DooarsLodgeValue tier

Jaldapara Tourist Lodge (WBTDC)

Name: Jaldapara Tourist Lodge (WBTDC)
Address: Jaldapara

The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation lodge at Madarihat, right by the entry to Jaldapara National Park. Plain, spacious and well placed for early safaris.

Photo: Rupak Sarkar · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

This is the large government lodge on the main road at Madarihat, a short walk from Madarihat station and a few minutes from the park gate. Rooms are simple and clean rather than stylish, with a garden, a dining hall serving Bengali and North Indian food, and a small wildlife museum in the compound.

Its real value is location. Safari jeeps leave from close by, and the staff are used to guests who need breakfast packed for a 6 am start. Since the fire that destroyed the old Hollong lodge inside the park in June 2024, this is the best-known government place to stay for Jaldapara.

Why we book it

A short drive to the park gate and safari counter
Government-run, with fair, published tariffs
Big enough to have rooms when smaller places are full
Walking distance of Madarihat railway station

Questions travellers ask

Good to know

Can the Jaldapara Tourist Lodge book my safari?

The lodge staff help guests with the Jaldapara jeep safari and point you to the right counter, but slots are controlled by the forest department and released online and at the Madarihat counter. Book online when possible and treat the lodge as a back-up for remaining slots. Rules have changed several times in recent seasons. Check current status before you travel.

How do I book the Jaldapara Tourist Lodge?

Book through the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation's official booking system or its Kolkata and Siliguri offices. Avoid unofficial sites that add large mark-ups. Rooms for the Durga Puja holidays, Christmas and New Year sell out weeks ahead, so book a month or more in advance for those dates.

Is food available at the lodge?

Yes. The lodge has a dining hall serving simple Bengali and North Indian meals, with fish, chicken and vegetarian options. Order dinner in the afternoon, as the kitchen cooks to numbers. Ask for a packed breakfast or early tea if you have a dawn safari; there is little else open in Madarihat before 6 am.

Packages

Routes that stay here

Dooars · 4 nights Gorumara and Jaldapara rhino trail in four nights Gorumara and Lataguri · Jaldapara From₹12,000 pp

Dooars · 6 nights The whole Dooars from Samsing to Buxa in six nights Samsing and Suntalekhola · Gorumara and Lataguri · Jaldapara · Chilapata · Buxa From₹17,500 pp

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