Jungles Of Jharkhand - Hazaribagh and Betla

"Aap Betla Ja Rahe Ho? Bahut Danger Raasta Hai. Din Ko Jana Aur Din Ko Ana..." (Are you going to Betla? It is a very dangerous road. Go during daylight and come back during daylight...) said Yadavji, the owner of the Hotel Skylok (The picture of the bird on the menu indicating that the intended name was probably Skylark and by the time someone pointed it out, the big neon sign was too expensive to redo). This was the theme of our detour from the Grand Trunk road on the way back from Kolkata to Delhi. I had fond childhood memories of visiting the sanctuaries in Hazaribagh and Betla and a few hundred kilometers with dire warnings about Maoist Naxalites did not matter. Came back with mixed feelings... the sanctuaries were a pale shadow of their earlier self and quite disappointing, the roads were atrocious, the government hotel in Betla was a study of neglect and apathy and we read news reports about late night bus hijackings in the local newspapers (but encountered no trouble ourselves). On the positives, Hazaribagh was splendid with its great weather and chilled out atmosphere, the scenery along the journey was fantastic, sattu and kachoris were quite delicious, the people were warm and friendly and the opportunities for photography many. Traveling during daylight hours we spent a few days soaking in the atmosphere and taking numerous photo stops as we wound our way thru the jungles of Jharkhand...

Comments

[Pritam]

Dear Soumya,
I am planning to visit Hazaribagh during December for 2 days. Can you suggest me where to stay and about the itinerary of the tour. I would prefer to stay in the Govt guest house/hotel inside the jungle. Can you give me any idea about how I would proceed with the bookings.
Also as the area is bit infested by Naxalites, what precautions should I take?

[Soumya Banerjee]

Dear Pritam

There is actually no wildlife in the Hazaribagh jungles anymore. So no point if you are a wildlife buff.We stayed in the town. Betla has more wildlife. However best time to do so is in summer. In winter the forest is quite dense and wildlife are hard to spot. Naxalites may be there but the bigger danger is bandits. Quite simple rule fixes it all: Dont travel on the highways and between towns at night. Else it is quite safe. Send me your email (you can get mine from the about section of this blog and I can give you more details)

-Soumya