A unique houseboat stay just an hour away from Kolkata

We frequently visit Barrackpore because we have our extended family living there. But not in our wildest dreams did we ever think that we would end up having the most unique houseboat stay experience there. India perhaps has the best houseboat destinations but this one, so near home, was an absolute revelation.

When we are in the mood for some relaxation and a staycation, armed with our IDs and a basic one-night’s essentials, we just check into Barrackpore’s Mangaldhara Tourism Property, run by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation. Situated right by the Ganges, it’s truly beautiful to watch the boats and barges floating by, the seasonal flowers in bloom and the sunset complementing it. The spacious rooms, Smart TVs and delicious food add the brownie points to our quick holiday.

The bookings can be done online, but sometimes I end up being too lazy or too busy to go through the online booking, so a phone call is enough to let me know if rooms are available. I had made the usual call a couple of months back and that’s when the receptionist informed me that I could try staying at the houseboat this time. “It’s all renovated and ready,” she said proudly.

Houseboat? That’s a rather exciting proposition! I have never stayed in a houseboat before. Although my travel research has taken me through houseboat stays in the Kerala backwaters, Alleppey houseboat cruise and through luxury houseboat retreats in Kashmir, I have never had the experience of having a room of my own on a quaint houseboat. So, there was much to look forward to.

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The drive to Barrackpore

On a Friday morning, we set off from our home in Ballygunge to Barrackpore by car. Friday being a working day, we had to navigate a bit of traffic at Sealdah and Shyambazar, but the newly-repaired Tala Bridge has made travelling to Barrackpore quite a breeze. We reached Mangaldhara in 1 hour 20 minutes.

One can avail the local train from Sealdah too. In that case, the time taken to reach Barrackpore station will be between 45 minutes to an hour. From the station, one can avail autos to the destination. Either way, reaching the property is easy and inexpensive.

Checking in to our room on the houseboat

Since we are regulars to the property, we have become rather familiar with the extremely courteous staff. Once the formalities were done at the reception, the staff led us to the jetty that takes you to the two houseboats parked on the Ganges. Each boat has four rooms and we were lucky to get the last one – all had been pre-booked.

Excited to the hilt, we walked down the slanting jetty and stepped into the houseboat that had the steering wheel at the bow. Behind the bow were wooden benches where you can sit and enjoy the river breeze. After that is a space with a few tables and chairs and that’s where the boat attendant could always be found taking orders for room service or other needs.

Behind that is the long, quaint corridor leading to the rooms. We stepped into ours. The room is small compared to the other rooms at the property but when it’s a boat you have to compromise a little on the space because the view that you get is to die for.

As I opened the window of our room, I felt I could touch the water with my fingers. A small boat was passing by, the ripples leapt up to the sides of our houseboat, swaying it gently. The sun played with the scattered clouds making the view ethereal. I quickly occupied a chair, and gazed and gazed at the beauty of our Ganges, thanking nature for all that it has endowed us with.

Apart from that huge window, which in my opinion is the biggest asset of the room, it has a Smart TV, a wardrobe and a bench for keeping water bottles and other essentials. The bathroom, though squeaky clean, is rather tiny. But if you are staying for a night or two, it doesn’t seem like a huge concern.

The surprise element of our houseboat holiday

Apart from taking in the sights and sounds, what does a Bengali on a holiday usually do? Gorge on food of course! The moment we stepped in, we ordered chicken pakodas and washed it down with fresh lime soda. Then a few hours later we were at the dining hall, which has equally beautiful views of the Ganges. Dal and shredded potato fry (jhurjhurey aloo bhaja), poppy potato curry (aloo posto), mutton curry and rice was our lunch menu.

Post lunch, we sat on the benches at the bow looking far away at the tall buildings coming up on the other side which is Serampore. That’s when someone came up to us and made a proposal. “If you pay a little extra then we can take you for an hour-long boat ride,” he said.

“This houseboat or a smaller boat?” I asked in disbelief.

“This one. But there’s one issue. The guests occupying all the four rooms will have to agree to go and pay too. If one guest disagrees, we can’t go,” he said, adding, “I am asking all of them and I will get back to you with their answer.”

We were all madly excited. Never thought we would go on a Ganga ride on the houseboat. We were already rather elated with what we were experiencing. But a ride would be like the ultimate topping on a chocolate ice cream.

We waited but there was no news if others had agreed. That’s when the husband swung into action. He knocked on each door and got everyone together telling them we would be missing out on an amazing experience if we didn’t decide now. Thankfully they all agreed and promptly made the payment. The anchor was lifted equally quickly.

A pink sunset and dolphin spotting     

Our floating accommodation set sail and passed the other boat that stayed anchored because its occupants had not reached a consensus. I realised that if people are logical, sensible and have the means, it doesn’t matter if they are strangers. They can take a positive step.

As the boat made steady progress cutting through the water, the setting sun painted the sky in a beautiful pink and mauve hue that reflected on the water. The lights started coming up on both sides like fireflies making an appearance one by one.

And then we saw them. Initially we were a bit confused. They created large circular ripples as they dodged in and out of the water. We could make out something was making a splash. What was it? “It could be a Susuk but I am not sure,” told our navigator. The Gangetic Dolphin is an endangered species, but sometimes it does crop up in less polluted stretches of the Ganges. I would like to believe the dark figure that was leaping out of the river in quick successions was a Susuk.

The boat turned around for its return journey. The lights now dazzled the ghats, the jetties and the old buildings. I just realised what we would have missed if we all hadn’t agreed to go.

A relaxed evening

We sat by the window and watched the distant light and the twinkling stars. Then we went for a walk inside the property. The best part about this houseboat stay was we had access to all kinds of facilities both on land and in water. The property has exceptionally green spaces and cobbled walkways that take you close to nature. It’s very safe and well-guarded that’s why we came across a lot of girl gangs of all age groups at the dining table.

For dinner, we opted for fried rice and chili chicken that was made in the perfect Kolkata style. Post dinner we went back to gazing at the dark waters of the river and then watched a bit of Avatar 2 before we called it a day. On a cold night, tucked inside the fleece blanket, the queen-sized bed felt large enough for all three of us – husband, son and me.

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Light shows the day

The rooms are west facing so you can’t witness the sunrise but as the dark skies lighten up, you open your eyes and you see a rowboat passing by your window right from your bed, it’s indeed a wonderful feeling.

From the houseboat, you can see bigger boats, barges and even the ferry because there is a jetty nearby. You see the tide change and carry with it leaves and branches and the occasional Lays wrapper that has been thrown by some irresponsible reveler from the Mangal Pandey Park next door.

This houseboat could be a romantic getaway too and there were actually two romantic couples on board. But at 6 am, it seems their romance came to a nought when we could hear them arguing loudly over Facebook photos and how they did not approve of each other’s photos (Laughs!). Even if we didn’t want to eavesdrop, their voice floated through the thin walls and penetrated our ears. This was the only unpleasant experience of the trip. But it lasted a few minutes, no more.   

After finishing a breakfast of luchi and aloor tarkari we checked out and headed for our next destination, my husband’s school reunion at Ichapore. This venue was also next to the Ganges and someone jokingly told us, “We thought you will bring along your houseboat here.”

We only wish that was possible.

FAQs on houseboat stay in Barrackpore

How to book?

You can book online through the WBTDCL website. You can go there and book too but make sure you carry your ID like a Aadhar Card or Driving License

What is the price?

Rs 4000 per room per night including breakfast and 20% extra for children.

How much do you need to pay for a cruise?

We paid Rs 1500 per family for a cruise in the houseboat.

How to reach Mangaldhara Tourism Property?

From Kolkata, it takes around 1 hour 30 minutes in a car. You can take a local train from Sealdah. It will take between 45 minutes and an hour.