A thrilling drive down the spiralling hill bends from the Ayodhya Hills top, in Purulia, took us to the Khairabera dam through a partially rugged road. At the foothills of the Ayodhya Hills, adjacent to the riverbank, stands the majestic black gate of Eco Adventure Resorts Khairabera, where a breathtaking experience of a scenic forest-hill-and-river-view stay, like no other, awaited us. It was indeed an adventurous start to our stay at the resort the moment we reached. We met a huge python captured at the property, and caged to be released back in the forest. It had paid a surprise visit to the resort in the morning right before our arrival! We were told spotting wildlife around the property is not rare.
The entrance of the resort
After the slightly adventurous kick to our wanderer souls right at the entrance, farther inside the resort the range of green hills surrounding the property from three sides greeted us with its magnificent view and in front of us was the river and the dam. Arijit Dutta, managing director of Priya Entertainments, who welcomed us at the property, said: “We started working on this property around 2015-16. A government officer had called me to Purulia for consulting regarding the additional infrastructure required for a new cinema house. After the discussion, they suggested that I explore the place as well since I have come so far. To increase tourism, Government of West Bengal had selected a few places and they took me around to show those. This was the last property. They were telling me that this place is not so good, so no one was interested in participating. The hill at the back of the property was a Maoist lookout point, I was told. Behind the hill is Jharkhand and this side is Bengal. I agreed to take it up on the basis of revenue sharing and ideated it step by step and this is what we have today.”
What makes the resort stand out at the very sight of it is its simplicity. With the nature elements in and around the property intact, the resort gives a fulfilling nature-stay experience to the guests, without artificially constructing it. No grand concrete structure to impress and no fancy amenities to make the stay luxurious; it is a stay at the heart of nature, offering a soul-pampering experience hard to forget. I was instantly reminded of British psychologist and writer Ralph Smart’s saying, “There is no Wi-Fi in the forest, but I promise you will find a better connection.”
A glimpse of the tent accomodation
Talking about the experience of ideating the place, Dutta said: “I was the first to open a place in a Maoist belt. We hired local people as our staff. There were a couple of concrete buildings when we got this place. Barring that, we haven’t constructed anything. The accomodation is in tents. The property has space for a lot of construction but I didn’t want that. I said 10 tents are enough.”
Guests can reach the resort by car from Barabhum and Purulia stations. The place is one-and-a-half hours from Jamshedpur and Ranchi as well by car. The road journey via Asansol is about six hours. “We have all basic amenities in the cottages and tents like AC and refrigerator but no TV. When I am with nature, why will I need a TV? There is a common room for TV. So, if anyone is eager to have a screen experience, they can do so at our common room. It is mostly pin-drop silence at the property post-evening, so a TV running in any of the tents could be disturbing for other guests. When people come here they should think only they are here. The experience is all about spending a peaceful few days with nature and who you have come with. There is wildlife around. We have kept the room rates dynamic,” explains Dutta.
Our stay was arranged at one of the 10 tents in the property. Prints on the interior surface of the tents add a pretty touch and period-style wooden furniture gives it an overall aesthetic touch. Twin, queen and king-sized beds are available based on the categories of the tents — standard, superior and deluxe.
Basic amenities like air-cooler, refrigerator, ironing, room heater, geyser and others allow a comfortable stay. Other than the tents, which is an experience not to be missed at the property, the cottage accommodation is also available. The one-room cottages are built as concrete structures with a spacious twin-sharing accommodation. The basic amenities remain the same and rooms come with a garden view of the property.
Being parked in a place like this, one’s heart will hardly crave sightseeing, considering the scenic experience that the stay itself provides. Yet, various sightseeing options are available to make the vacation more memorable and experience what Purulia has to offer. Apart from the more commonly-visited tourist attractions like Upper dam, Lower dam, Mukhosh Gram or Charidah, Marble Lake, Turga and Bamni Falls, others include Deulghata, Baranti, Rajrappa Temple and Ranchi-Jonha and Hundru Falls. “A minimum of three-day stay or a four-day stay will allow the guests to experience all the sightseeing available. There is Suisa village, where 2,500-year-old idols are there for visitors to see. Guests can experience Purulia during different seasons. End-February and beginning of March is the Palash season, the roads turn red with the flowers. The Purulia monsoons are beautiful, so is the winter,” suggested Dutta.
Guests can enjoy multicuisine culinary experiences during the stay that includes Chinese, Indian and Continental. An interesting activity called ‘Choose Your Fish’ allows guests to pick a fish like Rui, Koi or Tangra and get it cooked by the in-house chefs the way they prefer to have it
While day one of our stay was about exploring a few of the sightseeing places, we kept day two for experiencing the adventure experiences offered at the resort. We started our morning with a walk around the four-acre property. The resident pair of peacocks joined us in our morning walk. One has to make sure to match steps with them or else you get a peck on your foot as a reminder! Activities like trekking, motorboat, archery, bird feeding, badminton, kayaking, mountain bicycling and basketball are some of the day-time experiences that guests can choose to indulge in for some fun time together. Evenings at the resort are perfect for enjoying activities like barbecue, bonfire and Chhau dance.
Activities in the resort include adventure and outdoor activities like Kayaking and basketball among others
“The peacocks flew in from the forest. We used to feed them and they stayed on. There was an emu too. I will probably add an ostrich soon. Apart from growing organic vegetables, the meat and egg that we serve is also from the poultry at the property. We also have solar power installed, being an eco resort. Earlier we used to cook with the clear water of the Khairabera dam as well. The stay is a good blend of eco experiences and necessary amenities. We have thought of this place very differently. I thought of coming out of the film industry and doing something. I wouldn’t be able to manage a hotel. I always wanted to do something that will be one out of many or I won’t do it at all. If one is not staying amidst the hills or forest then they could plan the vacation anywhere — Delhi, Mumbai or Calcutta, why come to Purulia? Anyone going back from here must talk about it. People come here from different places. Only word of mouth has worked for me,” said Dutta.
Arijit Dutta, managing director of Priya Entertainments, that owns the property
What makes Purulia an interesting weekend getaway round the year is the seasonal surprises that it has in store for the tourists. Having visited the place while it was experiencing its last spell of rains, we experienced a hint of monsoon and our eyes were blessed to catch a glimpse of the soul-soothing greens. However, autumn and winter has different nature surprises, and so does spring. It is definitely a quick-to-plan weekend escape in the lap of nature post the festive hurly-burly, too. My stay at Eco Adventure Resorts Khairabera made me feel Mary Davis’s words even better, “A walk in nature walks the soul back home.” Truly, nothing better than nature’s magic wand to retune the body and mind.
