. The driver told us that the real beauty of Santalekhola lies in the cottages. But we had to move on, as we were to visit many more places. 

Our next destination was the Rocky Islands. After progressing a few kilometers towards Samsing from Santalekhola, we took the road on the left hand side. 

As we reached Rocky Islands, my curiosity regarding its name was solved. After parking our car on the roadside, we got down towards the river. It is actually the Murti River, which is coming down from the mountains. The name ‘Rocky Island’ came from the fact that there are loads of rocks in the river here. 

They are not at all smaller rocks, but massive ones. Tourists are climbing on the top of the rocks, without much fear. We also followed the footsteps of other tourists. It is not too much risky. There is not much water on the river either. But taking precaution is always necessary.

After spending a few moments in the Rocky Island, we started our journey for the next destination. We have to make River Jaldhaka our companion now. 

read more:  Diary of North Bengal 6/ On the banks of Murti

How to Reach

Avail New Alipurduar bound Kanchankanya Express from Sealdah and get down at New Mal Jn. Santalekhola via Samsing is at a distance of 30 kms from New Mal Jn. Santelekhola is 80 kms from New Jalpaiguri and 96 kms from Bagdogra. 

Where to stay

The Nature Resort run by West Bengal Forest Development Corporation is undoubtedly the best place to stay in Santalekhola. There are a few private properties in Samsing, Santalekhola and Rocky Islands as well.