Description
Colors of Bengal Itinerary: 7 Days/6 Nights
Dooars-Kalimpong-Darjeeling
Day 1: Pickup from NJP/New Mal JN Rail Stn/Bagdogra Airport
After arrival, transfer to our resort in Dhupjhora/Murti (adjacent to Garumara National Park. Post lunch visit Samsing, Rocky Island and Sunthalekhola.
Overnight in Dhupjhora/Murti.
Day 2: In Gorumara
Take a jeep safari inside the Gorumara national park early in the morning. As you pass through the dense forests you may come across the herd of elephants/bisons crossing your way. Most common animals in the area are one horned Indian rhino, elephant, Indian bison (gaur), leopards (chitabagh), python, Malayan giant squirrel and deer as they regularly come to the salt reservoir just below the tower. You can also take a safari to Chapramari wildlife sanctuary (30kms) via Murti. Inside the Chapramari forests, there is a small pond, where mostly the elephants and the Indian Bison come to drink water. The forest rest house inside gives a magnificent view of the pond surrounded by forests. Return to your resort.
After lunch visit Jhalong, Bindu, and Paren.
Overnight at the resort in Dhupjhora/Murti.
Day 3: Dhupjhora/Murti to Kalimpong
After breakfast, drive to Kalimpong via Lava town (130km). The drive goes through a series of tea gardens, river valleys, and many small picturesque hillside villages. Stop at Lava to enjoy the breathtaking landscape that surrounds you. Lava is one of the most picturesque rural towns in the Kalimpong District, situated at an altitude of 6890ft. Also, visit the beautiful and calm Lava monastery and continue the journey to Kalimpong through the pine forests. This evening, walk through the township of Kalimpong, once an important trading center between Bhutan, Sikkim & Tibet.
Overnight in Kalimpong.
Day 4: Around Kalimpong
After breakfast, visit Durpin Dara for amazing views of the plains, and nearby you can visit ZangDog Palri Fo-Brang Gompa temple. Drive up to Deolo hill for a bird’s eye view of Kalimpong town. On a clear day, you can also see a magnificent view of Mt. Kanchenjunga from these viewpoints. Later visit the flower nurseries, Dr.Graham’s Homes, a well-respected boarding school built in the 1900s. Visit Trongsa Gompa or Bhutanese monastery and more time for a stroll in the bazaar.
Overnight in Kalimpong.
Day 5: Kalimpong to Darjeeling
Complete your breakfast and travel to Darjeeling through picturesque tea gardens, especially the one at Peshok. Along the way, among other stops, stop at Triveni viewpoint, to see the view of the confluence of Teesta and Rangeet rivers at a point (lover’s meet).
Upon arrival in Darjeeling, check into your hotel. After high tea in the evening, stroll around Chowrasta Mall.
Overnight in Darjeeling.
Day 6: Sightseeing in Darjeeling
Early this morning (before dawn), drive to Tiger Hill (14 km) to get a magnificent view of sunrise over the mt. Kanchendzonga and other peaks of eastern Himalaya (weather permitting). On your way back to the hotel visit Yiga choeling monastery at Ghoom built in the year 1850– the oldest in the town. After breakfast, take a toy train up to Ghoom. Later visit Padmaja Naidu zoological park, known for its successful breeding of snow leopards and some other Himalayan species. Nearby visit is the Everest museum at the Himalayan mountaineering institute, followed by a visit to the Tibetan refugee self-help center. In the evening, explore the local markets at Darjeeling and visit tea shops.
Overnight in Darjeeling.
Day 7: Departure for Bagdogra airport/NJP Rail station
Some Facts you must know about Darjeeling
Darjeeling is a town and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Lesser Himalayas at an elevation of 6,700 ft (2,042.2 m). It is noted for its tea industry, its views of Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain, and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Darjeeling is the headquarters of the Darjeeling District which has a partially autonomous status within the state of West Bengal. It is also a popular tourist destination in India. Nepali is the native language of Darjeeling.
The recorded history of the town starts from the early 19th century when the colonial administration under the British Raj set up a sanatorium and a military depot in the region. Subsequently, extensive tea plantations were established in the region and tea growers developed hybrids of black tea and created new fermentation techniques. The resultant distinctive Darjeeling tea is internationally recognised and ranks among the most popular black teas in the world. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connects the town with the plains and has some of the few steam locomotives still in service in India.
Darjeeling district has three wildlife sanctuaries: Jorepokhri, Mahananda, and Senchal. The varied culture of the town reflects its diverse demographic milieu comprising indigenous Bengali, Nepali, Lepcha, Bhutia, Tibetan, and other mainland Indian ethno-linguistic groups.
Update February 2017: Kalimpong which was earlier a subdivision of Darjeeling district has become a separate district of West Bengal effective 14th Feb 2017 with an area of 1,056 square kilometers of its own. It is no longer a subdivision of Darjeeling district. But that makes no difference to the tourists. In fact, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and various parts of Sikkim including Gangtok have been the loved tourist destinations since ages and several of them can be combined on a single trip.
