INDIA GUIDE
TRAVEL DESK
EVENTS
AIRLINES
SEARCH

Mirik and Kurseong

Wee Mirik in the hills of West Bengal is everything that Darjeeling was 25 years ago. A sleepy town, with just a few hotels and tourists, it is located amidst a never-ending expanse of lush tea gardens, cardamom estates, serene pine and Japanese cedar forests and orange orchards, at an altitude of 1,700 metres. The wonderful snowy Himalayas are visible from this town.

For details about great packages being offered by hotels all over India this summer check out Hotels. We update every day and provide you with details of the newest packages available. Do you need any assistance in planning your summer vacation? Write to us at travel@rediff.co.in.

The charming cobblestone 3.5 km long promenade that surrounds Lake Sumendu adds its own beauty to the place.

Of interest are the pretty gompas around Mirik, the tea factory and the carpet weaving centre at Krishnanagar. As well as the opportunities to trek to Pashupatinagar on the Indo-Nepal border or up the Deosi Hills for a view of the peaks. Darjeeling, the queen of the hills, is 49 km away.

Mirik is usually free of camera-toting crowds. Most visitors show up on the weekends and during the school holidays.

Kurseong, just 39 km away from Darjeeling, is equally attractive. Its name is derived from the Nepali word, Kharshang or the dawn's pole star. And true to its name the Himalayan resort radiates charm. The Raj era town is dotted with pretty colonial buildings, seminaries and bungalows. Its salubrious climate -- cool in summer and not so cold in winter -- has made Kurseong -- 2,458 feet above sea level -- the home of several boarding schools like Dowhill and Victoria and St Helen's. Interestingly, both Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose spent time in this pretty village. For Bose it was not by choice -- he was incarcerated at a bungalow at Giddhapahar, a few kilometres away, by the British in 1936.

A tea plantation town, the rich green estates -- with quaint names like Castleton, Springside, Ambotey, Makaibaru, Jungpana, Goomtee -- stretch across the hillsides.

Kurseong is surrounded by a number of 'look out points', picnic spots and destinations for treks. Eagle Crag, five km from the main town, has a splendid view of the plains below, as well as of the peaks of Kanchenjunga, Jannu and Kabru. Chimney -- once the site of a staging bungalow, of which a long chimney remains -- is a pleasant meadow in the midst of a forest that attracts picnickers.

The toy train connects Kurseong with Darjeeling and the ride up from Jalpaiguri is memorable.

The best time to visit Mirik or Kurseong is in summer mid-April to June.

West Bengal tourism offers decent accommodation in Mirik and Kurseong. There are a few small hotels too.

Tourist Complex, Mirik, tel # 03554-43237. This West Bengal tourism-run lodge offers clean accommodation in double rooms (Rs 350), dormitories (Rs 30), cottages (Rs 300) and Swiss cottages (Rs 750). The complex is equipped with an in-house restaurant that serves Indian and Chinese meals.

Hotel Jagjeet, Mirik, tel # 03554-43231. Deluxe double rooms for Rs 550 per night. Super deluxe double rooms for Rs 850. Rs 1,000 for a room for eight persons. The hotel has its own bar and restaurant, that offers Indian, Chinese, tandoori and continental food.

Tourist Lodge, Kurseong, tel # 03554-44409. Another West Bengal tourism-run hotel. The tariff for double rooms is Rs 450 per night. Double rooms with verandahs are Rs 500 per night. The in-house restaurant serves Indian and Chinese food.

Hotel Amarjeet, Kurseong, tel # 03554-44678. Comfortable double rooms for Rs 300 per night and triple rooms for Rs 700 per night. In house restaurant serving Indian and Chinese cuisine.

Mirik is 55 km from Bagdogra (the nearest airport), 50 km from Darjeeling and 52 km from Siliguri and is accessible by road. Several buses and jeeps connect Mirik with these three towns.

Kurseong is 60 kms from Bagdogra. The town is easily accessible from Jalpaiguri by toy train.

Indian Airlines flies five times a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) daily to Bagdogra from Calcutta. The one way fare is Rs 2,405. From New Delhi Indian Airlines flies thrice a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) to Bagdogra. The one way fare is Rs 5,530.

The closest broad gauge railhead is at New Jalpaiguri and several trains link this station with Bangalore, Calcutta (daily), Guwahati (daily), New Delhi and even Trivandrum.

Tranquebar                                    Tell us what you think of this feature

Gopalpur-on-Sea

Sarahan

Chittaurgarh