Taptapani
Sulphur hot spring in the Ganjam hills above Berhampur
Best time to visit Taptapani
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to September
Taptapani season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Dec-Feb is exactly right: 12-28 C, and a sulphur soak at dusk makes sense once the hills cool down.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Apr-May is 40 C in the plains below; sitting in a hot spring in that heat is as bad as it sounds.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Jun-Sep the forest drips and is leech-heavy, buses from Berhampur thin out and the pool runs murky.
Autumn October to November Prime time
October is still wet and very quiet; from November the Panthanivas fills with Odia families at weekends.
What Taptapani is actually like
A Panthanivas, a deer park and a temple pool; Odia weekenders, plus the Tibetan camp at Chandragiri
Things to do in Taptapani
The local places worth your time in and around Taptapani, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.
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Padmasambhava Mahavihara, Jirang
Monastery · 30 km out
Huge gilded gompa built by the Tibetan settlement; open till about 5 pm, calm on weekdays, shoes off at the main hall.
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Chandragiri Tibetan Settlement
Village · 28 km out
Tibetan refugee camps with a carpet weaving unit and momo stalls; the co-op shop shuts over lunch, so go mid morning.
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Taptapani Deer Park
Wildlife · 1 km out
Fenced spotted deer enclosure a short walk below the spring; ten minutes of your time, best in the late afternoon.
Getting to Taptapani
50 km from Berhampur by state bus on the Kandhamal road; Berhampur railhead, then about 1.5 h uphill
Practical ways in: trainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 1 day
- Budget
- Shoestring
- How busy
- Quiet at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 434 m
- State
- Odisha
- Coordinates
- 19.4850, 84.3933
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Taptapani?
November to February is peak season in Taptapani. March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to September. October is still wet and very quiet; from November the Panthanivas fills with Odia families at weekends.
How many days do you need in Taptapani?
1 day is the usual stay. A Panthanivas, a deer park and a temple pool; Odia weekenders, plus the Tibetan camp at Chandragiri.
How do you get to Taptapani?
50 km from Berhampur by state bus on the Kandhamal road; Berhampur railhead, then about 1.5 h uphill. Practical ways in: train and road.
Is Taptapani expensive, and does it get crowded?
Shoestring by Indian travel standards, and it runs quiet at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
What are the best things to do in Taptapani?
Padmasambhava Mahavihara, Jirang, Chandragiri Tibetan Settlement and Taptapani Deer Park. Huge gilded gompa built by the Tibetan settlement; open till about 5 pm, calm on weekdays, shoes off at the main hall.
Nearby, and where to go next
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Chandragiri (Jirang Tibetan Settlement)
Odisha
Tibetan refugee camps and a gold-roofed monastery in the Gajapati hills
40 km from Taptapani, roughly under an hour by road
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Daringbadi
Odisha
'Kashmir of Odisha': pine forests, frost, coffee gardens
80 km from Taptapani, roughly about 2 h by road
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Gopalpur
Odisha
Sleepy colonial beach town, quiet alternative to Puri
80 km from Taptapani, roughly about 2 h by road
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Baruva (Sompeta)
Andhra Pradesh
Coconut-backed sand where the Mahendratanaya river meets the sea
90 km from Taptapani, roughly about 2 h by road
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Belghar (Kandhamal)
Odisha
Sal-forest plateau of Kondh hamlets and elephant tracks
130 km from Taptapani, roughly about 3 h by road
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Chilika Lake (Satapada)
Odisha
Asia's largest lagoon: dolphins and migratory birds
150 km from Taptapani, roughly about 3 h by road
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Mangalajodi (Chilika Wetlands)
Odisha
Ex-poacher guides row you into Chilika's winter clouds of waterbirds
160 km from Taptapani, roughly about 3 h by road
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Satkosia Gorge (Tikarpada)
Odisha
Mahanadi squeezed into a 22 km gorge of mugger and gharial
180 km from Taptapani, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Odisha
- Belghar (Kandhamal) Odisha
- Bhitarkanika National Park Odisha
- Bhubaneswar Odisha
- Chandipur (Balasore) Odisha
- Chandragiri (Jirang Tibetan Settlement) Odisha
- Chilika Lake (Satapada) Odisha
- Daringbadi Odisha
- Debrigarh (Hirakud Reservoir) Odisha
- Deomali Odisha
- Duduma Falls (Machkund) Odisha
- Gopalpur Odisha
- Gupteswar Caves (Koraput) Odisha
- Khandadhar Falls Odisha
- Khiching (Kichakeswari Temple) Odisha
- Konark Odisha
- Koraput Odisha
- Mangalajodi (Chilika Wetlands) Odisha
- Nrusinghanath (Gandhamardan Hills) Odisha
- Puri Odisha
- Ranipur-Jharial (Soma Tirtha) Odisha
- Ratnagiri-Udayagiri-Lalitgiri (Diamond Triangle) Odisha
- Satkosia Gorge (Tikarpada) Odisha
- Simlipal National Park (Baripada) Odisha
- Talasari Beach (Chandaneswar) Odisha