Adina Deer park or Adina Forest, near Malda town is a must visit in winters. It is a mini zoo maintained to preserve nature, encourage wildlife conservation, awareness and education among the population. We are a nature loving family and winter means quick weekend trips to explore nature.
When we first came to Malda my daughter was an infant.W e traveled carefully. But now we plan for short trips, every weekend during winters. They may be day trips or weekend gateways, whats common is they are close to nature. Last weekend we drove down to Adina Deer Park.
How to reach Adina Deer Park?
It is 350 Km from Kolkata. The nearest railway station is Malda station. If you are in Kolkata you need to take a train to Malda.
Best trains are Gour express( you reach Malda in the morning), the Sealdah-NJP Satabdi express, Darjeeling mail, and Padatik. Only Gour has Malda as the last station and arrives at the perfect time for a day trip to Adina. You can catch the Gour express at night on the same day at 9.35 pm to return to Kolkata. Check irctc site for best deals on trains and train schedules.
From Siliguri too, you have the Darjeeling mail, Shatabdi and Padatik express all good trains with various timings and your stay needs to be planned accordingly.
The Deer Park timings
From 9.30 am till 5 pm. So the best trains are the ones which drop you off in the morning.
From Malda to Adina: Road trip
You can hire a car and drive to Adina Deer park. It’s a total journey of 22.5km from English Bazaar.20 Km of good roads on the National Highway 34 and two and a half kilometer of a bumpy ride in the interiors.
The forest area covers 80 hectares.
Charges
They allow you to drive inside with your car
- Rs 20 for vehicle
- Rs 10 Per person
What do you see at Adina Deer park?
Deers: The spotted deer or cheetal
The spotted deer or cheetal are in plenty. This is an important breeding ground for this variety. Currently, there are 90 spotted deer and 8 Neel Gai. But we didn’t see any Neel Gai.
Bird watching at Adina
There is a well-kept aviary, with several pretty birds. The road in front leads up to the area from where you can watch the deer’s, play, eat and stroll around. The entire area is well maintained, clean. It is a litter, noise, and picnic free zone. They have a separate spot outside the reserve forest area for picnicking. The sad part is, people play boom boxes in the picnic areas But luckily the birds still come to roost. We saw plenty of storks the Asian open bill. Zoom in to the pictures to see the storks perching on trees! The other varieties that can be spotted are Paradise-flycatcher, Prinia, old world oriole and some unknown varieties. The sound of birds chirping is musical.
Butterflies
These are in plenty and in varied hues.
What you must carry:
- Binoculars
- Camera
- Tissue
- Food
- Water
What should you avoid?
- Speaking loudly shouting, speaking on the phone
- Littering
- Feeding the animals.
Remember you are visiting their home and you need to show them respect.
What else to see around Adina Deer Park?
Adina Mosque
Other places of Interest around Malda
Ek Lakhi Mouseleum, Maldah Museum, Gaur.Mango orchards, Bangladesh border if you are inclined to visit.
Full address of Adina Deer Park is Nazrul Sarani, P.O. & Dist: Malda, Pin : 732101. contact no, 03512- 252346.
Where to stay in Malda town for a two-day trip?
- The Golden Park: 3-star Hotel . Address: NH12, Narayanpur, West Bengal 732101
Phone: 03512 262 251. The hotel is 7 km from both Malda Town train station and the Malda District Museum. It’s 4 km from Arabinda Park. - Mango Leaf
- Hotel Continental
Do you like nature travel? Tell me in the comments below.