If you want to trade Kolkata’s crowded street corners for endless stretches of green, a quick train ride to New Mal Junction drops you straight into the heart of the Dooars. It’s a wonderful, messy paradise where tea gardens suddenly give way to dense forests like Gorumara and Jaldapara, and if you’re lucky, an early morning elephant safari might bring you face-to-face with a massive one-horned rhino. The air out here feels completely different, especially when you’re sitting by the rocky banks of the Murti River with a hot cup of local tea, watching the mist roll down from the Bhutan hills. Just keep in mind that the forests close down entirely during the monsoons for animal breeding season, so plan your jungle getaway between October and May if you actually want to catch the wildlife in action.
