The Dooars & Siliguri · Value trip

Three nights by the Murti river

One base, three nights, two parks: a forest corporation cottage on the Murti river between Gorumara and Chapramari, with a watchtower safari in each, the elephants at Dhupjhora and a half-day up to Samsing's tea slopes. About ₹13,000 per person for two sharing. Parks close mid-June to mid-September; check current status before you travel.

Fare₹13,000 Nights3 Per day₹3,250 Highest900m PaceEasy

Photo: Joydeep · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Murti · 3N

Murti is where Bengal's families have gone for forest weekends for decades, and for good reason. The river leaves the hills here and spreads into a wide, stony bed, with Gorumara on one bank and Chapramari on the other. The forest corporation's Murti Banani cottages sit close to the water, and from the verandah you hear the river all night.

This plan keeps the travel short and the days loose. You book one watchtower slot in Gorumara and one in Chapramari, spend the mornings on the riverbed with binoculars and take a car up to Samsing for an afternoon among tea. It costs more than a Lataguri homestay, but the setting is the reason to come.

Why this trip

A cottage on the Murti riverbed
Rhinos or gaur from a Gorumara watchtower
Gaur herds at the Chapramari waterhole
Forest department elephants at Dhupjhora
Rocky Island and Samsing's tea slopes

Day by day

NJP railway station or Bagdogra airport to NJP railway station or Bagdogra airport · Mixed

Day01

NJP to Murti, evening on the river

Murti≈ 80 km · 2.5 h by reserved carLunch, dinner

Leave NJP or Bagdogra by late morning in a reserved car, about ₹3,000–3,500, over the Coronation Bridge at Sevoke and through the Apalchand forest towards Malbazar. Check into the Murti Banani cottages by lunch. In the late afternoon, walk down to the riverbed and sit on the stones while the light goes; kingfishers, wagtails and river lapwings work the shallows. Dinner at the corporation's kitchen, simple and filling.

Spend today: ₹1,750 car share

Day02

Gorumara watchtower and Dhupjhora

Murti≈ 30 km localBreakfast, lunch, dinner

Your pre-booked Gorumara slot starts from the Lataguri counter; a car from Murti takes 20–30 minutes. Morning slots in winter begin around 6–7 am. The jeep takes you to a watchtower such as Jatraprasad or the Rhino Observation Point, over a salt lick where rhinos, gaur and peafowl come out. Back for breakfast and a lazy late morning. In the afternoon, visit Dhupjhora, where the forest department's elephants are bathed in the river.

Spend today: ₹1,250 safari share + ₹500 car share

Day03

Samsing tea slopes and Chapramari at dusk

Murti≈ 50 km return · 3 h with stopsBreakfast, lunch, dinner

After breakfast, take a car up to Samsing, at about 900 m, through the tea gardens above Chalsa. Stop at Rocky Island, where the Murti runs between giant boulders, and walk a garden road. Back to Murti for a late lunch. In the afternoon, take the Chapramari watchtower slot: a short jeep run to a tower over a forest waterhole, famous for gaur herds and visited by elephants.

Spend today: ₹1,000 car share + ₹1,250 safari share

Day04

Murti to NJP

≈ 80 km · 2.5 h by reserved carBreakfast

One more slow morning on the riverbed, with tea and binoculars. Check out after breakfast and drive back towards Siliguri. If there is time, stop at the Coronation Bridge over the Teesta at Sevoke. Reach NJP or Bagdogra by early afternoon, in time for most evening trains and flights; still, keep a two-hour buffer, since highway traffic near Siliguri can be slow.

Spend today: ₹1,750 car share

Included

Reserved car NJP–Murti and back, plus local cars for safaris and Samsing
Three nights in a forest corporation cottage at Murti with meals
Two watchtower safaris with entry, guide and vehicle fees

Not included

Elephant rides or extra safaris
Video camera fees beyond the basic
Alcohol and personal shopping
Travel to NJP or Bagdogra

Three ways to spend less

Book the corporation's cottages on the wbfdc.net site yourself, not through an agent who adds a margin.
Travel by bus or Dooars line train to Malbazar and take a local car to Murti instead of a reserved car from NJP.
Share safari jeeps with another family; a six-seat jeep costs the same whether two or six ride.

Good to know

Gorumara and Chapramari close from about 16 June to 15 September for the monsoon; check current status before you travel.
Floods in October 2025 damaged parts of Gorumara; check current status before you travel.
Safari slots open online in advance and sell out on winter weekends.
Do not swim in the Murti; the current is stronger than it looks.

The route

Where the trip goes

1Murti 3 nights

Drawn by Darjeeling Himalayas from Natural Earth outlines (public domain). Borders as depicted by India. Not for navigation.

Where you sleep

Stays on this trip

forest bungalowMurti Murti Banani Eco-Tourism Centre (WBFDC) ₹1,800–4,000 a room, tent from about ₹1,500 (indicative, WBFDC tariff)

forest bungalowGorumara National Park Dhupjhora Elephant Camp (WBFDC) About ₹2,000 a cottage plus meals (indicative, WBFDC tariff)

Questions people ask

Questions about this trip

Is Murti better than Lataguri as a base?

For a quiet stay, yes. Murti is a small settlement on the river between two parks, with forest corporation cottages and a few resorts. Lataguri has more choice and is next to the safari counters, but its resorts line a busy highway. From Murti, the Lataguri counter is a 20–30 minute drive.

How do we book Murti Banani cottages?

Through the West Bengal Forest Development Corporation's website, wbfdc.net, which lists the Murti Banani Eco-Tourism Centre with cottages in several grades and tents. Book weeks ahead for winter weekends and Puja holidays. Rates are indicative at about ₹1,800–4,000 a room; meals are paid separately.

What will we see from the Gorumara watchtowers?

Watchtowers overlook salt licks and grassland where one-horned rhinos, gaur, elephants, deer and peafowl come out, mostly at dawn and dusk. Sightings are never certain. Gorumara has around 60 rhinos. Jatraprasad, the Rhino Observation Point and Chandrachur are the usual towers.

What is special about Chapramari?

Chapramari is a small sanctuary of sal forest next to Gorumara, known for the largest gaur herds in West Bengal. The safari is a short jeep run to a watchtower over a waterhole where gaur and elephants come to drink, often in the late afternoon.

Is this trip suitable for older parents?

Yes. The drives are short, the cottages are on flat ground, and watchtowers have stairs but are not tall. Morning safaris start early, so plan rest in the middle of the day. Carry a shawl for cold winter dawns.

What is the food like at the cottages?

The corporation's kitchen serves simple Bengali-style meals: rice, dal, vegetables, fish or chicken, and eggs at breakfast. Meals cost about ₹500 per person a day, indicative. Tell them in advance about vegetarian or other needs.

When is the best time to visit Murti?

November to March is cool and dry, with the best sightings as grass is burned and cut. October is good once parks reopen after mid-September. April and May are hot but quieter. The parks close from mid-June to mid-September.

Can we see wild elephants?

Often, yes. Elephants move through the Gorumara and Chapramari forests and sometimes cross the roads near Murti, especially at dusk. Keep your distance, stay in the vehicle and never follow them. The tame elephants at Dhupjhora belong to the forest department.

Is there mobile network at Murti?

Jio and Airtel work patchily around Murti and better near Chalsa and Lataguri. Inside the parks, coverage is weak. Download maps and tickets before you leave Siliguri, and tell family you may be hard to reach in the evenings.

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