Chilika at Satapada and Raghurajpur
Puri · 9 hrs · Cab included · Pickup from your stay
From ₹2990 for the whole vehicle, up to 8 people. The price is per car, not per person.
Vehicles
- Swift Dzire: Sedan. Best for a couple or a small family. ₹2990 for the vehicle.
- Tata Sumo: Rugged 8-seater. The most room for the money. ₹3490 for the vehicle.
- Innova or Ertiga: The comfortable one on a long hill day. ₹4990 for the vehicle.
Two very different hours, either side of lunch
Chilika is Asia's largest brackish lagoon, and Satapada, on its northern edge an hour and a half from Puri, is where it is easiest to go out on the water. The boats head first for the channel where the Irrawaddy dolphins surface, then on the longer routes to the sea mouth, where a strip of sand is all that separates the lagoon from the Bay of Bengal.
The water is calmest and the light kindest in the morning, which is why this day leaves Puri at half past six. Be clear about the dolphins: they are wild, you see them briefly and at a distance, and some boats see none. The boat is hired on the jetty and paid there, and your driver will point you at the right counter and wait at the car park until you are back.
On the way back the road passes the turn for Raghurajpur, the painters' village, which is the opposite of the lagoon: a single shaded street, house after house of pattachitra and palm-leaf work, and an unhurried hour. You book the car for the whole day at one flat price, so the gap between the two is yours to fill with lunch.
Your day, stop by stop
1. Satapada jetty
The village at the northern mouth of Chilika where the boats leave from, about 50 km from Puri. Boats are hired at the OTDC counter or at the boat society counters on the jetty, by the boat and by the route.
Boat hire at the jetty counters, priced by boat and route
2. The dolphin channel
The stretch of lagoon outside Satapada where Chilika's Irrawaddy dolphins surface. You see a back and a fin, briefly and at a distance, and it is still a thrill. Sightings are common and never certain.
3. The sea mouth and Rajhans
Further out, a narrow sandbar where the lagoon meets the Bay of Bengal, with brackish water on one side and surf on the other. The longer boat routes stop here and at the Rajhans sand island near it.
4. Raghurajpur heritage village
A single street of painted houses 14 km from Puri where almost every family paints pattachitra scrolls, engraves palm leaf or makes masks. You are shown round homes that are also studios. Buying is not required, whatever the patter suggests.
In your price
- Private vehicle with driver for the day
- Pickup and drop at your stay in Puri
- Fuel, tolls, driver allowance and parking
- Waiting time at the Satapada jetty, however long your boat is out
- GoExplorer support number for the day
Not included
- Boat hire at Satapada
- Purchases in Raghurajpur
- Meals
- Anything personal
What you pay on the day
- Boat hire at Satapada, paid by the boat at the OTDC or boat society counter
- Anything you choose to buy in Raghurajpur
- Lunch and anything personal
Who this suits
Most people. The boats are open wooden motor boats with a step down from the jetty, so anyone who is unsteady on their feet should say so and take a hand. The rest of the day is easy walking. The sedan seats four, the Sumo eight and the Innova six, each at one flat price for the car.
What to bring
A hat and sunscreen, there is no shade on the boats. Water, a light layer for the wind on the lagoon, and cash for the boat counter and the village.
Wind, rain and boat suspensions
The boats do not go out in high wind, heavy rain or a cyclone warning, and that is decided at the jetty on the day. If the boats are suspended before you leave Puri you get a full refund or a free reschedule. If they stop while you are there, the day continues with Raghurajpur and your boat counter refunds what was not run.
Cancellation
- More than 24 hrs before: Full refund
- Within 24 hrs: 50% refund, or reschedule free once
- No show: No refund
Safety and the operator
Run by a licensed local ground operator, one driver per vehicle, commercially registered and insured. Wear the life jacket the boat provides and ask for one if it is not offered. Do not swim at the sea mouth; the current through the gap is strong.
Questions
Is the price per person?
No. It is one price for the whole vehicle for the day. Eight of you in the Tata Sumo pay ₹3,490 between you, not each. The boat is a separate hire, also by the boat.
Will we see dolphins?
Usually, briefly and at a distance, and not always. They are wild animals in open water and we will not tell you a sighting is guaranteed. Calm mornings give the best odds.
Can you book the boat for us?
The boat is hired and paid at the jetty, and your driver will take you to the counter. Routes and rates are posted there, so you can choose how long to stay out.
Is Raghurajpur a shopping stop?
It is a working village, and the artists do sell. You are welcome to look, ask about the work and leave without buying anything.