CHILIKA LAKE

India's largest lagoon on the Orissa coast is actually an enormous brackish water lake.  A 30 km sand bar connects it to the sea, providing an endless stretch of beach. Chilika has several islands off its coast, including Bird's Island and Nalabana Island (both brilliant bird sanctuaries) and the Satpada Island where you can spot Irrawady dolphins in large numbers. A high point of this destination is the fresh fish, crabs and prawns caught by the local fishermen and available at all restaurants and hotels.

Chilika is considered to be a wetland eco-system with one of the richest bio-diversities in the world. The best way to explore it is by boat - the entry points are Barkul, Satpada, Balugaon, and Rambha from where you can hire licensed speed boats - the boatmen usually also act as guides. The Orissa tourism department has the Panthanivas chain of hotels at Barkul, Satpada and Rambha, while there is a forest guesthouse at Brahmapura.