In a chilly December morning last year, we reached the Tenzing Norgay Bus stand in Siliguri, North Bengal after a night-long bus journey from Kolkata. Our stay was at the Gossip homestay in Kuwapani - a serene, quiet, and quaint hamlet in the Kalimpong district of North Bengal.
After reaching there and freshening up, we wanted to explore the nearby places. We started walking through the main road and the homestay manager joined us. While walking, we came to know about a few relatively lesser-known local trails leading to adjacent villages, tea estates, and waterfalls. During the next few days, we hiked to a number of those trails. Here is a quick snapshot from those trails.
1. Surreal sunrise in Samabeong tea estate: This little-known tea estate is about a one-hour journey from Kuwapani by jeep through winding mountain roads and then a small 40 minutes hike. Organic tea leaves produced here are exported and the market price is 35-36 thousand rupees/per kg. These seasonal leaves are produced in small quantities. The sunrise point in the tea garden provides spectacular views of both the sunrise and on a clear day, a part of the Kanchenjunga range.
2. Bird watching at Doorkhola village: This village is getting known for spotting migratory birds, especially hornbills. We watched the birds from a wooden ‘macha’ inside the village. We went through a scenic path lined by cardamom and vegetable plantations. Colorful houses on both sides of the road are decorated with ample flowers and cactus plants. The hornbills at that time had flown away somewhere, but the beauty of the village and the welcoming people made it a beautiful experience.
3. Spectacular view of the Kanchenjunga range in Tiffin Dara: It’s a short jungle trail of approx. 3 kilometers. Covered with ancient trees, the trail has a very steep starting point. The complete silence of the trail was sometimes broken by the chirping of birds. Some places inside the forest are too deep for sunlight to enter. At the end of the hiking, a vast, panoramic and spectacular view of the Kanchenjunga range appears in front.
4. At the edge of Neora valley - Badeygaon: The total distance of the hiking route is about 13.6 k.m. (up and down). We started around 9 a.m. A small stream, ‘Badeykhola’, appeared after about 15 minutes of hiking. A small bamboo bridge spans the stream. After crossing that, the road spiraled upwards. Badeygaon, situated at the top of the hill, is a village mostly inhabited by the Bhutanese people. The last leg of the hiking route is a bit steep before it opens up to the village football ground which turns into a weekly market on Wednesdays. Significantly colder than Kuwapani, this is the last village before the core Neora valley area starts.
5. A beautiful hike towards Changey falls: This hike starts after a bumpy ride through a stone and pebble-laden stretch in the Neora Valley National Park. As the jeep ride ends, a very steep trail of stairs rolls down for about 1.5 km towards the base of Changey falls. Even in winter, Changey falls is a significant force with a significant amount of water gushing down into a circular gorge created at the base of the falls. The view is gorgeous any day, at any time.
If you love traveling to lesser-known places and unwind for a few days in the lap of nature, these off-beat places around Kuwapani, can be a good option.
[*trip cost mentioned is approx cost per head]