Bansbari Lodge top jungle retreat

Guwahati, Apr 13: The Bansbari Lodge of Manas National Park has been adjudged among the top five jungle retreats in India by a UK based publication, "The Independent".

The Bansbari Lodge shares the honours wih the Taj Garden Retreat in Tamil Nadu, Oberoi's Vanyavilas in Rajasthan, Nature Heritage Lodge in Madhya Pradesh and the Lake Palace Hotel in Kerala.

The Bansbari lodge located at the entrance of the Manas National Park is 176 kms from Guwahati.

The 16-room lodge, owned by Assam tourism department, has been leased out to Assam Bengal Navigation, which has been managing the lodge for the last two years.

Jungle Travel India Pvt Limited director Jahnabi Phookan said here today that apart from comfortable accommodation, the lodge arranges for elephant rides, rubber boat rides and jeep safari in coordination with the forest department.

Earlier this month Assam Bengal Navigation, a sister concern of Jungle Travels India, received the National Tourism Award for introducing India's first long distance river cruise on the Brahmaputra, Mr Phookan said.

Since the opening of the lodge two years back, tourist flow to Manas National Park has gone up manifold.

Wing Commander T Rajkhowa (retd), senior manager of the lodge, said village visit, evening tribal dance and traditional Assamese dinner organised by the lodge for groups have been paritcularly popular with foreign tourists, besides, the jungle safari by rubber boats.

The only drawback to reach the World Heritage Site and Tiger Project Reserve is the 20 kms stretch from Barpeta road to the Bansbari lodge, which takes nearly one hour by road, Ms Phookan added.

UNI