Besides snuggling
in your cosy bed and watching fabulous views of the snow capped Himalayas, go for long
walks up the surrounding mountainside. Wander through the hamlet of Teesta Bazaar, visit
the old churches and monasteries, the Thorpa Choeling Gompa, the Tongsa Gompa and the Zong
Dog Palri F0-Brang Gompa. Feeling even more adventurous? Ride the rapids with a spot of white water rafting down
the Teesta River, 16 km away from Kalimpong. The best time to do this is between mid
November and February.
Getting
there
Kalimpong is at a height of 1250 m. The nearest airport is at Bagdogra, 80 km away,
directly connected to Kolkata, Delhi, and Guwahati. You can cover Bagdogra to Kalimpong in
3 hours by bus or taxi. The nearest railheads are New Jalpaiguri (77 km) and Siliguri (66
km). New Jalpaiguri has connections to Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Madras, Bombay,
Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Tirupati, Trivandrum and Cochin. The road distances are Kolkata
651 km, Gangtok 100 km and Darjeeling 51 km. Within Kalimpong you can hire jeeps or simply
walk around the town.
Accommodation
There are two great hotels to stay at in Kalimpong, both with flower gardens and views of
the Kanchenjunga peak. In fact all the hotels have panoramic views of the hills, vales and
the snow laden Himalayas. The difference would only be of the facilities accessible in the
hotels, like the availability of hot water, room service, maintenance etc. Luxury
accommodation can be had for anything above Rs 2500 and a basic room for as little as Rs
300.
Best
season
Kalimpong has a pleasantly mild climate throughout the year, because of its low elevation.
Summer, April to June, is warm and sunny. The monsoons, July to August, are heavy and turn
the mountainside a lush green. Winter, September to March, sees beautifully clear skies
and splendid vistas of snowy peaks. It gets very cold at night in winter, so carry plenty
of woollens.
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