Offbeat places near Darjeeling - Part 2 - kolakham and Chalamthang

Offbeat places near Darjeeling (Part-2)  

Kolakham and Chalamthang

Darjeeling, a beautiful hill station in north West Bengal is known as the queen of the hills. kolamthang & Chalamthang are the two beautiful offbeat places near Darjeeling which you must visit while on the Darjeeling tour.

You can experience the majestic view of the Kanchenjunga from this place. Tiger Hills, the famous spot among tourists who want to capture the moments of the sunrise from the mountains, is situated nearby Darjeeling.

There are numerous places worth visiting around Darjeeling that very few tourists are aware of. So this time when you plan a trip to Darjeeling and Gangtok, why not visit these beautiful destinations instead of taking the regular city to dwell?

There are two worth visiting places near Darjeeling which you must visit while on the North Bengal tour. These places are equally accessible from New Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Gangtok. 
So let's start the tour of offbeat places in Darjeeling and Gangtok.

Kolakham

Kolakham, located in the buffer zone of Neora Valley National Park. It is a beautiful offbeat place near Darjeeling where nature seems to have poured all its beauties at a place. Located at an altitude of about 6,500 feet, Kolakham is home to only 60 to 70 people of the Nepali Rai community. And in the middle of this settlement you will see beautiful resorts, and next to the resort is the Neora Valley Forest. 

Nearby are the Changey Falls, and the Chel River. Kanchenjunga, Kabru, Pandim, Siniyalchu etc. are open in the boundless blue sky. Ekta Park is just a few km downhills. You can enjoy the natural scenery of Kanchenjunga from the resorts here. Clouds cover the entire valley as if can touch them if you raise your hand!

To see Changey Falls, you have to go through a dense forest. The fall jumping down from a height of 300 feet is a majestic view. Here you will see innumerable unnamed birds. The sound of the fountain is becoming monotonous with the call of the birds. Colourful flowers scattered all over the valley.

Time seems to stand still here. Mountain birds occasionally fly through the quiet mountain. You can enjoy the view of Kolakham while relaxing on the balcony of the resort.

From here on you can drive around Rongli city of Sikkim or Neora Valley Park but it is better to take permission in advance. In the evening, you will see the twinkling lights of Rishop, like a pearl on the hill. Also, the location of the jungle camp in the village is very nice.

How to get there:

You can reach Kolakham by car from New Jalpaiguri. Kolakham is 8 km from Lava. The path from Lava to Kolakham is somewhat unique. You can also travel to Kolakham from New Maal Junction.

Chalamthang

Located at an altitude of 5600 feet, the village of Chalamthang is a new tourist destination in South Sikkim. It is an offbeat place near Darjeeling also as it is easily accessible from Darjeeling. Adorned with natural beauty, the ambience of this village is really beautiful. 

There are small wooden houses, adjacent to the fields and there are various crops including radish, bean and eggplant. With the hospitality of the people here, you will be impressed by their sincerity at every moment. It would be nice to visit Chalamthang with its calm and beautiful mountain environment and the honest and simple local people.

If you stay in Chalamthang for a day or two, you can visit some small tourist spots in the vicinity. Staying here is in Chalmathang Homestay, the main attraction of which is the thatched terrace - from where you can easily see the snow-capped mountains on the horizon in front, the Teesta flowing through the green valley below, the villages of Singtam and Ranipul in the distance.

You can take a walk along the road or take a vehicle for the local tour. Nearby is an example of interesting architecture, The "Mangaladham Radhakrishna Temple", the 160-year-old Limbu Tribal Heritage House, the Rasaili View Point, the Love Dara View Point. Take a walk along with the dense forest-covered forest caves, rock gardens, fountains, etc. 

You can also visit several places including Ra-Bangla and Buddha Park. At night, Chalamthang becomes more enchanting, and if you want to see this form of Chalamthang, you have to spend one night here.

How to get there: 

The distance from New Jalpaiguri station to Chalamthang is about 108 km. You can reserve a car from New Jalpaiguri and start the journey. The rent will be around 4500 rupees. If you want to go at a low cost, take a shared jeep from Siliguri to Singtam, from here the distance to Chalamthang is 12 km. Again take a shared jeep to Chalamthang from Singtam. You can also come through Gangtok. The distance will be 42 Km.

Suggested Reading:

Must-visit places in and around Agartala

Best beaches in Vizag

Dangribadi - Kashmir of Odisha

Images courtesy: Google