Trip to Chandubi Lake: It was unexpected

Chandubi Lake.

It was 8th December 2019, Saturday and I was lying on the sofa in the living room, relaxing, after returning home from work in the evening. My mother entered the living room and suggested a trip to Chandubi Lake the next day, i.e. Sunday. I was feeling a bit lazy to agree to the plan. But I had not been to the place for the last 2 years and surprisingly the last time my mother had visited the Chandubi lake was during her high school picnic so I agreed to the plan anyhow.

On 9th December 2019, Sunday we woke up early and decided to leave by 10:00 AM as the distance from Guwahati to Chandubi lake is just around 60 KM and takes less than 2 hours to reach. Our uncle was supposed to be bringing his car and pick me, and my parents from our home. By 10:00 AM we were all ready to leave when uncle called and informed my mother that he would be late by an hour because he got stuck in some work. It was really funny to watch how angry my mother got on him for not reaching on time but since he too wanted to go to visit the place we had no other choice but wait for another hour. 

It was exactly 11:00 AM when my uncle called and informed that he is waiting for us in the parking. So, our actual journey started at around 11:05 AM. If you are from Guwahati then you might be familiar with the traffic problem here. The traffic points at Lokhra and Garchuk are the worse. But since it was Sunday, the roads had comparatively less traffic and were able to cross each signal point with ease. 

We took a stop at Rani to buy some snacks and drinking water from a local store (Pro tip: Always carry at least 2 liters of drinking water and a rag cloth while traveling). There are two roads to reach Chandubi Lake; One through Rani and the other through Bijoy Nagar. We chose to travel via Rani while going and travel via Bijoy Nagar while returning. The road through Rani is shorter and has a more scenic view and less traffic and population. On the other hand, if you choose to travel through the later then you would face a lot of traffic jams, would witness less scenic views and more people. But both these roads are really narrow and only two vehicles can somehow cross each other at a time. 

Road to Chandubi Lake.

The road through Rani has some really mesmerizing views. In most regions, the road slices through forests with trees on both sides. And in one place there is a huge tea garden that runs parallel to the road on both sides for a few kilometers. These are few things that we as dwellers of chaotic cities do get to witness often. The road at certain places is broken and did slow us down a little bit but nothing sort of to ruin the journey.

At around 12:50 PM we finally reached Chandubi. Again there are two roads that you can choose; One that leads to Chandubi Jungle camp and the other that leads to Chandubi resort. We chose to go through the later one and we were thankful that we chose the latter. Since it is the peak season for picnic, the place that you reach through the road that leads to Chandubi Jungle camp was packed with people. In comparison, the other side, i.e. the side we were at had very fewer people. 

The view of the lake was really beautiful at that time of the day. With the sun shining at the top the lake perfectly reflected the nearby hills like a mirror. It is a place where photography enthusiasts would really enjoy to be at. On the other side of the lake are a few places with the provision of camping or have food.

During our this trip to Chandubi lake, I have witnessed a change and it was unexpected. The boats that take you to the other side of the lake are now being managed by a committee and they provide you with life jackets too. This is an improvement because the last time I visited Chandubi there were no such committees and boatmen would charge you a fee according to them. The boat ticket now has been fixed by the committee which right now is INR 50 per person and nothing is charged for the life jacket but it is not mandatory to opt for a life jacket till now. But if you do not know how to swim I would highly suggest you not to hesitate or to be shy to wear one while riding the boat for your safety. Moreover, even during this peak season of the picnic, the place was well maintained without any litter. This shows that the committee that now looks after the place is actually putting effort to keep the place as clean as possible. So, we as visitors or tourists should respect their efforts and should not litter garbage around the place.

We paid for a small boat as we were only 4 people. The boatman gave a small tour of the lake and took us to the other side of the lake to a campsite. The campsites do not have any supply of electricity and depend on small diesel-powered generators for power at night. These campsites are ideal for those seeking places amidst nature. They even have proper toilets and bathrooms with running water. There are cottages too if you choose not to live in a tent. Each one of us had a really good time sitting under the shade of a huge tree and having tea. There is almost virtually no outside noise which makes the whole experience a really peaceful one. The only noises you might hear are the sound of music from the massive music systems that people bring along with them while coming for a picnic. This playing of loud music in picnic spots has never made any sense to me but everyone has their way of enjoying things.

 

The boatman informed us that at night or sometimes even at day time wild elephants use to come near the lake to drink water from the lake. Which raises a question for the safety of the campers isn't it? But the boatman, as well as the people of the campsite, clarified it to us that the elephants never cross the lake and come to the campsite but rather sometimes come to the places near the road and eats the crops in the fields. The destruction of the crops by the elephants causes loss to the local people and raises the question, "Who is entering the home of whom?".

After having tea, exploring the nearby, and clicking pictures around the camping place. We rode the boat back to the other side of the lake where my parents bought some vegetables that the locals were selling. The vegetables were cheaper in comparison to that we buy in the cities and being grown in their own homes the vegetables were possibly free from the harmful commercial pesticides.

It was 2:30 PM by the time we left the place and we regretted choosing to return through the Bijoy Nagar road because a lot of trucks ply on that road and since the road is narrow, overtaking a slow-moving truck is not an easy task. By the time we reached Mirza to have our lunch, it was 4:00 PM. I am not sure if it was hunger or the food was actually amazing in the 'Dhaba' we stopped at to have lunch. After eating to the neck I was feeling sleepy but we had another plan for the evening too. So, no rest in the evening too. Sigh!!. 

After tackling the traffic on the highway that was caused by the beautification constructions across the city. It is not a sight we usually get to witness until and unless some event is happening in our city. This time around it was because a foreign delegate is supposed to visit our city soon. And if you are from Assam you exactly know who he or she is (Hint: A person from J country).

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