The students make their way to Buxa fort. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Buxa Fort (Alipurduar), Feb. 24: The indefinite bandh in the hills may have deprived a group of school students from Dubai of a glimpse of Darjeeling, but they are not going back any poorer.

Twenty-four students from 15 countries, including the UK, US, Afghanistan, Somalia and India, are happy for they had not expected anything like Buxa Tiger Reserve. “True, we haven’t spotted any tigers, but we didn’t know that forests here were so beautiful,” said Scott Herrington, a teacher accompanying the group.

The students from American School in Dubai was scheduled to visit Darjeeling from February 21 to 27 but shifted their tour to the Dooars when they realised that the hills are shut for an indefinite period. The group of Grade VIII students consist of 12 girls, an equal number of boys, three teachers and one nurse.

Sahin Farnood from Afghanistan said he had seen many wild birds, monkeys and squirrels. “I even saw tang ghar (a temporary structure set up in the middle of the field from where villagers keep guard on animals), salt leaks for animals and trees like teak and sal. I am so happy. But I want to see wild elephants.”

“In the last few days, we toured Jainti, Pukri hill and the Mahakal temple. The students swam in the Jainti and practised rock climbing too. The trip is named Week without Wall since we believe that proper education is incomplete when it is restricted within the four walls of a classroom. Each student paid $600 dollars (around Rs 24,000) for the trip,” said Herrington.

He praised the hospitality of the forest staff at the lodge in Rajabhatkhaowa, 15km from Alipurduar town. “They were wonderful.”

As a goodwill gesture the students might paint the walls of a village school that they are going to visit tomorrow or distribute pens and books among children there. Before leaving for Dubai on February 27, the group will spend a day at Chilapata forest.

Each student has been named after an animal. All the “animals” are expected to discuss their life in the forest and their experiences. “We hope to know more about wild lives and the local culture by interacting with the villagers here,” Herrington said.

The students came to Buxa hill today (from Rajabhatkhawa) in five cars. On the way, as they trekked through villages, they greeted the local people with polite namashkars and kemon achhen (how do you do?)

Sanjib Choudhury of Sam Sara Travels, which has brought the group here, said the visitors were forced to change their plans because of the bandh in Darjeeling. “Since we don’t operate in the Dooars, we contacted Help Tourism. They selected the tiger reserve including Buxa hills. The students are happy. We never imagined that such a beautiful place existed in eastern Dooars.”

Raj Basu from Help Tourism said his firm was determined that the students should not go back disappointed. “We want the world to know about the Buxa reserve and the beauty of the Dooars.”