Rangaroon- Untouched Natural Gateway In Close Vicinity

We started our journey on 20/06/2019 and after some hard luck got reservation in Kanchankanya Express (From Sealdah to NJP/ Timing- 8:30pm). The train journey was nothing different from what we expected. We were a group of 3 girls going to one of the remote villages in North Bengal. This had raised some eye brows, mostly of the driver who drove us till Jorbunglow.

From NJP one can get reserved car Or one can opt for shared vehicle till Jorbunglow or Ghoom. But the main problem lies with getting another shared vehicle till 3rd Mile. So it was wise for us to pay a little more reserve a car to drop us at our home stay. One need to bargain hard to get a reasonable deal. We settled at 3000, as we decided to take a detour to Ghooom Monastery and Batasia Loop before heading towards our home stay.

One word of caution- most drivers at NJP station had no idea where Rangaroon was. So it is better to have a clear idea to make them understand and choose a reliable sounding driver. Unfortunately on the way our driver lost his confidence and contacted out home stay to arrange another car for us from Jorbunglow.

Do not forget to taste the momos on the way from the local restaurants with an amazing mountain view.

We were picked up by the driver of our home stay from Jorblunglow and he took us to Batasia Loop and Ghoom Monastery. We took all our time to explore these two places and he was so calm and never complained. :D

The place was nice, quite congested. But the view of the valley from there was something to behold forever. I was specially excited as it was the first time that I was experiencing something like this. Apart from the War Memorial Site the major attraction was the Steam Engine driven Toy Train and the loop it takes through the garden. We were able to take some good pictures as well.

As we were in a hurry and had spent much of our time at Batasia Loop we had to hurry to reach the Ghoom Monastery, aka Yiga Choeling. It was already cloudy and misty when we reached at the monastery and the entire atmosphere was eeringly romantic. I could almost hear the sound of horse gallops in the heavy mist and expected a masked face would reveal from it :D :D :D

The Monastery was good and one can buy small souvenirs from there. We befriended with a child monk and he was so cute......

From Ghoom Monastery we headed towards Rangaroon and everything was going too good untill we reached the 3rd Mile (the last good road connectivity before Rangaroon). The downhill road to Rangaroon from there was a natural roller coaster. WORD OF ADVISE- keep your tummy only half full. Although the roads were pathetic the scenic view through the jungle was mesmerising. It was an experience in itself to cross that jungle. After a roller coaster ride of 6 kms from 3rd Mile we reached our home stay- Humro Home Bisan Home.

Our home stay was nothing but doll house. We had occupied the entire first floor, which had 2bedrooms, 1drawing room, 1bathroom and 1balcony. The best part of our home stay was not just the humble and down to earth host and his wife but also the breathtaking view of the hills from almost all the windows. Especially the one on the bathroom. One can get all sorts of modern facilities at Mr Bisan Rai's home and he would go out of his way to help the guests. Also he was a good cook. The main attraction was his 2 month old baby who was nothing less than a doll himself.

To get the full flavour of the place, I got up at 5 in the morning and took a stroll to the nearby areas. Although no view of Kanchenjungha was there, I cherished the walk through the deep blanket of cloud. And I am sure I am gonna have dreams about it for the rest of my life. You are bound to hum "Ye Hasi Wadiya, Ye Khula Asma....." while taking the morning walk. After taking the morning tea and breakfast we headed towards Lamahatta and Teesta Sight Seeing. It is essential to book a car to go for the local places, as the village is complete isolated. But one can walk till 3rd Mile if lobe trekking. The car booking was managed by our host.

Perhaps the main attraction of this place was the Park. It made dream of walking through the pine forest come true. I could relate the pine forest trek with Bollywood movies like Raaz..... There is a sacred lake at the height of 750mt and one needs to trek to get there. The lake is considered sacred as there is a story of 3 soldiers ( from WW1) had come here to take rest and hypnotised by the beauty of the place decided not to return to the war. But when they were forced to join the war they committed suicide by drowning themselves in the lake.

Our next stop was the Lover's Meet Point- a view point from where one can see the confluence of two rivera- Rangit (the male) and Teesta (the female). From there we drove downhill and reached the banks of the river meet point. The view was amazing and the water was so cool that we felt like jumping in the river. One can go for river rafting there. Do not forget to collect come cute shaped stones from the river bank.

One can also visit Takdah Tea Garden and Pesok Tea Garden on the way.

The village has no street light and it gets pitch black after the sunset. However to experience the virgin environmental do not forget to go for a night walk in the nearby area. If lucky you can get a clear sky with stars and constellations to gaze. We also saw a SHOOTING STAR. Trust me you will never be able to forget the feeling of sitting somewhere at the side of the the road and gazing the sky. Its absolutely safe to be out at night. Just carry a torch and wear full pants and full sleeved top to avoid the leaches.

One can also get a view of the far away Darjeeling all lite up at night.

This was the last day of our stay and we were greeted by the majestic view of Kanchenjungha finally..... The sky was clear for few hours in the morning and we sipped our tea watching the mountain from window of our drawing room. After scrumptious breakfast with aloo paratha we headed towards Siliguri. Again the car was reserved by Mr Rai and it took 2600bucks.

Rangaroon is a remote village with only 600 people who are more than ready to assist you and welcome you at every step. There are only 4guest houses so its better to book your stay in advance. Do not expect 5star hotel experience but a very homely atmosphere which would give you the scope to live the local life. Its a must visit if you love tranquility and need a break from the busy city life.

It is advisable to opt for reserved cars rather than shared ones or buses.