Lolegaon, the Best Destination for Avid Trekkers
Lolegaon, a small hamlet shrouded in mist and clouds, overlooking the town of Kalimpong is a place where nature has showered lot of blessing. Tucked away behind the thick greenery of the hills, this small village has a spectacular landscape that will blow your mind away. Unlike other hill stations of North Bengal, Lolegaon is relatively quieter and less crowded and is therefore a must visit destination for nature lovers, poets, writers and photographers.
Lolegaon rests on the extreme edge of a Himalayan ridge at an altitude of 1675 meters and have a small population of 5000 people. It offers the best view of the famous Mt. Kanchenjunga range, something which will remain etched in one’s memory forever. The place is primarily famous for its ancient forest of pine, cypress, and fir and oak with dense bushy undergrowth where sunlight never reaches the ground. To give the tourist a closer view of the huge and tall trees with mossy trunks, a ‘Canopy walk’ is organized. This walk takes visitors through the dark mysterious forest where one will be able to spot thousands of species of birds chirping away and insect-life buzzing around under the thickets. A hanging footbridge here allows visitors to stand and admire the view of the entire forest expanse as far as the eyes allow.
Lolegaon boasts of a huge variety of rare flowers and plants such as orchids of certain kind and few almost extinct Himalayan animals such as the elusive black bear, mountain goat and the mountain deer. The serenity of this place makes it an ideal destination where you can also bring your family and friends and spend quality time. Plenty of options for sightseeing are available in Lolegaon, of which Jhandi Dara is a massive attraction. A wooded hilltop few kms from this village, it offers splendid sunset and sunrise view over the snow-capped peaks. On days when the weather is pleasant with no clouds to obstruct your view, you might even get lucky to spot Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world and also all the major peaks of the Mt. Kanchenjunga range which is a dream for many travel bugs. Thrilling trekking trips are organized by the local clubs which take trekkers and hikers on a path through the dense forests and sloping tea gardens to the remote hills of Kalimpong and to other hillside villages like Samthar and Relly. These trekking trips offer a great opportunity to mingle with the humble locals and learn about their culture. Other places of attraction nearby include the old Lolegaon Monastery, Lava, Kalimpong, Rishop, Charkhol and Kolekham.
Lolegaon has many beautiful hotels and cottages built to cater to tourists from all over the world. They are fixed with all modern amenities and range from luxurious to reasonably priced accommodations as well. Lolegaon can be visited from Siliguri on a 4 hours journey through tree lined beautiful motorable roads via Kalimpong and Lava.