Tuesday, March 31, 2026

 Garchumuk - Gadiara - Mahishadal Tour


Itinerary at a Glance

DateDayActivity
April 3, 2026FridayEarly morning travel to Garchumuk → Stay overnight at WBPDC Eco Resort
April 4, 2026SaturdayDrive to Gadiara → Ferry to Geonkhali → Visit Mahishadal → Return to Kolkata by night


Day 1: April 3, 2026 (Friday)

  • Early Morning Drive: Depart Kolkata by 5-6 AM via NH16 and Uluberia-Shyampur Road. Arrive Garchumuk by 7:30-8 AM. 

  • Check-in at WBFDC resort (4 luxury AC rooms with river views, homemade meals).

  • The Resort is located at the bank of the River Hooghly and the River Damodar confluence at Garchumuk. The site is unique in respect to enjoying the panoramic view of both sides of rivers with distant villages from the rooms of the resort. Tourists can enjoy nature without any disturbance. A unique place to enjoy lonely nature with the roaring sound of waves during high tide and the sound of water dashing on the bank when ships pass beside the resort. 

  • Indian Gangetic Dolphins are often seen in the confluence river of Ganga and Damodar and
  • The Resort is a two storied building having 4 no Double-bedded luxury rooms with south open facing towards the rivers. Each room has an attached western bathroom, AC, Geyser, LCD TV and intercom service with one big lounge on the ground floor. The children's playground is an additional attraction for the kids.
  • Car parking, Electricity and Generator facilities are also available.

  • Room services are available 24 hours
  • Homemade food of various dishes with delicious taste provided


 Morning Exploration: 

  • Visit nearby 58 Gate Bridge (Damodar barrage), Deer Park, and 

  • Ramakrishna Ashram—short walks or drive (5-10 km loop).


  • Afternoon Relaxation: Spot Gangetic dolphins from resort, enjoy high-tide waves, kids' playground, or boat ride on Hooghly. Lunch/dinner at resort.

  • Evening: Sunset views, lounge by river. Overnight stay.

Day 2: April 4, 2026 (Saturday)

  • Morning to Gadiara: Drive 17-23 km (25-30 min) post-breakfast - village walks, brick kilns, or van rides.

Gadiara Highlights:

  • Confluence of three rivers – Hooghly, Rupnarayan, and Damodar meet here (you can see three differently coloured streams!)

  • Clive's Fort Mornington – historic fort built by Robert Clive (mostly in ruins now due to erosion, but worth a visit for history enthusiasts)

  • Old Lighthouse

  • Scenic riverbank with large trees for shade


  • Ferry to Geonkhali: 15-20 min launch ride (₹20-50/person, frequent till 6 PM). Relax at riverside park or Triveni Sangam.
#   There is a regular ferry service between Gadiara and Geonkhali. The journey is short and scenic.

Geonkhali Highlights:

  • Confluence viewpoint – similar to Gadiara, offers breathtaking river views

  • Forest Department Amusement Park – a small park by the riverside

  • Triveni Sangam – accommodation run by Haldia Development Authority (if you ever want to stay overnight here)


  • To Mahishadal: Auto/taxi 5 km (30-40 min) to Mahishadal Rajbari—historic palace with temples, hunting artifacts (open mornings; ₹50 entry).

Mahishadal Highlights (just 5 km from Geonkhali):

  • Mahishadal Rajbari – a 16th-century old palace and an 18th-century new palace

  • Gopalji Temple – dedicated to Lord Krishna, built by Rani Janaki Devi in 1778

  • Ramjew Temple – also built by Rani Janaki Devi, with a main temple 90 feet tall

  • Durga Bari and other historic structures


  • Adjoining Spot: From Geonkhali/Mahishadal, add Nandakumar (12 km) for quick temple/river views if time allows—fits as return extension.
  • Return: Ferry back to Gadiara (by 4 PM), drive to Kolkata (80 km, 2 hrs). Arrive evening/night (target 7-8 PM).
  • Back to Kolkata

Nearby Places You Can Add (If Time Permits)

PlaceDistance from Gadiara/GeonkhaliHighlights
NurpurShort ferry ride from GeonkhaliAnother ferry point with connections to Raichak and Diamond Harbour
RaichakBy ferry from GeonkhaliRiverside resort town with the famous Raichak on Ganges property
Diamond HarbourBy ferry from GeonkhaliConfluence of Hooghly River and the Bay of Bengal; historic fort
Tamluk (ancient Tamralipta)About 30–40 km from MahishadalAncient port city with archaeological significance
Bargabheema TempleNear MahishadalAncient temple

Tips

Total driving: ~250 km round-trip. Fuel ₹2,500; tolls ₹200. 


Ferry timings: Gadiara-Geonkali 7 AM-6 PM; confirm on-site.


Book resort via wbfdc.net. 

Carry cash, insect repellent (April heat/humidity). 
Dolphin spotting best at confluence.

Helpful Contacts

For Roomanjari Tourism Property (WBTDC) at Gadiara (if you ever want to stay there instead):

  • West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.

  • Address: DG Block, Sector-II, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091

  • Phone: (033) 2358 5189

  • Email: mdwbtdc@gmail.com, dgmrwbtdc@gmail.com

For Triveni Sangam (Haldia Development Authority property in Geonkhali):

  • Phone: +91 3224 255929, +91 3224 255930

Brief South African Itinerary for 9 PAX 

[ {SourabDG+MDG} +  {SomaM  + Disha}  + {SoumyaM+VM}   + {SibaPD  + SovonC} + {SumonaD+ ...} ]

SA currency is 1 ZAR = 5.5 INR

6th Nov: Arrival at Cape Town   CCU>BOM> Cape Town (CPT)

 

7th Nov: Arrival at Cape Town ………….…. 1300 HRS                                     NH CAPE TOWN

https://www.skyscanner.co.in/transport/d/ibom/2026-11-07/cpt/jnb/2026-11-16/bom/?adultsv2=1&cabinclass=economy&childrenv2=&ref=home&departure-times=120-180,0-1410

·         Upon arrival in Cape Town (approx. 13:00-14:00 hrs), you will be met and transferred straight away to visit the famous Table Mountain, including a round-trip cable car ride (visit duration approx. 1.5–2 hours) to enjoy panoramic views of the city and coastline

·         Return and proceed around 18:30 hrs to the vibrant V&A Waterfront, where you can explore at leisure and

·         enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants (approx. 2.5–3 hours).

·         Pick-up is scheduled around 21:30 hrs,

·         followed by a transfer back to your hotel in the CBD or near the Waterfront for an overnight stay.

 

Note: Bo-Kaap Walking Tour with Locals will not be available on 8th Nov

·            

8th Nov: CPT                                                                                                    NH CAPE TOWN

·         Breakfast at hotel

·         Wine Land (Somerset West – 37 minutes – 46 Km) :

·    Visit Vergelegen Wine Estate

·    Enjoy Heritage & Garden Tour

·         tour of the Cellar & Wine Tasting

·         Back to hotel

       In the Afternoon enjoy Cape Town City Tour

 

·         Drive through and self-guided walking tour of Bo-Kaap.

·         Followed by visits to St. George's Cathedral 

·         St. Mary's Cathedral

·         visit to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

·         Dinner

 

9th Nov: CPT - Cape Town-Cape Peninsula Tour - Gansbaai - Kleinbaai                    NH GANSBAAI


We depart from Cape Town early in the morning for Hermanus. We follow the scenic coastal road,

The seaside resort town of Hermanus, famous for hundreds of Southern Right Whales during the whale season (July to November) and many shops, restaurants and markets.

 

·      After breakfast, check out from Cape Town around 09:00–09:30

·         proceed on a full-day Cape Peninsula Tour en route to Gansbaai covering approximately 200–230 km in 8–10 hours including sightseeing stops

·         Hout Bay Seal Island Seal for Seal Colony - Cost of Hout Bay Seal Cruise @ ZAR 150 per person / Dyer Island (next day) for more Seals @ ZAR 2340 per person

·         Travel via the scenic Chapman's Peak Drive

·         visits to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point including a round-trip ride on the Flying Dutchman Funicular

·         Continue to Boulders Beach to view the Penguin colony

·         a brief stop in Simon's Town around sunset.

·         Thereafter, proceed toward Gansbaai via Hermanus (approx. 45 km / 45–60 minutes from Hermanus to Gansbaai)

·         Arrival in Gansbaai is expected around 21:30–22:00 hrs

·         Dinner (you can choose to have dinner at Simon's Town, if you want to stay back for sunset) and the end of vehicle services for the day.

·         Back to hotel

 

Note: We are not keeping the night stay at Cape Town to reduce backtracking of approx. 100 Km on this day. Most tour Companies come back to Cape Town.

 

10th Nov: Gansbaai - Oudtshoorn                                                                      NH OUDTSHOORN

·         Breakfast and check-out. You can choose either of the two options (one group may opt for option 1 and the other option 2) :

Option 1

Breakfast at hotel and proceed for Dyer Island Marine Big 5 Cruise. Enter the natural habitat of the Marine Big 5 in South Africa, for the opportunity to see whales, dolphins, penguins, seals and great white sharks. A visit to Geyser Rock will show you thousands of Cape Fur seals and their neighbours, the endangered African penguins, along with various other seabirds breeding on Dyer Island. We also explore the bay to search for three species of playful dolphins.

On completion of the tour drive to Oudtshoorn

 

Cost of Dyer Island Cost @ ZAR 2340 per person

Note: If you opt for more extensive Dyer Island Cruise, then the standard Hout Bay Seal Cruise is not necessary.

While Hout Bay Seal Island offers a colony of 200 - 300 seals, Dyer Island Cruise gives you an opportunity to witness over 10,000 seals as the Seal colony has over 60,000 in the Dyer island and it is also home of Cape Bird Sanctuary.

Gansbaai is also a prominent Great White shark activity zone, increasing your chances of witness a shark hunting on seals or penguins in the Dyer Island.

Plus, you may also try your luck in seeing whale pods in the bay, though November is the end of migration season

Option 2

Hermanus City tour by car - Hermanus shines for its world-famous land-based whale watching (Southern right whales July-November), scenic 12km Cliff Path walks with ocean views, and charming harbour vibes.

Kleinbaai /Van Dyksbaai / Van Dyk's Bay) -  a small, picturesque coastal village in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa. It lies on the Danger Point Peninsula, about 3–6 km from the larger town of Gansbaai . A quiet, scenic settlement surrounded by milkwood trees, fynbos, and beautiful rocky coastline with tidal pools. Many visitors find it prettier and more peaceful than Gansbaai itself. Kleinbaai is Famous for Great White Shark cage diving

 Stop at various scenic spots on the way

·         Mossel Bay

·         Later in the afternoon drive to Oudtshoorn by Mossel Bay (400Km / 5 hours drive).

 

Check-in in the evening

 

11th Nov: Oudtshoorn to Plettenberg Bay                                              NH Plettenberg Bay

 

 

·        After breakfast, Option to enjoy Meerkat Tour near De Zeekoe Farm (approximately 2 hours). They will then check out at 11:00 hours and

·         drive to visit the Cango Ostrich Farm and Cango Caves (about 20–30 minutes drive and 2–3 hours to explore).

The Little Karoo is known as the Ostrich Capital of the World

·         Cango Caves Heritage Tour - This tour is an easy walk through the first six largest halls, continuing through to the African Drum room with a few stairways. 

·         Buffle’s Bay

·         Coney Glen Beach – bit of hiking is required (provided it does not clash with sunset cruise time)

·         In the afternoon, they will continue along the Garden Route to Knysna Lagoon (approximately 120 km / 1.5–2 hours drive) for a sunset cruise (around 2–3 hours).

 

This up-market little town (Knysna) is filled with curios, restaurants and a waterfront, where you will be able to relax and do some shopping

 After the cruise, guests will drive to their accommodation near Robberg Nature Reserve in Plettenberg Bay (about 35 km / 40–45 minutes) to check in and rest for the night.

 

# Note: Meerkat Tour is currently sold out on your dates. Meerkat Tour Costs approximately ZAR 800 per person

 

12th Nov: Plettenberg Bay - Tsitsikama National Park                                                NH JNB

·         Breakfast

·       a private excursion to Robberg Nature Reserve (optional as it requires a 1.5 - 2hours hiking to reach the cliff)

·         Storms River Mouth (approx. 1–1.5 hours’ drive). Enjoy the scenic Storms River Suspension Bridge Walk (approx. 1–1.5 hours), which offers spectacular views of the rugged coastline and indigenous forest

·         Continue to Bloukrans Bridge for an optional bungee jump experience (approx. 30–45 minutes)

·         visit to Tsitsikamma National Park 

# Tsitsikamma National Park has unique combination of indigenous forest and beautiful Indian Ocean coastline

Optional visit to Monkeyland, Birds of Eden, or Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary (single entry included for any one).

# Monkeyland is the world’s first free roaming multi-species primate sanctuary. Its mission is to educate and foster greater understanding of our primate cousins and the threats and challenges they are facing.

 

# Birds of Eden's unique two hectare dome (the world’s largest) spans over a gorge of indigenous forest. Currently it is home to over 3,500 birds from over 220 species, with the main focus being African birds. Visits to Birds of Eden are usually self-guided, however guided walks are offered on request.

 

·         Lunch can be enjoyed at Tsitsikamma Restaurant or Marilyn’s 60’s Diner.

·         Drive  to Port Elizabeth for flight to Jo-Burg/JBN

[ 1935 Hrs (PLZ)  – 21 10 hrs (JNG) ]

https://www.skyscanner.co.in/transport/flights/plz/jnba/261113/?adultsv2=1&cabinclass=economy&childrenv2=&ref=home&rtn=0&outboundaltsenabled=false&inboundaltsenabled=false&departure-times=1140-1170,0-720&preferdirects=false&stops=!oneStop,!twoPlusStops



https://maps.app.goo.gl/jfYfHH68dDfMPatr6

13th Nov:  JNB- Kruger                                                                                               NH JNB

·         Check-out and

·         drive along Panorama Route

·         Check in at Hazy View Sun at hotel, Kruger

 

14th Nov: Kruger National Park                                                                                 NH JNB

The Kruger National Park in South Africa is one of the oldest and largest reserves in Africa. The park boasts a tremendous variety of game – The Big 5 and bird life in its numerous habitats.

You should see elephant, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, warthog, lion, spotted hyenas, baboon, hippo, impala, kudu, vervet monkey, waterbuck, Tsessebe, wildebeest, bush baby, mongoose, duiker, steenbok, klipspringer, genet, bats.

You may see leopard, wild dog, cheetah, roan antelope, sable antelope, bat-eared fox, rhino, honey badger, porcupine, rebook, aardvark, aardwolf, civet, and caracal and serval suni.

·         Morning Game Drive

·         Breakfast and Lunch at hotel

·         Afternoon Game Drive

·         Dinner at Hotel

 

15th Nov: Kruger – Johannesburg

·         Morning Game Drive (5.30 am – 9.00 am) and check out at 9.30 am

·         Have packed breakfast in the car (preferably) - if you do not miss the next two

·         Check-out to see Apartheid Museum (where Robben Island prison cell recreated) and Soweto (house of Nelson Mandela) before transferring to JNB airport.

·         Drop at JNB Airport or Drop at the hotel

 

16th Nov:  Departure by Airlines / Stay at a hotel (at own cost) in Johannesburg near JNB Airport


Departure by Kenya Airlines – 01 35 hrs / Departure by Emirates etc – 13 35 hrs

 

https://www.skyscanner.co.in/transport/d/ibom/2026-11-07/cpt/jnb/2026-11-16/bom/?adultsv2=1&cabinclass=economy&childrenv2=&ref=home&departure-times=120-180,0-1410

Inclusions:

  • 9 Nights Accommodation in properties as above or similar
  • 2 Breakfast + 1 Lunch and 2 Dinners at Kruger
  • PVT Vehicle for 7 Days as per Itinerary from Cape Town in AC 13-seater Vehicle (Toyota Quantum or Similar) with English-speaking driver cum guide (Pick up Cape Town / Drop off George)
  • Roundtrip PVT Vehicle Pick up and drop off in Kruger from JNB Airport
  • Roundtrip PVT Vehicle Pick up and drop off in JNB Airport from Kruger
  • Table Mountain with Roundtrip Cable Car - 7th Nov
  • Entrance to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens - 8th Nov
  • Cape Peninsula Tour with Hout Bay Cruise + Cape Point with Flying Dutchman + Cape of Good Hope + Boulder's Beach Penguin colony - 9th Nov
  • Visit to Vergelen Wine Estate with Wine Tasting, Cellar and Garden Tour - 8th Nov
  • Cango Caves Heritage Tour - 11th Nov
  • Safari Ostrich Farm Tractor Tour - 11th Nov
  • Knysna Lagoon Sunset Cruise - 11th Nov
  • Storms River Suspension Bridge Walk - 12th Nov
  • Tsitsikama National Park Nature Valley Walk - 12th Nov
  • 3 x Half Day Game Drive at Kruger National Park (14th - 15th)
  • 500 ml water per person per day
  • 2 local sims

          Exclusions:

 

1.      Plane fare from Indian to SA and internal flights in SA

2.      Visa of SA + (Transit Visa of Kenya - if required / Yellow fever if required)

 

3.    Personal Insurance

4.    Drinks and lunches/dinner except where mentioned.

5.    Items of a personal nature

6.    Porterage at hotels and airports

7.      Any expenses caused by reasons beyond our control such as bad weather, natural calamities (landslides, floods), flight delays, excess baggage, rescheduling or cancellations, any accidents, medical evacuations, riots, strikes, war, airline or hotel policies etc.

 

Terms & Conditions

                      The check-in time is 1430 hrs and check out time is 1030 hrs. Early check-in or a late checkout is not guaranteed and is only on request.

                     The drivers / guides may not stay in the same hotel as the clients..

                    The prices may change, due to Rand/Dollar exchange rate fluctuations, revision in fuel prices or govt. levies / duties, without notice

 

NB : Since there are some changes in itinerary like the one in 12th Nov we will be in JoBurg instead of the one in Plettenberg Bay – so we will save some money  

Plus  We will stay 1 day less in Joburg ie we are not staying in any hotel on 15th

Chronological order

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