Saranda Forest is located in the border Odisha and Jharkhand covering both states. Saranda meaning Elephants derived its name due to presence of a large number of elephants within these thick forests.

Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu, situated in Jharkhand are the most well-known destinations along Saranda Forest due to the presence of Iron Ore Mines governed by SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited). After much debate, we fixed upon Saranda Forest, although due to a paucity of information on the net related to tourism to this place, we had to struggle a bit initially to gather the required information.

Getting There:

The best way to get there from Kolkata, is to take a train to Manoharpur (MOU) or Barbil (BBN). These are the two closest places where you can find accommodation.

Where To Stay:

Out of these two, Barbil is closer to Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu. Whereas Manoharpur which was once considered to be within the forest region, is now situated in base area of the Saranda Forest and it would take around an hour’s drive to reach the major attractions. But the major point of choosing Barbil is to stay at Saranda Safari Resort which is situated inside the forest region. And if you are entering through Manoharpur, check out Santoor Guest House instead or take a look at Meghalaya Guest House which is one of the best accommodation one can choose to stay at.

Day 1

We reached Howrah well ahead of time for scheduled departure by 12021 Jan Shatabdi Express. The journey from Howrah to Barbilis around 7 long and playing some board games or reading books or magazines helps to kill the time. The scenery changes specially after the train crosses Dangoaposi or Noamundi. As you’d gradually start noticing things being more reddish due to the iron ore mines.

We reached Barbil at around 1:30 pm and our driver Mr. DhannaSatnami was already waiting for us. After a brief introduction, we started proceeding towards our hotel − theSaranda Safari Resort. It took us around half an hour to drive to the hotel including a brief stop en-route for purchasing Mineral Water and snacks for our poison!

Upon arrival, Mr. Latif welcomed us warmly. We were shown our cottages. Our first impression of the place was very good, but a closer look revealed a lack of maintenance of the property. This was such a pity as the property was situated in a perfect location.



Photo credits: Inside 1: everylittlecrumb.com; Inside 1A: aaichisavali.com

Soon we were served lunch which wasn’t finger-licking but adequate.

I decided on taking a nap having travelled back-to-back from another trip whilst the rest of the group enjoyed a game of badminton. Later in the evening, rest of the team went ahead towards the Leopard Cave with a local guide, whereas I slept!! Once the group returned we realized that although it wasn’t possible to reach the Leopard Cave, however one could take a walk to the river bank nearby, where the view I was told wasbreathtaking.

Once the rest of the gang returned, we were served Tea and Snacks.

Then DhannaBhaiyasoon arrived as per our plan for the Night Safari. We really didn’t expect to spot any elephants or any other wildlife as such, however it was thrilling just to drive into an extremely dense forest in the night. The whole journey took us around 2 and half hours from our resort.

We asked the staffs to provide our dinners to our rooms as we were in the mood of playing Dumb Charades till late night before having our dinner, a little tipple and dozing off to bed.

Photo Credits - Banner Left: jharkhandblogs.in; Banner Center: jharkhandtourism.gov.in; Banner Right: jharkhandblogs.in

For an unabridged version go to: http://krishnandusarkar.com/experience-from-my-sikkim-trip

Saranda Forest is located in the border Odisha and Jharkhand covering both states. Saranda meaning Elephants derived its name due to presence of a large number of elephants within these thick forests.

Kiriburu and Meghahatuburu, situated in Jharkhand are the most well-known destinations along Saranda Forest due to the presence of Iron