Wide gravel beds of the Jayanti River run toward the Bhutan hills, and on a dry morning the loudest sound is the water. Closer to town, tea estates spread flat and green under a huge sky, and the grassland of Jaldapara stretches so far that a rhino standing still can look like part of the landscape.
Back in Alipurduar, life gathers around the railway, the riverbanks and the old market streets, while forest roads climb north toward Buxa Fort. Monsoon rains soak the summer, and dry winter months bring clear, mild days. A Local Friend can lead you to a favorite clearing near Rajabhatkhawa and tell you how a king's long-awaited meal of rice gave the place its name.
