Have you heard of Lake Chilika in Orissa ? Do you know you can actually get to see freshwater Dolphins or what the local name “Susuk” ? If you have not, then this blog will help you to plan a Lake Chilika tour from Puri in Orissa.
Okay you might be wondering how true is it, so after reading this blog we want you to educate other people as well about the place. So sighting dolphins is no magic as such, we have seen it with our own eyes and not only us quite a lot of people who are actually familiar with the place knows about it.
Lot of people actually say its just a myth but we will tell you why these people dont get a chance to see these dolphins.
Lake Chilika tour
Chilika Lake is the largest brackish water lake with estuarine character that sprawls along the east coast of India. It is considered to be the largest lagoon in India and counted amongst the largest lagoons in the world.
Very important tip, if you are planning a Lake Chilika tour, always book from OTDC website or by visiting their office in your city.
Guess what the charges for a full day tour 8:30-5 pm ??It is only Rs 465 per head !!
Interesting deal right???
Day 1
We started our day from Kolkata, took the famous Jagannath Express and we reached Puri in the morning. We did not do much other than getting laid back on the sea beach. We had booked the famous Asian Inn Beach Resort
Tip : If you get a chance, try to stay in this hotel for a couple of days, as it is absolutely superb. The only hotel in Puri where we have seen Tube lift facilities inside the hotel.
1) Interior is superb
2) Book early
3) Tariff – 2.5-3k depending on seasons
4) Absolutely wonderful restaurant , try their thaali menu
5) Only drawback was that they have centralized ac, so at night you wont get a remote control to reduce the temperature as it gets really cold
Details of the OTDC Lake Chilika tour :
TOUR INCLUDES
AC Mini Van
Pick up Point : Panthanivas Bhubaneswar Campus
Tour Duration : 07.00 A.M. To 07.00 P.M.
Ticket cost : Rs. 465/- per Head
Places Covered: Chilika Lake(Satapada).
LAKE CHILIKA TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE
Boating Ticket & Entry Fee.
Food, Mineral Water etc.
Fee for Camera & Video Camera
We started off our journey early in the morning from our hotel and took an auto to reach Panthanivas (Try to stay in this Govt hotel for superb location and personal beach).
Guess what, we got ourselves a AC traveler for the journey with a proper guide. We first went to the nearby local temple and then headed to Lake Chilika.
As soon as we entered the region, the view of the lake was mesmerizing. There was this beautiful boat waiting for us to get into it with a proper guide. Charges 700 per head.
Tip – The truth behind why people dont get to see the dolphins in the lake is that there are many touts and private agencies who takes people to these tours promising that they will get to see dolphins but the thing is, the boat they use is of cheap quality with too much noise of generators which ultimately distract the dolphins and thus they dont come nearby for a sight. They will never say this to you before booking.
The OTDC boats did not make a single noise and we sailed through like a knife on a butter. We spotted nearly 10,15 dolphins taking a quick dip in the water. It was very tough to click a picture with that fraction of moment. The size of them were quite small compared to the ones which you see on the Pacific or the Indian ocean. They were in herds of 2 to 3 mostly. If you are lucky you can actually get an opportunity to click a quick snap of one, but you have to be really fast to react.
After the dolphin spotting activity, we went to an isolated island called Rajahamsha Island where there were not much of people around. The beach adjacent to the island was absolutely beautiful with white sand and blue water. We sat there for an hour and just stared at the ocean as there were so much peace and tranquility all around.
We saw so different varieties of birds which were just plunging into the water and were catching fishes. The guide gave many important information to us regarding the place which was quite helpful.
We had a great 3 and half hour boat ride including the stop at Rajahamsha Island. Great Food (meal system) was served once we were back to the jetty. There is also a marine aquarium which had a good collection of fishes and some fossils as well.
Tip: – The trip to the museum is only reserved for people who booked from OTDC and not for private booking
After the museum tour we headed back to our hotel at around 5 pm.
So to conclude, do not trust the point of view of people until and unless you see it with your own eyes. Read our other day tour which you can do from Puri which is the Konark, Deras Dam tour.
External Sources : OTDC Website
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