I had only a day to explore Kurseong and with some late planning further in the day….to Darjeeling.
Well, this time work has taken me again to this beautiful part of North Bengal. I was staying in Sevoke road near Dooars where people usually go there for vacation and mostly to escape th summer heat. This is the same road which takes you to Gangtok and Kalimpong. Little less than 1 hour in flight to Bagdogra..Dooars is a sight to behold with its beautiful clean roads, tea gardens and with the simplicity of the people from the hills..it’s enchanting in some way and you are sure to give your system a refresh.
I came to know after a hectic Saturday that there is no work on the Sunday and I started planning how to make best use of the Sunday. From Siliguri, Kurseong is not far. Initially I thought would go to Mirik, later changed my plan to Kurseong. Though 2-3 days in those areas is ideal, still getting a day off is just perfect for my plans.
Sunday morning I woke up around 0630 am in the beautiful Guest House overseeing the morning sunrise. Got served morning coffee and I googled for places to see in Kurseong. I still had to travel to the famed Darjeeling More from the place I was in Dooars.
25 March 2018 Sunday 0700 am: Woke up 30 mins ago and checking on what are the places to visit in Kurseong. Want to go for a Day Trip to Kurseong today. It takes about 1 hour to reach there and the distance is about 37 km. Lets see if I can start early so that can cover as many places there. Been googling , still in bed and shortlisting the following:
- Eagle’s Craig
- Makaibari and Goodricke Tea Estates
- Monasteries in Sonada and Ghoom
- White Orchids
- Dow Hill Boarding School
- Forest Museum
- Netaji Museum
- Giddapahar View Point
- Victoria School
- Railway Museum
- Cochrane Place for Lunch
0846 am: Started ..the vehicle came to drop me at Darjeeling More. From here, I will be on my own. So it’s like this, Sevoke > Checkpost > Darjeeling More.
0925 am: Got a Sumo again…just like 2 years back.These vehicles are prevalent in this road for daily commuters and I just like being in these where we can feel the lifestyle of the locals and have a feeling of their daily lives. In the back seat..and there is this beautiful local girl opposite to me, who is probably visiting her home in Kurseong and two more old men. Had a little chat with them about their whereabouts . It should take about an hour to reach Kurseong. There is a beautiful nepali song the driver is playing in the car, ‘Maya ..terei rahu..saase chalna..’ and recorded the song in my mobile. The trum line is going parallelly with it’s typical sound and the trip is already mesmerizing. There is Mahananda Sanctuary on the way through the Military area. Going through a woody area now ..The roads are just too beautiful..
Reached Kurseong and could feel the temperature drop immediately. With the mountains and hills and a bustling Kurseong Junction..the hills has its own pulse.
The Breakfast Place..On road to Dow Hills
1025 am : Walked around the market..visited the Monastery and spent some time with prayers in heart for the close ones. Asked the locals for directions, and Dow Hills is the place they said I should visit. Walked up the road leading to Dow Hills. Been starving, had breakfast in a small resto by the side…they didn’t have much to serve..had roti n sabzi with omlette. After that, walked up some more, got myself a shared maruti van to Dow Hills.It’s interesting to hop onto these vehicvles which we dont find anymore in our cities..
More of Dow Hills experience in the next…