Bakkhali is a seaside resort in the southeast region of West Bengal, India.
Bakkhali is on one of the many deltaic islands spread across Southeast Bengal and has a popular sea beach. Most of the islands are part of the Sundarbans, barring a few at the fringes. Some of these are joined together with bridges over narrow creeks. This small island juts out into the vast expanse of the Bay of Bengal.
There is an 8 km-long beach stretching from Bakkhali to Fraserganj with gently rolling waves. These are twin towns now forming one continuous locality. Except on an occasional holiday, the beach is not crowded. A small stretch near Bakkhali has been lit up. It is a hard beach suitable for cycling or even driving. One can take long walks with coconut water.
The nearest airport is at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (IATA: CCU) in Kolkata. Bakkhali is around 147 km or a 4½-hour car ride from the airport.
From Namkhana station, you will get a rickshaw to reach the bus stand from where one can get buses for Bakkhali which take around 35 min. and the fare is ₹16.50. You can also hire private cars from the Namkhana bus stand/railway station, the fare will be ₹350 to ₹500 depending on your bargaining skills. The Bakkhali bus stand is very close to most of the hotels and a 5- to 7-min walk from the beach.
West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) has regular bus service from Esplanade to Bakkhali. One starts at 7AM in the morning from Esplanade and reaches Bakkhali at around 11:30AM and leaves from Bakkhali after half an hour for Kolkata (Esplanade). Another starts at 8AM from Esplanade to reach bakkhali at 12:30PM and starts from Bakkhali after half an hour forty five minutes. So the bottom-line is that there are two round trips from Kolkata to Bakkhali provided by WBTC. This schedule is subject to change and one must confirm it from Esplanade Bus Terminus before venturing out from Kolkata. The route of the bus is Esplanade- Alipore-Chiriakhana-Taratala-Diamond Harbour-Kakdwip-Namkahana-Bakkhali, the fare is ₹70.
At Namkhana, the bus has to be transported across the Hatania-Doania creek in a special ferry. It is expected that the Namkhana Bridge will be open to big vehicles, once the complete work is done. The ferry service is available from 7AM-11PM except from noon till 1:45PM (lunch hour). There are plenty of local buses up to Namkhana and then again from Namkhana to Bakkhali.
Bakkhali is 122 km by road from central Kolkata. The road runs through Diamond Harbour and Kakdwip to Namkhana. A bridge over Hatania-Doania river at Namkhana is open to small vehicles (cars), making it possible to travel directly to Bakkhali without having to wait for ferry. The 130-km stretch from Kona expressway (with links to the Mumbai and Delhi sections of the golden quadrangle project linking the four metropolises of India) and Bakkhali has been marked as National Highway (NH) 117.
The road journey from the fringe of Kolkata to Bakkhali takes about 3 hours. However, crowded market places and occasional stretches of bad road can delay movement. Some sections are very crowded, especially in the early morning because of the bazaar, and later at the evening time, there is no bypass for these smaller towns.
There are many electric rickshaws, locally known as Totos and indigenous mechanised cycle vans, available in Bakkhali which serves the purpose of sightseeing perfectly. In case, you prefer a hired car, it is suggested that you contact and inform your hotel in advance, as availability might be less in peak season. Most Bakkhali hotels have chargeable dormitories for drivers to stay.
The ride in the crude bhut-bhuti, a motorised country boat, from Fraserganj fishing harbour to Jambudwip, a small, uninhabited and forested island out in the sea, can be a thrilling experience. The two-hour ride (both ways) costs ₹250-300 per head. The country boats can also be hired for other rides. The weak-hearted are advised not to take the rides.
For all the spots a rickshaw van will charge you at max ₹60 per head and it will take around 5 hr to visit all the spots and stay for 1 to 2 hr in Jambudwip.
The walk over the beach from Bakkhali to Fraserganj is a pleasant experience. The electric rickshaws, locally known as Totos and indigenous mechanised cycle vans, are the popular transport available locally.
Bakkhali Beach: Enjoy the sea at the beach. However, the water is little muddy and the sea drifts away by a few kms during low tide.
Henry Island, +91 33 2337 6470. You can take a trip to Henry's Island and Watch Tower. A rickshaw trip will travel through the local villages and their surrounds. From the watch tower you can view the entire Sunderban area. It is a splendid view. On one side you can see the Bakkhali Beach in the far distance and on all the other side the green expanses of Sundarban. Have a look at the view from the watch tower and do walk to the beach. The walk goes through a stretch of mangrove jungle accessed by crossing a small bamboo bridge. The credit for turning Henry Island into a holiday hotspot goes to the fisheries department of the state government which has set up a pisciculture project here. The fisheries department has dug more than 50 ponds occupying over 25 bigha on 100-hectare of land. Trees such as gora, kankru, palm, naturally growing sundari and hetal have been planted. Henry Island is named after a European who surveyed land in the area in the late 19th century. Dense mangrove forest is parted by numerous canals covering the area. Wildlife such as tiger, deer, wild pig, crocodile and snakes were common. The island was only an extension of the Sundarbans and the surveyor could not have dreamt that it would become a human habitat in little more than a hundred years. There are 3 guest houses on Henry Island. If you wish you can stay there too. The lodges are named Mangrove, Sundari and Bani. Bani has a watchtower on the roof is very close to the sea beach. You can enjoy a good view of the surrounds from there. These lodges belong to the Fisheries Department of West Bengal. ₹10 entry fee
Fraserganj Beach: See the house of Andrew Fraser, a lieutenant-governor of Bengal, the beach and the windmills on/on the way to the beach
Benfish Harbour: Visit the Benfish harbour and Fraserganj Beach on the way to Henry's Island.
Jammu Deep: You can pay a visit to a small island, Jammu Deep, amidst the sea where you have to travel via boat in high waves from the Benfish Harbour, the boat ride is just thrilling.on arrival you will be delighted to see the beach full with Red Crabs its really a nice view.
Crocodile Park: You can also visit the Crocodile Park and Mangrove forest just beside the Bakkhali Bus Stop. The entry fee is ₹10.
Bishhalakshmi Temple: A temple called Bishhalakshmi is at the end of the Bakkhali main beach and is worth seeing. The pandit ji is quite different there as he won't allow you in the temple. He has his own rules.
Credit cards are not accepted anywhere. There are a couple of ATMs, including one at Axis Bank at Bakkhali Bus Stand, but it is recommended to carry cash as the ATM tends to dry up quickly.
To avoid the unsavory, corrupt, and thoroughly untrustworthy fraud booking services based in Kolkata, it is best to arrange a place to stay on arrival without advance reservation.
There are many hotels at both Bakkhali and Fraserganj and new ones are steadily coming up. The bus from Namkhana passes over Fraserganj before reaching Bakkhali. Henry Island is located closer to Fraserganj. None of the hotels have a direct view of the sea (the casuarina forest or jhau bon can be visible at maximum). The WBTDC Tourist Complex is nearest to the sea.
Mobile phone coverage at Bakkhali is good, covers full range up to Jambudwip. However, 4G connectivity can be patchy on most networks. It is best to check with the hotel you intend to stay at to determine which of the mobile phone service providers have good Internet connectivity in the town and whether STD/ISD calls can be made from the hotel.