Lepchajagat Tour Plan From Darjeeling 2024
Lepchajagat Tour Plan: If you’re looking to explore an offbeat destination near Darjeeling or want to spend a few days in a peaceful environment away from the hustle and bustle of Darjeeling, this article is for you. Today, I’m excited to take you to a unique location Lepchajagat, formerly known as Lepcha Basti. I’ll explain how the ancient Lepcha Basti evolved into the modern Lepchajagat and why it bears this name later in the article.
Join us as we explore how to get here, where to stay, and what to see. Lepchajagat’s geographical features keep the temperature pleasantly cool throughout the year, and with its location just 15 km from Darjeeling, it even experiences snowfall in December and January.
How To Reach Lepchajagat
We journeyed from Siliguri to Lepchajagat on a scooter one winter morning and stayed at the WBF Development Corporation Resort. To reach Lepchajagat from Darjeeling or nearby tourist spots, head to Ghum Railway Station. From there, take the road toward Mirik, and in just 15 minutes, you’ll arrive at Lepchajagat.
Upon arriving at Lepchajagat, we took the road beside the Lepchajagat taxi stand towards the Forest Bungalow. Although the Forest Bungalow is a bit of a distance from the taxi stand, the journey offers two significant advantages: a tranquil environment and the beautiful melodies of local birds. Most importantly, from the Forest Bungalow’s terrace, you can enjoy a majestic view of Kanchenjunga.
We booked our stay online, and I recommend doing the same for a hassle-free experience. Here is the booking link. The next morning, we ventured out to explore Lepchajagat.
On a bright, sunny, and chilly morning, we visited the taxi stand where you can hire cars for sightseeing. The signboard lists various destinations with their distances, such as Sandakphu (43 km), Siliguri (73 km), and Simana (8 km). We decided to head towards Mirik via Sukhia Pokhari.
Both sides of the road are lined with homestays, including Kanchenkanya Homestay. During our market stroll and conversations with locals, we discovered that Lepchajagat has its own viewpoint, and from this viewpoint, you can see Kanchenjunga with the naked eye. To reach the viewpoint, take the path to the main road’s left and walk uphill a few steps.
History Of Lepchajagat
The origins of the Lepcha people in India are shrouded in mystery. Still, through conversations with them, we’ve learned that they are the earliest inhabitants of this region, certain of their presence here since ancient times. Since the 18th century, the Lepcha tribes have been found across northeastern India. They likely practiced a monarchy and followed a strong family system.
Their language, Lepcha, is derived from the Tibeto-Burman language group, and their primary religion is Buddhism. Historically, many Lepchas worked as laborers in the tea gardens of Darjeeling and its outskirts. Today, many of them are engaged in the tourism business, offering their homes as homestays for visitors.
If the weather is bright and the sky is clear, you can enjoy a majestic view of Kanchenjunga. The serene and peaceful environment here allows you to truly immerse yourself in nature’s embrace. After spending some quality time here, we’ll head down.
Offbeat Destinations
Next, we’ll visit some offbeat destinations. Leaving behind Lepchajagat, we’re now heading towards Simana View Point. On both sides of the road, you’ll see trees like rhododendrons, oak, and pine, which seem to kiss the clouds. The beauty around us is mesmerizing, and the positive vibes are palpable. In this bright, sunny weather, we’re on our way to Simana View Point. It takes about 20 minutes to cover the 9 km distance from Lepchajagat.
At noon, we reached Simana View Point, precisely at 1 PM. Simana View Point is situated between Lepcha City and Mirik. From here, you can see Sandakphu and Manebhanjan. If you’re returning from Mirik, be sure to stop by this place. There’s a market at Simana View Point where you can buy woolen garments. After having lunch, we headed towards our next destination, Nepal’s Pashupatinath Market. From Simana View Point, it’s 6 km away, taking only about 12 minutes to reach.
This road leads to Nepal’s Pashupatinath Market, but we won’t be visiting it due to time constraints. If you want to visit, the round trip from the checkpoint to the market costs Rs 200. Now, let’s return. From Pashupatinath Market, our next destination is Mirik. Along the way, we came across vast tea gardens. A local informed us about the Gopaldhara Tea Estate, which is popular among tourists. You can visit the estate to see how tea is cultivated, processed, and exported abroad.
We’ve now arrived at Mirik Bazaar. The place is bustling with activity, and the roads are quite narrow, so traffic jams are common here. To avoid delays, we quickly moved towards Mirik Lake. The lake is quite large, and we spent some time here, admiring its beauty. You can enjoy paddle boating or just relax by the water.
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