Viewpoints · Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary
Rivers of the Chapramari forest
Chapramari sits between two rivers, the Murti and the Jaldhaka, both wide and stony in the dry season. An afternoon drive along the forest edge to their banks shows the country that made this a wildlife corridor.
The Murti comes down from Neora Valley and the Jaldhaka from the hills of East Sikkim and Bhutan, and between them lies the sal forest of Chapramari. In the dry months their beds spread wide and pale, with braided channels, and elephants, gaur and deer use them to move between forest patches. In the monsoon they become fast, brown and dangerous, as the October 2025 floods showed.
A late-afternoon drive along the roads that skirt the sanctuary brings you to the riverbanks at Murti bridge and on the Jaldhaka near Khunia. Stop where it is safe and legal, outside the sanctuary boundary, and watch birds working the water: wagtails, lapwings, kingfishers and, in winter, ruddy shelduck.
Do not walk into the riverbeds towards the forest edge in the evening, when animals come out. Leave the banks before dusk and keep to the road. Your driver will know where stopping is allowed.
Cost: Car ₹800–1,500
Questions people ask
Good to know
Where does the Jaldhaka river come from?
The Jaldhaka rises in the high country of East Sikkim, generally traced to the lake area around Kupup, and flows through Bhutan's border hills and past Bindu and Jhalong before crossing the Dooars plains to join the Brahmaputra system in Bangladesh.
Can we bathe in the Murti or Jaldhaka?
We advise against it. Water levels can rise suddenly after rain upstream, currents are strong in the main channels, and the banks are used by elephants. Paddle at the edge in winter if locals say it is safe, and keep children close.
Is the river drive safe in the evening?
Before dusk, with a local driver, yes. After dark, elephants and gaur move through the forest and onto the riverbanks. Stay in the car near the forest, do not shine lights at animals, and get back to your lodge by nightfall.
Also in Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary
More things to do
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Toy train · 1–2 hoursThe Dooars train through the forestChapramari Wildlife Sanctuary · ₹30–150 a ticket
Tea · 2–3 hoursTea slopes and views around ChalsaChapramari Wildlife Sanctuary · Free; car ₹800–1,500