Archive for the ‘Feedback’ Category
Chautare: A travel magazine for East and Northeast India
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009A blueprint for a valuable community-interaction
Monday, September 8th, 2008Tourism mostly is about taking: taking lunch, taking sleep, taking pictures, taking excursions… But if – after frequent visits – a strong relation between the visitors of a tourist spot and the local residents and staff forms, tourism can be about giving as well, and become a great platform for mutual enrichment.
Our friend Ajoy just send his Pre Puja Festival Report, 2008 of Sunderbans Jungle Camp. Thanks, Ajoyda.
Last five year, during the Puja Festival I along with my friends & some associates visit Sunderbans Jungle Camp, Bali island to play, dance & spent some quality time with the community living in that area. This year on the 30th of August 2008 we left Kolkata for the same. Our main objective was to involve the entire community with us in various activities like game shows, organizing plays or dramas along with other cultural activities. The local community here gets involved in all the activities & we too try to prop up with them by distributing garments for about 325 children. In addition we bought a carom board for the young guys who are vibrantly involved with us & they have all become a part of our family. Unlike previous year, this year the involvement was extremely surprising as the children from near by villages too got mixed up with us.
The next morning that is on the 31 st of Aug 2008 almost 125 children gathered in our camp where we arranged lunch for all of them. People from our Self Help Group participated in cooking & serving & in distribution of the cloths. This whole gathering gives an enchanting feeling & this has now turned out to be an annual fest.
In addition to all this, though there is a medical camp running for last few year, with the growing demand for medical need we are trying to finalize a land in that area for a four bedded hospital at present. This whole participation does give us a feeling of oneness that will surely get carry forward every year.
Ajoy Roy is a Kolkata based veteran journalist of Associated Press Television News, a keen photographer and documentary film maker and a staunch protagonist of Help Tourism movement, who has documented most of the Help Tourism projects.
Tiger Tales from the Sunderbans
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008On the afternoon of the 10th of February 2008, one of our groups was lucky enough to see a tiger swimming across the Khonakhali Creeks near Dobanki Watch Tower. Tanmoy Ghosh, our field guide, had his camera at hand.
A Tiger symbolizes unlimited power: Durga riding a Tiger indicates that she possesses unlimited power and uses it to protect virtue and destroy evil.’ Durga Ashtotram
‘Although they fear Tiger attacks, the people of Sunderbans have turned the Tiger into an object of veneration……. Montgomery concludes that Sunderbans has been protected by the Tigers who, watching over the mangrove wilderness, prevent humankind from destroying their own habitat.’ Howard Mansfield ‘Spell of the Tiger’.
‘Better to live one year as a Tiger, than a hundred as a sheep.’ Madonna
‘From the Oyster to the Eagle, from the Swine to the Tiger, all animals are to be found in men and each of them exists in some man, sometimes several at the same time. Animals are nothing but the portrayal of our virtues and vices made manifest to our eyes, the visible reflections of our souls. God displays them to us to give us food for thought.’ Victor Hugo
‘The living self has one purpose only: to come into its own fullness of being, as a tree comes into full blossom, or a bird into spring beauty, or a Tiger into luster.’ D. H. Lawrence
Jayanand’s Feedback on Sunderbans & Kaziranga Tour
Friday, February 8th, 2008Coming back from Sunderbans and Kaziranga, our South Indian friend Jayanand send us some flowers:
I must compliment Help Tourism on arranging an exemplary holiday for the three of us in the Sunderbans and Kaziranga. Both parks were magical, the accommodation comfortable, and the food was first class. My friends & I were also struck by the punctuality with which all safaris started, whether by boat, jeep or elephant. Well done & I will recommend you to all my friends as the organisation to use for cultural and nature tours to the East.
Thank you, Jayanand. We will be most happy to host you or any of your friends, anytime.
Birding Tour Feedback – Eagle Nest, Nameri, Kaziranga – Dec 2007/Jan 2008
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008Remco from the Netherlands was friendly enough to send us some feedback on their tour:
Hi all,
Here follows an annotated list of the best records 6 keen birdwatchers from The Netherlands made during a very recent 16-day tour of NE India – Eaglenest, Nameri and Kaziranga. The tour lasted from Dec 23, 2007, until Jan 7, 2008. [...] All ground arrangements were made by Sujan Chatterjee from HelpTourism (much recommended), who also accompanied us during the trip. We camped during the Eaglenest part of the trip, fortunately accompanied by excellent cook Jivan. Weather was fine throughout the trip, with clear skies and no fog or rain. In the mountains, especially at Lama Camp and Bompu, the temperature at night was close to or even below zero C.
We recorded 457 birds, incl c. 10 heard-onlys and 20+ species recorded only at Okhla, Delhi. Heard-only incl Grey Peacock-pheasant, Common and Rufous-throated Hill Partridge, Himalayan Wood Owl, Spotted Laughingthrush, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Rusty-bellied and Lesser Shortwing. Blue-naped Pitta was seen by only one participant (LS), near Khellong.
Mammal highlights included a male Hoolock Gibbon at Panbari Forest, a Malayan Giant Squirrel at Nameri and over 100 Indian One-horned Rhinos, 6 Indian Smooth Otters and 10+ Asian Elephants at Kaziranga.
Thanks, Remco for the nice and encouraging words.
