TRAVEL GUIDE

Making tracks

Kurseong is 39 km from Darjeeling and 636 km from Kolkata. The nearest airport is at Bagdogra, 60 km. New Jalpaiguri, 57 km, is the nearest railhead, though the town itself is a station on the Toy Train line between Darjeeling and New Jalpaiguri. Buses and taxis are available between Kurseong and the neighbouring towns.

Best time to go

Any time is a good time to visit Kurseong; the temperature is moderate, rarely rising above 30° C in summer or falling below 6° C in winter. June, July and August are rainy months. Carry cotton clothes and light woollens for summer and layers of warm clothes for winter.

Room with a view

West Bengal Tourism accommodation, mid-budget hotels and low budget rest houses are available in Kurseong. The tariffs start at Rs. 30 for dormitory beds and Rs. 350-550 for double rooms in economy hotels.

White Orchid

Kurseong at 1458 mt, is a happy little junction on the Darjeeling-Siliguri Toy Train’s route. Here is a quiet, unassuming town, much loved by the solitude seeker and nature lover. Affectionately called the Land of the White Orchid, Kurseong is redolent with the fragrance of this delicate blossom. Its name, a corruption of the Nepali word Kharshang, means the Dawn’s Pole Star, a name that is fairly indicative of its charm.

The Kurseong countryside is like a page from a picture book. Rolling plains crammed with tea plantations; and green hills speckled closely with conifer forests. The lush tea plantations that are plastered across the hills - like the Castleton Tea Estate or the Jungpana, Ambotey or Makaibaru – are interesting spots to visit.

There are amazing views of the Teesta River and the Darjeeling valley from Eagle’s Crag, a short trek from town. Quite a few trekking trails lead off into the surrounding mountains and forests. You can see the Kanchenjunga, Jannu and Kabru peaks as they loom up in the distance.

Perhaps the prettiest page in the Kurseong fairytale is a ride on the famous Toy Train as it chuffs valiantly along its route from Darjeeling to Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri. The Toy Train was commissioned in 1881, a shiny blue and silver steam locomotive whose novelty has still not worn off after 120 years! The Toy Train is miniature – a tiny engine that heroically pulls 4-5 compartments on a narrow gauge rail. The train braves hills and valleys, weaving around waterfalls, rivers and forests on its 8 ½ to 10-hour journey.

The town itself is blissfully uncrowded and untouched; its friendly inhabitants adding immensely to the whole charm of the Kurseong experience. There are a number of old colonial churches, buildings and schools. The Deer Park, the Forest Museum, the mini amusement park and the water reservoir are other attractions. If you are interested in temples, see the Ambotika Shiva Mandir and the Gidhapahar Mandir in town.