Into the forest
Chilapata jungle safari, arranged by your hosts
Open-top jeeps through sal forest and elephant country, past the ruins of an ancient fort. We book the jeep, file the permits and pick you up at our gate.
How it works
Four steps from bed to forest
You give us a date; we handle the queue at the permit office.
Tell us a day ahead
WhatsApp us your date and slot — morning or afternoon. We confirm the jeep and file the permit request.
Carry ID originals
Aadhaar, passport or voter ID for every traveller, children included. Photocopies don’t work for permits.
Jeep at your gate
The driver picks you up 20–30 minutes before the slot. Winter mornings are cold — we lend blankets.
Pay, then disappear
Pay us or the operator directly, see the breakup, and put the phone away. The forest takes it from here.
Slots & season
- Morning: roughly 6:00 – 8:00 am (best light, most activity)
- Afternoon: roughly 2:00 – 4:00 pm
- Best months: November – February
- Core zones typically close mid-June to mid-September
Indicative costs
- Jeep (up to 6 adults): ₹2,800 – 3,500
- Permit / entry per person: ₹100 – 200
- Local guide (recommended): ₹300 – 500
- Rates change with forest dept. rules — we confirm at booking
You may see
- Elephant herds — often, sometimes close
- Bison, spotted deer, wild boar, peafowl
- Hornbills, drongos, minivets, raptors
- Leopard (rare), tiger (never promised)
Forest etiquette
You are a guest in someone’s home
Chilapata is a working wildlife corridor. A few habits keep it safe for animals and enjoyable for you.
- Stay in the jeep. No leaning out for photos, no standing on seats.
- Voices low at sightings; engines quiet where the driver stops.
- Earth-coloured clothing; skip bright reds and whites.
- Phones on silent; no flash, no drone.
- Nothing left behind — not even orange peels.
Pair it
Morning at Chilapata, next morning at Jaldapara
Madarihat (Jaldapara’s gate) is 25–30 minutes from the hut. Doing one safari in each forest is the single best upgrade to a Dooars trip — rhinos one morning, elephants the next.
Chilapata Eco Hut arranges safaris as a courtesy for guests. Forest department rules and rates apply.
Book direct & save
Which morning do you want first?
Tell us your dates — we will suggest the best safari order for your trip and hold the jeeps.
Or write to us at chilapataecohut@gmail.com — we answer every message.