The scenic and beautiful road leads to a beautiful place Takdah which was once a British Cantonment and surrounded by tea gardens. The Britishers had built 12 bungalows for spending leisure time among the nature.
Located in the habitat of various species of birds Rampuria is a small village situated at an altitude of 5000ft. Fog and passing clouds create a misty ambience and the fern forests covered with mosses makes the place unique. Listen to the chirping of birds and crickets in the forest while you rest a t a homestay. The starry night sky and the calls of animals from distant forest add to the thrill of night stay here.
At Takdah, visit the Heritage bunglow, Pemasolling Monastery, Church, TakdahRongli-Rongliott, Takdah Tea Estate, Gilly Tea Garden, Namring and others. Enjoy watching hills and the night view of Darjeeling which looks like shining crystals scattered on hills. The soothing rays of the rising sun making its way through the foggy forests and the chirping of birds will make your stay at Takdah memorable. Visit the Orchid Center, Griffith and Greenshield High School from here.
Places of Interest
Some of the finest tea gardens of Darjeeling district are located in Takdah. You can walk down or take a local taxi tour to some of them and enjoy the tea gardens on rolling hills. The main tea estates in Takdahare RungliRungliot, Gielle, Namring, Jinglam, Poomong, and Teesta Valley estate.
You can also visit the estate factories and watch the tea processing (in winters the factories usually remain closed). It’s about half a kilometer from the market area towards 6th mile. Here you can see many different kinds of unusual and colorful Himalayan Orchids being cultivated and grown. Many tourists come to Takdah particularly to visit the Orchid Center. The Orchid Center which was one of the best in Asia, was neglected for a long time. But now the state government has taken a fresh initiative to revive the center.
There is a small monastery in Takdah whose actual name is Dechhen Pema TshoilingMonastery, but locally known as Takdah Monastery.
A steep uphill boulder road after the market area leads to a steep stairway. You will need to climb several flights of stairs to reach up to the Monastery. But once there, the views are awesome. From here you can get sweeping view of RungliRungliot Tea Gardens, Teesta Valley Tea Estate and Durpin Dara View Point, Kalimpong etc.
You can take a nature walk through pine and cedar forests, or through villages. The thickly wooded coniferous forests here are maintained by the Forest Department. You can take a shorter trek path through the forest up to Lamahatta, enjoy the views of Kanchenjunga and return via Tinchuley. The entire trek takes about 4-5 hours.
Dokan Dara is a local haat (i.e. bazaar) that sets up weekly on Thursdays. If you visit Takdah on a Thursday, don’t miss this out. You will see villagers coming from nearby places to pick up vegetables and other essentials. It’s a great way to get a glimpse at the local life and culture.
Suggested Itinerary for You
DAY 1: – Reach NJP from Kolkata by train/bus. Travelling on the hill roads, catching a glimpse of Kanchenjunga every now and then, we will reach an offbeat hill destination, Rayak Basti. A small peaceful place where the Kanchenjunga welcomes you along with the blue sky. After lunch visit the nearby places, return to hotel and enjoy snacks in the evening. Dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 2: – After breakfast we will bid adieu to Rayak Basti and driving along the motorway through dense pine forests we will reach one of the famous tourist hotspots – Lamahatta. Next on the list, we will reach Takdah which was once a British cantonment. After lunch we will visit the Heritage bungalow, Pemasolling Monastery, Church, TakdahRongli-Rongliott, Takdah Tea Estate, Gilly Tea Garden, Namring and others. Dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 3: – After breakfast we will drive through the forest to another picturesque destination – Chatakpur. Resting in between Kanchenjunga on the North and beautiful lush green valleys on the south, Chatakpur is a small village located in Darjeeling district of West Bengal.
Less populated with few houses,the village situated in Senchal Forest looks like the scenic picture on postcard. Take stroll in the dense pine and rhododendron forests which is a home to several species of birds and butterflies. Enjoy the view of Kanchenjunga and the changing shades of sun’s rays on it from the view point.
DAY 4: – Visit the view point early morning to enjoy the memorable view of sunrise. After breakfast we will bid goodbye to Chatakpur and head towards NJP. Lunch at Mongpu.
Best Time to Visit
October to March is the best time to visit Takdah and the nearby areas. This is the time the sky remains clear and you can enjoy the chill of the winter.
How to Reach
Takdah is about 60kms from NJP (the nearest railhead) as well as Bagdogra (the nearest airport). It takes about 2.5-3 hours to reach Takdah by car from NJP or Bagdogra. Siliguri, the nearest town is about 52kms from Takdah, Darjeeling is 28kms away (about 1.5 hours by car) and Kalimpong about 40kms (2 hours).
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