Chukchuki Watchtower is also known as Chukchuki Birding Point inside the Gorumara National Park. It is an ideal vantage point for watching myriad birds and photographing them. Tourists visiting Gorumara are taken to the watchtower for bird watching either on elephant back or by a car. It is a bird watcher’s paradise where one can spot local as well as migratory birds. The watchtower is situated towards the end of the park and provides perfect view of the birds. It is one among many other watchtowers in the park from where visitors can spot different animals like rhinos for which the park is famous.
How to reach Chukchuki Watchtower
Chukchuki can be reached only after you have arrived at Gorumara National Park. Gorumara can be reached by air, rail or by road depending on the place you are coming from. The park is only 10 kilometers from Chalsa and 1 kilometer from Lataguri. Bagdogra is the nearest airport if you are traveling by flight and New Jalpaiguri or Maalbazar are the stations where you have to reach to arrive at Gorumara. Alternatively, you can take your car and opt for a long drive also. In that case, Highway NH-31 will be the route.
Attractions in Chukchuki Watchtower
There are 5 camps in Gorumara National Park where you can put up during your sojourn. However, you will have to book in advance in order to get rooms and guide for your elephant ride. There is a cafeteria where you can have food and snacks and also watch tribal dance in the evening.
You will be taken to the Chukchuki watchtower on the back of an elephant which is the most exciting activity in the forest or you can also opt for the four wheeler safari in which case you will ride a jeep. You will watch birds like Indian Hornbill, Spangled Drongo, Scarelet Minivet, Peafowls, Peacocks, woodpeckers, pheasants, Asian paradise suncatcher. These are all submontane forest birds and the place is also famous for migratory birds among which the rare Brahminy duck can also be spotted.