As a school kid, I had read in the Geography text books about the Chilika Lake as the largest salt water lake in India. So I was always intrigued about the size of the vast lake. Much after the school days when I had the chance of visiting the lake, I was confused about where I would stay. Finally, I decided on Rambha, the more reclusive of the two entry points of Chilika Lake; and never since then I had regretted my decision.
Rambha is located on the southern coast of the Chilika lagoon at a distance of around 40 km from Berhampur town. Rambha boasts of a picturesque landscape dotted with numerous islands. With the great Chilika overlooking Rambha and the green hills at the backdrop, the place poses for a great destination for the wanderlust souls. Chilika too serves as a heaven for the migratory birds. Almost 150 species of migratory birds flock around the islands during the winter seasons. So altogether, Rambha is simply stunning and has a lot to offer to its visitors. A 3 days trip to Rambha is sufficient to see the places around.
Things to do at Rambha:
1. Go for a Boat Ride
It is very rare to find a dull moment at Rambha. You can cruise along the Chilika Lake on a speed boat or a motorized yatch and carve an unforgettable memory of the trip. Small boats are also available if you want to go for a leisure boat ride among the waters of the Chilika Lake. The speedboats are available from Orissa Tourism development Corporation.
You can take a trip to the various islands on the boats and roam around the Chilika lake. It will be a great experience around the islands.
2. Do Bird watching
As I had told earlier, Chilika is a haven for migratory birds. You can simply roam around the various islands for spotting the birds. Among the islands, Nalaban needs a special mention, as this one is the main place for bird watching. Also the Bird’s Island is on the southern part of the Chilika Lake near Rambha where you can do bird watching. While at Rambha, it is almost a crime not to watch the migratory birds during the winter season. The major birds species seen here are White bellied sea eagles, Graylag geese, purple moorhen, flamingo jacana and herons. Chilika Lake also happens to be the one of biggest breeding places of flamingos in the world.
3. Go for an island hopping trail
With so many islands all around, you can very easily go for an island hopping trail on the speedboat. Make a trip to the Honeymoon Island nestled in the Rambha Bay.
Also visit the Breakfast Island formed between the Barakuda Island and the Solomo Island in the Rambha Bay. It is a small island with a lone yellow coloured building amidst the blue waters of the lake and is perhaps the best place to have your packed breakfast. Other major islands are Nalaban Island, Parikud Island and Rajhans Island.
4. Go for dolphin spotting
The Chilika Lakes are one of the best places for dolphin spotting. Dolphin spotting can be best done at the mouth of Chilika near Satpada.
5. Savour the sight of Olive Ridley Turtle
The nestling site of the Olive Ridley Turtles are in the Rusikulya Beach near the Rambha Island. There are no options to stay at Rusikulya, but you can make a day trip there and take a look at the Olive Ridley turtles.
How to Reach Rambha:
Nearest Airport: Bhubaneswar
Nearest Railway Head: Balugaon
Rambha is around 130 km from Bhubaneswar, the capital town of Orissa. Balugaon, the nearest railhead is 35 km from Rambha. You can get local buses as well as hired cars from Bhubaneswar and Balugaon to Rambha. The buses running from Bhubaneswar to Berhampur stops at Rambha.
Best Time to visit:
The best time to visit Rambha is the winter months when the migratory birds flock at the islands of Chilika Lake. The weather also remains charming during this time.
The monsoons too cast a different beauty over Rambha with dark clouds rolling over the blue waters of the Chilika Lake.
Places to stay:
The best place to stay at Rambha is the OTDC Panthanibas. It is a huge property with a private gate to the Chilika Lake.
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