When you hear the name Digha, the first thing that comes to mind is the turbulent waters of the sea. This is an ideal place for those who love the sea. And if you are a Bengali, perhaps your journey began with Digha.
Digha is located in the Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal, India. The previous name of Digha was Birkul. Warren Hastings was fascinated by this place and referred to it as the Brighton of the East in a letter to his wife. A man named John Frank Smith started living in this area long ago. Later, captivated by the beauty of this place, he requested West Bengal Chief Minister Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy develop this place as a beach resort. This Digha was first built on his initiative. Later, New Digha Sea Beach was built to reduce the pressure on Old Digha Sea Beach.
Digha is not just about the nearby Old Digha and New Digha Sea Beaches, and you can see a lot of things around. Here are the 14 best places to visit in Digha:
1.New Digha Sea Beach-
This is the most popular place in Digha, people usually bathe here and this place gets very crowded. There are many types of sports activities to be seen here. Here you can enjoy speed boating and you can also go horse riding in the surroundings.
Here you will find all kinds of shopping items at night. If you love shopping, then nighttime is very enjoyable for you. Here you will find souvenir shops, Sankha (Conch shell)shops, etc. Apart from that, you will find local street food as well as restaurants here. You can taste the seafood here. There is a place to sit here along the sea.
2.Old Digha Sea Beach-
Before the emergence of New Digha Sea Beach, Old Digha Sea Beach was the only popular sea beach in Digha. This beach still retains its elegance. This beach is very beautifully arranged. There is Old Digha Biswa Bangla Park here, which will impress you. However, bathing at Old Digha Sea Beach is a bit risky, as this place is also very noisy. You will see many structures here and there is a place to sit on the beach. Also, at night, you will find a bustling market here, just like in New Digha, where you will find many shops.
3.Talsari Sea Beach-
It is located within the Orissa border. Here the Subarnarekha River merges with the sea. From here, you can see the turbulent sea during high tide. There is a boating facility here during high tide where you can cross the river and go to the riverbanks by boat. The sea is very close to there. Here you will see a lot of red crabs who are very active. Crossing the river, you can see the vast forest of the Jhau forest in the distance.
There are toilets and food shops here. The distance from Digha is 8 kilometers and the journey takes 30 minutes.If you want to stay close to it, there is the ODTC hotel.
4.Udaypur Sea Beach-
It is located between the West Bengal and Odisha border. It is a popular beach. You can get chairs and tables in the sand and taste the taste of sea fish here. You can find the Goa-style vibe in West Bengal.
The seabed is flat here, so bathing here is easy. There are various types of water sports activities here. You can ride bikes in the sand. It takes about 30 minutes to get there from Talasari. But it’s better not to take family here.
5.Mandarmani Beach-
It is currently one of the most popular tourist destinations. Various types of water sports activities can be done here, and horse riding facilities are also available. There are beautiful hotels and resorts built along the sea where you can enjoy the sea beautifully from your room window.
Many small hotels have been built on the sea dunes where you can eat fresh seafood and crabs. So if you want to spend some time alone with your loved one, then you can come to Mandarmani, it will be the ideal place for you. The distance from Digha to Mandarmani is 6 km
6.Shankarpur Sea Beach-
Shankarpur Sea Beach has been beautifully depicted. There is a beautiful park at Shankarpur Sea Beach where you can spend a long time. Many beautiful sculptures will touch your heart. In Shankarpur, you can see many large fishing trawlers. Usually, fishermen from Shankarpur go to the sea to catch fish, so a large marine fish market is held here. A fishing harbor project has been developed in Shankarpur.
However, currently, Shankarpur has suffered a lot of damage due to the Yash storm. Shankarpur is very famous for its clean water and white sand. The distance from Digha to Shankarpur is about 10 kilometers and the fare for a reserved car is about 400 rupees.
7.Tajpur-
The distance from Shankarpur to Tajpur is very close. So that you can reach here along the seashore, a Tajpur Digha Marine Drive has been built from Shankarpur. This Digha Marine Drive connects Digha to Mandarmani. There are very few people in Tajpur, you can bathe here. The sea here is calm and there are small shops next to it where you can eat local food. In Tajpur, you can see the vast forest across the sea, it will affect your mind in a very beautiful way.
8.Bichitrapur-
If you want to get a touch of the Sundarbans while visiting Digha, Bichitrapur is an ideal place for you. Here you will see very beautiful mangrove trees and the main feature of the mangrove is the roots that grow along with it. Usually, there is a boating ride during high tide and that is why Bichitrapur is famous. You will go straight on this boating ride and you will be dropped off on a deserted island you will get 30 minutes there, and here you will see the mangrove trees and all their features in a very beautiful way.
During low tide, especially when the water level drops, the roots of the trees can be seen very beautifully. The boating ride costs 200 rupees per person and if you reserve, the fare for an eight-seater boat is 1600 rupees. From Digha to Bichitrapur, the car rental costs around 800 to 1000 rupees and takes about 3 hours.
9.Digha Mohona-
This Mohona(estuary) is one of the main attractions for tourists visiting Digha. Here you can witness a spectacular sunrise. Here the Champa River merges with the Bay of Bengal. So come here early in the morning by car and enjoy the sunrise here . Many horses can be seen here on the dunes of the sea, and if you want, you can ride a horse and explore the surroundings.
After watching the sunrise, you can go to the local fish market where there is a huge collection of fish. If you want, you can buy fish here and if you want, you can go to Digha and have it cooked at a local shop or you can take it home here. Apart from this, there are many shops selling conch shells here.
10.Science City-
If you are interested in science, this place is ideal for you. Children can experiment with what is happening here, there are 3D shows and a gaming zone where children will have a lot of fun. There is also a planetarium here.
Entry fee-30 Rupees
3d show- 25 Rupees
Space Show- 30 Rupees
11.Marine Aquarium –
There is a huge variety of aquatic animals here. Before entering this aquarium, you can see the skeleton of a huge whale that was found in this place in 2012. Inside this maroon aquarium, you can see a large number of marine fish that are kept in the aquarium. It is a center of attraction for everyone from children to adults, so don’t miss it if you visit Digha.
12.Amaravati Park-
This park is located in Digha. This park is very beautifully arranged. If you want ropeway facilities in Digha, then this park is the only one that has this ropeway facility. There is a very beautiful view of the park from the ropeway. There is a lovely pond inside this park where you can easily go boating. There is a very nice seating arrangement here. You can enjoy this park very well with your children.
Ropeway charge- 80 Rupees for adult
50 Rupees for child
Timing- 7.30 am-6.30 pm
13.Dheusagar Park-
This is an amusement park located in New Digha. This park has a toy train facility and also has a boating ride facility. This is an ideal place for children to play. However, it becomes more apparent in the evening instead of daytime through lighting.It takes about 15 minutes to reach it from New Digha. This is the only park in Digha where you can have a picnic.
Entry fee- 30 INR
Car parking – 20 INR
Timing- 10.00 am -9.00 pm
14.Oceana Park-
A new park has been built in Digha. The park has been beautifully decorated with pine forests on both sides. A staircase rises steeply and if you walk forward along that staircase, after a short distance you will see the turbulent sea and clear water, along with beautiful white dunes. You can spend some time here. It is located next to Udaipur Sea Beach. There is a resort here. You can stay there. It is a clean beach.
What is the best time to visit Digha?
Digha can be visited almost all year round, but visiting Digha during the summer months can be a bit of a challenge. So the best time to visit Digha is winter, usually from October to February. The weather is very pleasant at that time, it doesn’t feel too hot. Being close to the sea, it is very hot in the summer at this point, so you must use sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses.
What is famous in Digha to buy?
What is most famous in Digha is its cashew nuts. There is a cashew orchard here.So, if you go to Digha, don’t miss out on buying cashew nuts.
Besides, when you go to Digha Mohona-(estuary), you will get fresh fish there and of course, if it is near your house, you can take the fish from there.
Besides, you will find very beautifully designed jewelry at Digha. You will find various souvenirs made of very beautiful conch shells here.
Which is best, Digha or Mandarmani?
Digha and Mandarmani are both very beautiful places, but if you have to choose a place, then it is better to choose Mandarmani because Mandarmani is a relatively less crowded place and you can bathe in peace here. But on the other hand, Digha is a very crowded place, there you will find a little crowded atmosphere. In Mandarmani, you will find beautiful hotels or resorts right near the sea where you can spend time with your loved one and enjoy the sea view from the window.
How many days are sufficient to visit Digha?
Since there are many places to see around Digha, if you want to visit the entire Digha, then two nights and three days are enough.
How much does the Digha trip cost?
Digha is for everyone, from the poor to the middle class to the rich. So, you will find hotels here at a very low cost as well as hotels at a much higher cost. Hotels here are available in all types of hotels, starting from around 500 to 5,000 rupees. Besides, transportation is almost the same everywhere, and your food and expenses are up to you. So, the maximum cost for these two nights and three days can be around 7000 rupees.
Can we bathe in Digha beach?
Of course, you can bathe in Digha, but the New Digha beach or Old Digha beach in Digha is a bit crowded because everyone bathes here. If you want to bathe in solitude, you will have to go to Mandarmani or Tajpur.
Which river is near Digha?
The main river around Digha is the Subarnarekha River, which flows into the Bay of Bengal near Tajpur.
Besides, the Champa River merges with the Bay of Bengal at the mouth of Digha.
How to reach Digha?
By Air:
If you want to come by air from any other state or place in India, the nearest airport is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. There are many ways to get to Digha from Kolkata. You will find plenty of buses from Dharmatala to Kolkata to Digha. Apart from this, buses to Digha also leave from the Garia bus stand in Kolkata. It takes about five to five and a half hours.
By Train:
However, the number of direct trains from Kolkata to Digha is very low.
Train list to Digha from Howrah-
- Tamralipta Express(12857)- 6.45 AM to 10.05 AM – Daily
- Paharia Express(15722)- 07.50 AM to 11.55 AM – Sunday
- Kandari Express(22897) – 02.25 PM to 05.50 Pm – Daily
You should book your train tickets at least a few days in advance so that they don’t run out. You can book from https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search .
This travel blog will help you to visit Digha. You can check out my other blogs as well.
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