With its uniqueness, Bong culture catches every art, music, and history buff’s attention. Be it the yellow taxis or the police uniforms, you cannot escape falling in love with its old-world charm. The places of North Bengal specially Lamahatta Tour encapture you with their beauty, pulling you into an oasis of serenity.
This is a wonderful circuit and one of my personal favourites if you are planning for a quick trip. The Lamahatta Tour is always a good idea to imbibe some offbeat culture of Ecotourism in North Bengal, especially if you live close to Bengal. A three hour’s scenic drive along the Teesta River from Siliguri to Lamahatta Eco Park takes us to some picturesque Eco-friendly villages which lie in this part of the Himalayas. It is a calm and peaceful place with pine trees standing majestically with looming Mount Kanchenjunga in the forefront.
Lamahatta Eco Park is one of Lamahatta’s major attractions. It is surrounded by pine forests containing numerous seasonal flowers, as well as several rare and exotic species of orchids. Browsing through the beautiful array of flowers on display, visitors can also relax on the numerous benches while enjoying the views of Mt. Kanchenjungha. The watchtower is located at a strategic location that helps visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the juncture of Mt. Kanchenjunga, Sikkim Hills, River Teesta and Rangeet.
Bagdogra Airport & NJP Station
Meet and Greet at NJP Station / Bagdogra Airport and proceed towards Lamahatta. As you reach Lamahatta, the first place to halt would be the Lamahatta Roadside Garden. Situated on a hill slope, this beautiful garden is surrounded by pine forests containing numerous seasonal flowers, as well as several rare and exotic species of orchids. And as you go up, the canopy of firs and conifers start caressing you. Enjoy your Lamahatta Homestay.
After breakfast at hotel go for a short excursion in and around Lamahatta. It offers a tranquil atmosphere for all those looking for some peace away from city life. Relish the beauty of the pine trees standing Majestically, the mighty Kanchenjunga, Colourful Buddhist prayer flags, in the evening, you are free to roam around the area. Night stay at a Lamahatta Homestay. The places you will visit are :
Chota Mangwa Tour – A small hilly village in a secluded environment of Darjeeling District. It will take around half an hour’s short drive to Chota Mangwa from Darjeeling city. Chota Mangwa is a charming quiet village located amidst the orange garden with a majestic view of Mt. Kanchenjunga. Tourists can also go for a day trip to Malley for River rafting. Tea Estate at Takdah is another major tourist attraction.
Dense Dhupi Plantations – Small walks and treks are possible from Lamahatta. Walking amidst the Dhupi plantations with lush green flora all around provides a thrilling experience.
Tea Estates – Visit the tea gardens nearby (you will get one within about 1.5kms). Some of the well-known tea estates nearby include Glenburn Tea Estate, Rongli Rangliot Tea Estate, Takdah Tea Estate etc.
Tinchuley Tour – It is a small eco-friendly mountain village and one of the key destinations in Village tourism in Darjeeling district. Lamahatta to Tinchuley Distance is only 6 kms. The road passes through the lovely Peshok Tea Gardens. Tinchuley is famous for the excellent views of Kanchenjunga and the numerous orange orchards it has. It is a calm and quiet village with tea gardens and orange orchards offering tranquillity and nature makes it the most promising eco-village and one of the key destinations in Village Tourism in Darjeeling district which most cities dwellers long for.
After relishing the beauty of these offbeat destinations and experiencing a rural lifestyle, proceed to the hot tourist spot, Darjeeling. Darjeeling is famous for its vast stretch of tea gardens, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and for the breathtaking view of the Mount Kanchenjunga. Located 20 km away from Lamahatta, to reach Darjeeling, you have to cover 1 hours of driving distance. On reaching, check into your pre-booked hotel room. In the evening, go for the exploration of the Darjeeling Mall Road. Return back to the hotel to an overnight stay at hotel in Darjeeling.
Wake up early in the morning and get ready to explore most of the tourist attractions of Darjeeling. Start the sightseeing journey by witnessing a stunning sunrise over the Mount Kanchenjunga from Tiger Hill. Drive back to resort for breakfast. On the way visit Ghoom Monastery and Batasia Loop etc. Post breakfast, visit most of the remaining prominent sites. Start with Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the place where you will get to see the mountaineering equipment used by Tenzing Norgay. Visit other sites like Rock Garden, Padmaja Naidu National Park, Peace Pagoda, etc. After the successful sightseeing journey, return back to hotel to an overnight stay at Darjeeling.
After Breakfast proceed towards NJP / Bagdogra [IXB] with sweet vacation memory.
