Located on the sliver of alluvial flood lands, sandwiched between the Himalayas in the north and the mighty Brahmaputra in the south, Cooch Behar is around 142 kms from Siliguri, in the Dooars region.
If rich history, great weather and natural beauty is your recipe for a perfect getaway, then Cooch Behar is where you should be headed to. Once a princely State, Cooch Behar fell into the hands of the British when the Royal Family reached out to the East India Company for their help in driving out the Bhutanese forces. Nirpendra Narayan (all of 10 months!) was put on the throne while the British held the reigns of the kingdom. Later, Maharaja Nirpendra along with his wife Sunitidevi transformed the backword kingdom of Cooch Behar into the modern city it is today.
While there, you must visit the Cooch Behar Palace. Designed to resemble the classical European style of the Italian Renaissance, this magnificent palace was built by the Maharaja in 1887. Back in time, this palace used to be a symbol of fine taste with a huge durbar hall, ballroom, billiards room and around 18 bedrooms! Today, only a few rooms of the palace serve as a museum on local Cooch Behar history, while most of the palace remains locked. Cooch Behar is also known as the land of temples, the most notable amongst which is the Madan Mohan Bari.
Want to experience nature at its serene best? Make a dash for Rasik Beel, a huge lake surrounded by the dark and dense forests of Nagurhaat, Atasmochar and Bochamari. Home to a lot of rare migratory birds, this spot is ideal for indulging the bird watcher in you. If you are travelling with kids, take them to the nearby aquarium, Crocodile Rehabilitation Center and Deer Park.
Bagdogra Airport, located near Siliguri, is the nearest airdrome from Cooch Behar. The nearest railway station is New Cooch Behar, 5 kms away from the main town. There are regular train services to the station, as it is one of the important rail routes connecting Northeast India. Cooch Behar is extremely well connected by road too.
