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The Place : Neora Valley Forest Camp District : Darjeeling

It is one of the last remaining pristine ecosystems of the Eastern Himalayas with its amazing Bio-diversity, and is home to many rare and endangered plants, animals and birds. It exhibits a rich variety of habitat as the area comprises the catchments and watershed of the Neora River with its tributaries. The Park with its dense forests is located on the tri-junction of Bhutan, Sikkim and West-Bengal, and its boundary extends from 30 m of altitude up to 3200 m on an area of only 88 square km. Though this sounds rather small, it has to be considered that due to the topographical features the surface of the Park is much larger.

Best time to visit

October to March is the best time to visit this place.

How to reach

Board any train to NJP from Howrah or Sealdah station. Get down at NJP and hire a cab from NJP Railway Station and reach Neora Valley Forest Camp within 2.5 hours via Matigara, covering the distance of 69.1 kms. Another option is to take a flight and reach Bagdogra airport and reach Neora Valley forest camp within 2hours 20 minutes via NH110 by car .

Places of interest [ What to do ]

Bird watching: More than 200 species of birds have been recorded in the area. One can have excellent birding opportunities in the lodge itself. Besides, there are numerous walks through the terraced fields and excellent trails from the lodge into thickly wooded forest which are extremely rewarding. Guided birding trips to the National Park can be organized against advance booking.

Trek: There is ample opportunity to enjoy short and long treks from the lodge with numerous trekking trails across the village of Kolakham, along the boundary of the park or even inside the forest. The trek to Chaggey waterfalls, in particular, is of worth mentioning. Along the trek you will find a lot of diverse landscapes, flora and fauna. There are deep ravines created in the monsoon seasons and small spring water streams along the way. 

Village tour :The Rai community of Kolakham village is extremely hospitable. They heartily welcome all visitors to their village and homes. You can spend a whole day visiting their houses and farms; interact with them to understand the deep-rooted culture and community life of this beautiful Himalayan village. Cardamom is a major crop and guests can observe the processing of the fresh fruit into the roasted spice. Some villagers still know the techniques of weaving maize and paddy straw into sitting mats. Performances of local dance and music groups allow insights into the rich culture of the Rai community. 

Must Try Dishes

Where to Stay

For Booking : Kolkata Office 
67-A, Kali Temple Road, 1st Floor 
Sadananda Kuthi, Kalighat 
Kolkata - 700026 
Tel : +91-33-24550917 / 24549719 
Fax : +91-33-24854584 

Neora Valley Jungle Camp Cottages 
For Booking : Siliguri Office 
Malati Bhawan ( first floor) 
Siliguri - 734001 
District - Darjeeling 
West Bengal, India. 
Cell : +91-97330-00440 - 449 
Tel : +91-353-2433683 / 2535896 
Fax : +91-353-2532313 


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