Bhubaneswar, Dec. 22: If you are yet to visit the Silent Valley National Park in ‘God’s own country’, do not lose heart. Travel to a place near Phulbani in Kandhamal district that boasts of a beautiful valley and could become a trekker’s paradise if plans of the forest department are any indication.

Not only does Mandasaru bear striking similarity with its Kerala cousin, it is also home to an array of medicinal plants, animals and birds.

To reach Mandasaru, a visitor has to travel to Phulbani from Bhubaneswar or reach there from Berhampur in Ganjam via Raikia. While from the state capital the distance to the spot is nearly 300km, from Berhampur it is around 200km. However, the state government has a lot to do if it wants to set the silent valley abuzz.

There is no guesthouse at Raikia town, which nearly 20km from Mandasaru. One can also stay at Daringbadi, a famous tourist destination and a well-known hill station since the days of the Raj. Daringbadi, however, has limited number of budget hotels, guesthouses and other facilities that tourists seek.

Phulbani divisional forest officer Prakash Chandra Goginani said: “Though Mandasaru is an excellent destination, the infrastructure development was never so good in the past. We formed an eco-development committee (EDC) in 2010 and now the locals residents are encouraged to participate in the tourism development and promotion activities.’’

Decades ago, local residents near Mandasaru were involved in timber smuggling and felling of trees. So in 2010, the forest department created a fund by depositing Rs 15 lakh in an account of the EDC. With the fund and money collected from visitors, development work was taken up.

“The EDC has taken up development of the beautiful valley. Trekking tracks will be created and guides some of the local residents will be trained as tourist guides. The two watch towers offer a splendid view of the valley,’’ said local resident Bijay Nayak.

The two watchtowers are used during the day for tourism activities as tourist do not have a place for night halt in the valley.

In the tourism season (October to March), 400-500 people visit the valley, but after that the number goes down.

Talking to The Telegraph, Goginani said that the forest department was planning to take steps to ensure that visitors could have food at the food the site.

At present, Rs 10 is collected from each visitor as entry fee. An individual tourist or a group of tourists will have to pay Rs 100 if the want a guide to take them on a tour of the valley. However, the guide service is yet to take-off.

To facilitate comfortable stay for visitors in the valley, the tourism department is planning to construct one or two cottages, preferably made of bamboo, to attract more tourists. Pratyush Mohapatra, a researcher and ecology expert, said: “The entire Mandasaru valley is a treasure-trove of rare medicinal plants and many animal species. We are going to document animals and plants that are found in the valley.’’

City-based tour operator Debashish Mohapatra said: “The Odisha Tourism can club the beautiful valley of Mandasaru with Daringbadi so that the people can be assured of a fun-filled tour package. The tourism department should also prepare a blueprint of various nearby destinations in the Kandhamal region.’’