AHALDARA DARJEELING|2020|–THE BEAUTIFUL PANORAMIC VIEW

Mountains offer a relaxing atmosphere where you can enjoy nature at its best. A two or three day’s stay at a hill station can revitalize you. If you are a person who would love to explore unusual beauty and who love to spent time in a quiet and peaceful place in the lap of the mother earth’s natural beauty, away from the crowded city then Ahaldara can be your best choice. Ahaldara lies in the upper part of Latpanchar at an altitude of 4500 feet above the sea level. The Ahaldara viewpoint is an offbeat place in Darjeeling district, also known as Ahal is the highest point of the Mahanada Wildlife Sanctuary.

How to reach:-

As we are traveling from Kolkata, we took a train till NJP. From there we took a cab that covers 44 km and took almost 1.5 hours to reach Latpanchar. From latpanchar you will get two options to reach this place which is 5 km away, one is by car or else you can trek.. One can also board a flight to Bagdogra Airport which is nearest to Ahaldara.

Where to stay:-

For staying purpose, you can avail homestay at the top of the mountain where you can enjoy the scenery and the beauty of the sunset and the 360-degree view of kanchanjanga from the balcony of the room. You can also spend the night in a tent. Bonfire at night can be arranged by the owner of the property to enjoy the calmness and the beauty of the place.

Things to do:-

In the morning you can observe the view of all the East Himalayan Ranges from the hill top. Which includes Tiger Hill, Kurseong Hill, Mongpu Hill, Darjeeling Hills, and many other hills with the spread of Teesta which make the place look like heaven… The special attraction of this Place is its 360-degree view of Mt. Kanchenjunga which is worth seeing. In the early morning, you can enjoy the beautiful sunrise over kanchanjanga. In the evening it feels very pleasant to see the sunset from the top of the hill. If you stay there at night the sound of the nearby fountain will fill up your mind and the birds’ melodious sound will wake you up in the morning. In the early morning, you will also get to see different species of birds. You can see the huge plantation of tea and cinchona in here.

Distance of Ahaldara from other places of Darjeeling District:-

• From Darjeeling  to Ahaldara distance is 49.4 km via Hill Cart road.
• The distance between Ahaldara and Kalimpong is 51.4 km. It take around 2 hours 5 min to reach kalimpong via NH10 and Rishi road.
• Kurseong is almost 37.5 km away from Ahaldara. which take almost 1 hours 55 minutes to reach there via Lat Mahaldiram Road and Baghgora road.
• The distance of Ahaldara from Sittong is 8.1km via car which takes almost 24 minutes.
• The distance between Ahaldara and Chatakpur is 39.9 km which takes almost 2 hours 12 minutes to reach there via Lat Mahaldiram road.

 Temperature of Ahaldara :-

The average temperature is between 15 – 25 degree. Best Time to visit this place is November to May. In July – September it rains heavily at Latpanchar Village which is near Ahaldara. Raincoats and umbrellas are must if you decided to visit Ahaldara at monsoon. During the rainy season, temperatures vary between 12 to 22 degree.

The expense of the trip:-.

• Reaching NJP from Kolkata by train took RS 1400 per person.
• Flight from Kolkata to Bagdogra would cost around Rs 2935 one way per head.
• From NJP you can book a cab to Latpanchar which costs around Rs 1600.
• From latpanchar one can trek to Ahaldara which is 5 km away or you can also rent a cab from there.

You can stay at Ahaldara in a homestay which costs around Rs 900 including meals, breakfast, and evening snacks.

Ahaldara turns out to be an ideal place to brace and renew your boring and busy life with total eagerness. Its natural beauty will fill up your mind and help you to become stress free. You will get new energy to start your life after getting back.

Written By : JIHIRSA NATH (Travelofina Travel Stories).