A-Sleepy-gateaway-Kurseong #offbeatgateaway

Tripoto
2nd Mar 2019
Day 1

Kurseong is a small sleepy city in Darjeeling district,west Bengal. People generally come here to chill and spend some time with nature. It is 32kms from Darjeeling and situated at an altitude of 1458 mts. In local lepcha language 'Kurseong' is also called 'kharsang' meaning 'land of the white orchids'.

White orchids

Photo of Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

kurseong

Photo of Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Colourful abodes

Photo of Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Scenic beauty

Photo of Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

My stay at kurseong was very cheap (Rs 740 for 2 days including food) as I managed to book a room in WBSEDCL Inspection bunglow ( Perks of being relative of a government employee 😜). It's located just beside kurseong tourist logde.

View from WBSEDCL Inspection bunglow

Photo of A-Sleepy-gateaway-Kurseong #offbeatgateaway by Swagataa Chatterjee

WBSEDCL IB

Photo of A-Sleepy-gateaway-Kurseong #offbeatgateaway by Swagataa Chatterjee

It was February and the travel kidha (travel bug) inside me was awakened! I didn't have much time in hand so had to decide quick about the Destination. After many not-this and not-that, I decided to visit this place called kurseong!

So I reached this place at around 9.30 am from Siliguri. I didn't have any intension to just sit in the bunglow and do nothing. So at around 10.30 am I went to the kurseong market nearby to avail a car for visiting the spots. Kurseong's major tourist spots are tea estates ( namely Makaibari, castleton,ghomtee etc),  dowhill park, Eagle's craig, Gidhhapahar view point,Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose museum. Since I went in off-season, it took only Rs 900 to cover up all these places.
The places are worth a visit.

Dowhill park is located at the top of the dowhill. There is a large fenced area where you can see deers . This place will give you a forest like feeling with pine trees around. There is a small park too with minimal entry fee.Here you can visit the dowhill forest museum as well.

In an attempt to spot the deers ????

Photo of Dowhill Eco Park, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Dowhill Museum backyard

Photo of Dowhill Eco Park, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Way to the dowhill Museum

Photo of Dowhill Eco Park, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Foggy morning

Photo of Dowhill Eco Park, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Down the dowhill

Photo of Dowhill Eco Park, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

The dowhill view

Photo of Dowhill Eco Park, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Dowhill water resorvior

Photo of Dowhill Eco Park, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Mountain flowers

Photo of Dowhill Eco Park, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Dowhill path

Photo of Dowhill Eco Park, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Makaibari tea estate is one such fascinating place where you can witness tea plantations. The factory outlet let's you have a precise knowledge on tea-making method (i.e rolling, grinding etc). I bought a packet of black and green tea from here ( becomes a 'must-buy' thing when you visit Darjeeling district 😉).

Yet another!

Photo of Makaibari Tea Estate, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Tea tea everywhere ????

Photo of Makaibari Tea Estate, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Makaibari tea plantation

Photo of Makaibari Tea Estate, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Track in between the tea plantations

Photo of Makaibari Tea Estate, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

The Subhash chadra Bose museum displays priceless artifacts depicting the life of the freedom fighter . It includes many photographs and letter exchanges between Netaji, his wife Ms. Emile and Indian National Army.

Netaji Institute for Asian Studies

Photo of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Museum, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Backyard of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum

Photo of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Museum, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Way to the museum

Photo of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Museum, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

The Giddapahar view point gives a stunning view of the mountains. This view point is open and doesn't require any entry fee. Below, the hill cart road winds down side by side with the toy train track.

Giddapahar view point

Photo of Gidda Pahar, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Stunning view from Giddapahar

Photo of Gidda Pahar, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Hill cart road and Toy train track

Photo of Gidda Pahar, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Winding roads

Photo of Gidda Pahar, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Toy train track

Photo of Gidda Pahar, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Foggy view

Photo of Gidda Pahar, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Now comes the eagle craig, which is a lovely view point and a garden on top of a hill, full of hegdes and flowering plantations. There is also a watch tower from where you can obtain a beautiful view of the mountains around, provided you are lucky enough to witness a sunny day!

Eagle's craig

Photo of Eagle's Craig Water Supply Tank, Kurseong, West Bengal by Swagataa Chatterjee

Watch tower

Photo of Eagle's Craig Water Supply Tank, Kurseong, West Bengal by Swagataa Chatterjee

Abodes in vision

Photo of Eagle's Craig Water Supply Tank, Kurseong, West Bengal by Swagataa Chatterjee
Day 2


Next day I woke up early to have a stroll in the chilly morning. I went up all the way to the kurseong railway station to see the kurseong - Darjeeling toy train. It was scheduled to leave at 6.30 am but due to some technical issues I guess it was late.

Early morning stroll in kurseong market

Photo of Railway Station, Kurseong, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Kurseong Railway station

Photo of Railway Station, Kurseong, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Toy Train without engine ????

Photo of Railway Station, Kurseong, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Morning thing!

Photo of Railway Station, Kurseong, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Joy ride

Photo of Railway Station, Kurseong, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Hanging tables ????

Photo of Railway Station, Kurseong, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Move everyone, the Engine is coming ????

Photo of Railway Station, Kurseong, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Somewhere along the way!

Photo of Railway Station, Kurseong, Pankhabari Road, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Today was my last day at kurseong. I decided to do all the local stuffs. Like, having tea and Jalebi in the kurseong market? 😝
Yes, there's a shop in the market where it serves delicious Jalebis ,samosa and tea. Strangely enough, there was no name for the shop. However, I would love to visit this shop again someday later. So I managed to find a landmark. It's just opposite to Mohpal hotel. Thank me later guys! 😉

Jalebi in the making

Photo of Kurseong Market, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Chai peelo

Photo of Kurseong Market, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

Mundane affairs

Photo of Kurseong Market, Kurseong, West Bengal, India by Swagataa Chatterjee

I had to leave by afternoon. And oh Kurseong! You are so unpredictable! It started raining cats and dogs, accompanied by hail storm and fog. However it's Kurseong again! The sky became clear within an hour 😇 .
I left at 2.30 pm for Siliguri .

These two days of getaway for an IT engineer came as a breath of fresh air. Among all the codes and nags, mountains always serve as an escape to nature and self! ❤️

Hailstorm at around 12pm

Photo of A-Sleepy-gateaway-Kurseong #offbeatgateaway by Swagataa Chatterjee

Clear sky at around 1 pm ... that's how unpredictable it is in kurseong

Photo of A-Sleepy-gateaway-Kurseong #offbeatgateaway by Swagataa Chatterjee

Clouds in a mood to play

Photo of A-Sleepy-gateaway-Kurseong #offbeatgateaway by Swagataa Chatterjee

Beauty at it's best

Photo of A-Sleepy-gateaway-Kurseong #offbeatgateaway by Swagataa Chatterjee