I have been to coastal West Bengal several times since taking up birding seriously. Mostly with birding friends and as day trips. It was but natural that I should take Monisha and Mampu to those places.
We booked our hotel in Henry's Island for two nights. However, due to winter rush we didn't get both the nights in the same room. Second night had to be spent in a relatively bad room. But on balance the trip was fun. Mampu simply loved being on the beach of Henry's Island. I am sure we will take this journey many times in future. It is so close from home.
First the route and how to go there if you are on a self drive trip. Once you hit Diamond Harbour Road (NH 117) there isn't much left or right to do till Shirakole. From Shirakole leave the National Highway (it isn't much of a national highway but just a normal road) and keep driving straight towards Usthi along the Usthi Road. Turn right at Usthi and then left once again (almost immediately) to go towards Hatugunge. This turn is very well marked on Google Maps. At Hatugunge you hit the NH 117 once again.
If you do not take this short cut (the local road is reasonably decent) you can stick to NH 117 and will ultimately reach the same place but through the confusion of Diamond Harbour and after a considerable and meaningless detour.
After Hatugunge again the road is dead straight till Namkhana. On the way the only notable town is Kakdwip. Just keep to the main road till Namkhana. NH 117 ends in the river Hatania Dowania. Turn left from the large petrol pump that will be on your left hand side. This is a narrow lane that takes you to the ferry ghat for crossing with a vehicle (the straight road goes to passenger boat service ghat). Here you have to wait in a queue of other cars and trucks and buses etc and drive into a ferry (locally known as "vessel") when your turn comes. It is a reasonably disciplined queue. You have to pay a ferry ghat fee of Rs 30 and for the actual crossing the fare is Rs 160.
Once on the ferry, make sure you have pulled the hand brake and engaged the vehicle in gear. If you have never done this before you might feel a little intimidated. However, there is nothing difficult about it. If your vehicle has ultra low ground clearance, you have to be a little careful where the vessel's folding platform meets the jetty. The hinges there are pretty fat.
Once the vessel starts, it takes literally a few seconds to reach the other side. On this side the road is even better and keep driving straight. That's the only road in this delta island. It will not seem like an island because you cannot see the sea from the road. If you drive straight you hit Bakkhali. A little before Bak Khali if you turn left you reach Henry's Island. On the right hand side is Frazergunge.
Bakkhali's tourism infrastructure is the best among these three. For birding Frazergunge is the best place as there is a small river (an off shoot from Ganga) and the confluence point is quite bird rich.
