The tent camps
Rows of tents and simple huts on the sand, with meals cooked at the camp. Book directly with a camp before you travel; walking in and finding a bed does not work in season.
travel guide
Mousuni Island: tents on the sand, 111 km out
Mousuni is a small island in South 24 Parganas where the tent camps sit right on the sand with the sea on one side and a river on the other. About 111 km from Kolkata, and the last part is a crossing and a short walk, so you carry your own bag. It became popular for one reason: there is no concrete, no market and no noise.
travel guide
The short version
- Road distance from Kolkata
- 111 km
- From Barrackpore side
- 134 km
- Usual drive time
- 3 to 3.5 hours from Kolkata plus the crossing, 4 hours from Barrackpore
- Best time to go
- October to February. Do not go in the monsoon
- Suits
- Young groups, couples, friends who want a bonfire night
travel guide
What you actually see there
The sea side and the river side
Walk from one to the other in twenty minutes. The sea side is for sunset, the river side is calmer and better for a morning walk.
What is not there
No hotel lift, no geyser in most camps, weak mobile signal in places, no chemist worth counting on and no hospital on the island. Plan for that or go to Bakkhali instead.
How to reach
By car to the Namkhana side, about 111 km from Kolkata and 134 km from Barrackpore, then the crossing to the island and a short walk or a local van to the camp. We drop you at the crossing point and either wait or come back for you on the day you say. Ask your camp for the current crossing arrangement, because it changes with the tide and the season.
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What we tell people before they go
Small things that decide whether the day is good or tiring.
One small bag per person. You will be carrying it yourself for the last stretch.
Carry a power bank, a torch and any medicine you need. There is no shop for these.
Do not go into the sea beyond your knees, and never after dark.
Road distances and drive times here are checked on road routing data and then widened for real traffic. Timings, ferry hours and entry rules change with the season, so ask us the day before you go and we will tell you what the road is like that week.
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Cars for this trip
These are the trips on our list that match this guide. Pickup is from your gate.
travel guide
We pick up from these areas
A day trip works best when the car reaches you early, from your own side of town.
questions
Questions about Mousuni Island: tents on the sand, 111 km out
Is Mousuni Island good for a family with small children?
Honestly, not really. Tents, a crossing, a walk with luggage and no hospital on the island make it hard with a toddler or an elderly parent. Bakkhali, 122 km, gives you the same sea with proper hotels.
Will the car wait on the island?
The car stays on the mainland side. Tell us your return day and time and the same car comes back for you, or the driver waits if it is a one night trip.
not sure yet? send the date anyway. If we cannot do it, we will say so.
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Tell us the date and we plan the day
Send the date and how many people are going. We tell you which car fits, when the car should start, and the full price in writing before you decide.