Chatakpur: Alone but never lonely

Nestled in a quiet corner of West Bengal, Chatakpur Eco Village lets you be alone without you having to be lonely. Unexplored as yet, quaint and noise-free, this place is hard to reach but promises to delight you once you manage to get past the journey from New Jalpaiguri on bad roads and cramped cars. There are four, government-approved guest houses as of 2015 (more are being built) with one family of caretakers looking after them. They are your caterers, managers and groundskeepers all rolled into smiling faces and a warm welcome. A little politeness surely goes a long way - the family will provide you home-cooked meals of meat, eggs and vegetarian dishes, if you ask nicely ;)

I could not help but think that this would make a perfect honeymoon destination, a refreshing change from the glitzy tourist destinations. There are woods to be explored, local pets to be hung about with and if you're up for it, you could go for a ten minute hike to the watch tower to get a magnificent view of Mount Kangchenjunga on a clear day (a personal favourite of mine, not that you can ever compare one mountain to another). Or simply, pick up a book. Or write one. Seeing is believing.