CHANDUBI (KAMRUP), Nov 11 - For long a picnic spot, the scenic Chandubi lake and its peripheral areas have now emerged as an exciting destination for the adventure-seeker with the latest attraction being the breathtaking Kaphendonga and Soloka Dare or Koliya Nijhiri falls.
The Kaphendonga falls in particular which is located atop a steep hill some 12 km off Chandubi lake is a trekker�s paradise.
�It is a newly-discovered spot in that it was never really visited by tourists because of the remote location. But this spectacular waterfall can be a game changer for Chandubi. One needs to trek through an undulating, forested landscape to reach the waterfall,� Utpal Jyoti Das of Chandubi Eco Resort, who has put the falls in the tourist itinerary, told The Assam Tribune.
With new vistas opening up for a visitor to Chandubi, traditional home-stays have come up to cater to the needs of the tourists keen on savouring an intimate experience amid the idyllic surroundings dotted by sparsely-populated Rabha and Garo villages.
�The scenic landscape of the entire Chandubi area dominated by the Chandubi lake, the Kulsi river, cascading waterfalls and sylvan forests � and inhabited by hospitable villagers � is now attracting more tourists. Many are inclined towards home-stays in view of the first-hand feel it offers to the visitor,� Harshavardhan Marak, a home-stay owner right on the fringe of the Soloka Dare falls, said.
Marak added that people also love to visit the nearby orange orchards.
Incidentally, the State�s first ever community-based rural and nature tourism was launched at Chandubi lake by Assam Tourism in association with the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council two years back.
�The idea behind the move was to promote community-based tourism with the locals as active stakeholders. Chandubi and its surrounding areas abound in diverse tourist interests and tourism here should be managed by the villagers through traditional home-stays and other sustainable tourism practices,� a tourism official said.
According to Utpal Jyoti Das, Chandubi being a pristine area, involvement of the local communities is the only way which can ensure that tourism flourishes in sync with nature and in a manner that is sustainable and also empowering to the communities.
�The ecology of the place characterised by water-bodies and forests must not be disturbed. And tourism here can be managed sensitively only when the locals are active stakeholders. The Bherbheri eco-tourism village by the Kulsi has already made a beginning and the need is to build on that,� he said.