Are you looking for a weekend destination near Kolkata? Do you like a solitary location where you can enjoy spending quality time? Try Lalganj, a newly discovered sea beach near Kolkata.
Yes, Lalganj is near Kolkata, which is just 5 hours away. You can easily reach Lalganj, a den of red crabs without availing of any express train.
The white sand and green tamarisk (jhow), are a perfect combination for spending your weekend.
Even if you can spend a couple of days watching sunrise and sunset, counting endless waves, and exploring the lonely sea beach, Lalganj is an ideal destination for you.
You may ask, where is it, how to reach it, and how much will be the budget?
Don’t worry, I am here to help you with all the above. So, let’s dive deep into this content.
How to Reach
Lalganj is a beautiful sea beach located near Bakkhali. The nearest station to reach Lalganj is Namkhana.
The white sand, red crabs, and solitude are an ideal combination to spend the weekend.
If you want to reach there by train, avail local train from Sealdah south section. The destination is Namkhana. If you can’t get the train in the ‘Where is my train’ app or ‘Google’, search Sealdah to Lakshmikantapur and then Lakshmikantapur to Namkhana.
Many trains are available almost every day. So you can plan your trip any day.
The distance from Namkhana station to Lalganj is around 22 km. Toto is available.
If you have a booking in any hotel there, they will send their car for pick up.
I suggest you, book Toto just outside of the Namkhana station. There will be many Totos available.
On your journey towards Lalganj, you’ll cross Hatania, Doaniya River, and Sundaria Doaniya bridge.
After crossing the Sundaria Doania bridge, you can reach Satmile just by turning right. This is the way to reach Mousuni Island.
The straight road reaches Bakkhali.
Take the left turn from Dosmile Bazar to Lalganj. It is around 4 km from here.
You can get a shared Toto and Autorickshaw from Namkhana station to reach Dosmile Bazar. Then take another Toto or Autorickshaw to reach your destination.
The surrounding area is a typical village. You can reach your destination enjoying the village and its lifestyle.
Why Lalganj Sea Beach
If you want to avoid crowds and enjoy spending quality time at the seaside, Lalganj is ideal.
Being newly discovered, this beautiful seabeach is still unknown to many.
The name itself is attractive. The ‘Lal’ means the ‘color red’ and ‘Ganj’ means ‘village’. Local people call this place “Loyal Ganj”. According to a myth the name Lalganj comes from it.
Whatever it is, this offbeat seabeach is undoubtedly beautiful.
Probably the name Lalganj comes from the red crabs. In the whole beach, you’ll see many red crabs playing in their way.
Just imagine, the white beach is covered with red crabs. How beautiful it is!
The sea beach is around 7 km long.
You can find some hotels and homestays here. Many of them provide tents. You can spend your night in a tent here.
Both food and lodging are available in many hotels here.
Being a newly discovered location, many hotels are not available here. But you’ll get sufficient accommodation here.
Best time to Visit
Lalganj is ideal for winter, though tourists prefer to visit this place anytime in the year for its beauty.
Apart from winter, the other two important seasons are preferable.
These three are the spring, monsoon, and autumn seasons. Late autumn is also ideal.
In summer the temperature is quite higher than Puri, the best sea beach in India. You cannot enjoy the scorching heat of summer here. So summer is not recommended here.
Lalganj Itinerary
Today sightseeing is a must on every trip. If you want to spend your weekend here at Lalganj, you’ll search for ideal sightseeing.
Don’t worry, I am here to guide you.
But before that let me assume you planned for the weekend (at least 2 days). In this case, follow this itinerary.
Day 1: Enjoy Seabeach Both in Lalganj and Bakkhali
After reaching Lalganj, you can enjoy the whole day at Lalganj sea beach and the forest of tamarisk.
You can enjoy a guided walk amid the tamarisk (Jhaw) forest. The ideal time is dawn.
In the afternoon, take a toto and reach Bakkhali. On the way, you’ll enjoy Henry’s Island (Henry’s Beach). The time is very restricted.
You have to reach here between 6.30 am to 5.30 pm. The entry time is restricted. The ticket fare is INR 10/per person.
You can enjoy a canopy walk through a small wooden trail. Kissing the mangrove trees you’ll reach the beautiful Bakkhali sea beach.
During the Yaas cyclone, Bakkhali got damaged.
On the way to Bakkhali, you’ll see the Benfish harbor. You’ll see many boats (troler). Most of them are going to sea for fishing.
You can go to Jammu deep from here. In winter, many tourists come here.
Then you can reach Kargil beach. Spend a couple of hours there and finally go to Bakkhali.
Bakkhali is one of the most demanding tourist destinations in recent years. Spend a couple of hours there in the evening enjoying the beautiful breeze and sea.
The distance between Lalganj and Bakkhali is around 7 km.
Take a toto and go to Bakkhali. Enjoy the evening there at Bakkhali. The local market is also impressive.
Enjoy your evening at Bakkhali and finally, return to your hotel and take your dinner.
Day 2: Interesting Boat Ride
Start the morning with a beautiful sunrise. Trek through the tamarisk (jhow) forest. This is a guided trek unless you’ll lose your path.
Enjoy sunrise and then return to your hotel. The high tide starts at about 9.30. So you have to be ready for a boat ride before that.
From Lalganj you can reach Ghosh Khal.
This boat ride will be memorable forever. Amid the mangrove forest and on a narrow river, you will reach the river Saptamukhi.
From the large Saptamukhi River, your boat will enter into a creek. The whole journey will be an excellent experience.
You’ll see a few islands throughout your journey.
For this ride high tide is essential. Sometimes you’ll feel that you are in Sundaban. After a while, your boat will reach Bhagatpur.
Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project is a must-visit spot if you’ll come to Lalganj or Bakkhali.
The project was started in 1976. It is a kind of incubation center. The whole area is under the forest department.
The boat ride takes time as it depends on high tide and low tide. So it is better to have time on your hands.
My Final Thought
Lalganj is an ideal offbeat sea beach located near Kolkata. It is an ideal weekend destination near Kolkata as well. The combination of offbeat sea beach, loneliness, and red crabs with tamarisk forest will make your dream weekend destination. As it is located near Bakkhali, you can easily add Bakkhali to your bucket list. If you are looking for a lonely sea beach, explore this newly discovered offbeat tourist attraction.
Disclaimer: This is an educational content. Through this content, I don’t encourage or discourage anyone to a trip.
