After visiting the mouth of the Hoogly yesterday in Bakkhali, we were all mesmerized by the magnanimity of the Ganga. Just like the Narmada and the Kaveri in central and southern India, this river too provides life and livelihood to millions of people in West Bengal through fishing as their primary occupation. After interacting with the jolly Toyota Corolla Altis customers we flagged off our drive from the Topsel Toyota dealership in Kolkata and headed to Raichak, a small town on the banks of the Hoogly, near the Diamond Harbour.
We went to Raichak on Ganges, formerly known as Radisson Fort. The establishment is said to be an ancient fort, which was later converted into a five star hotel. It’s one of the most famous weekend getaways for people of Kolkata who come here to escape from the urban humdrum of the city. It’s an ideal place for a peaceful weekend, thanks to the comfort of the resort and calm waters of the Hoogly. The riverside location of the hotel offers quite amazing views of the Hoogly from lush green lawns, terraces and top floor rooms. Tourists looking for a little more adventure can also use the Raichak jetty and hop on the ferry for a blissful ferry ride. The boat takes you to Kukhrahati in East Midnapore or Gadiara in Howrah district, both of which lie on the other side of the massive span of the river.
Our travel companion, the Corolla Altis, has been a star performer so far. We’ve travelled 500km in the sedan since the start of the drive and it has kept us cocooned in comfort. The seats offer great side bolstering and under-thigh support. Moreover, the rear seats can be reclined. We encountered a lot of bad roads yesterday on our way to Raichak but the well-bolstered seats kept us in place while the suspension too is tuned for comfort. On the inside the materials are extremely well put together and there’s no rattling whatsoever. It’s a very pleasant cabin to be in, thanks to the dual tone interiors, soft touch materials and overall roominess.
In the forthcoming days we will be visiting monuments built during the Raj in West Bengal and Bihar and we will also be travelling to the spiritual capital of India. Stay tuned to us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Check out our previous Toyota River Drive blogs here.
https://evoindia.com/toyota-corolla-altis-ganga-river/