I stay at Kolkata, and Darjeeling was on my wish list for a really long time. My friends and I had been making plans for years, but each time, we’d have to postpone the idea due to some unforeseen circumstances. One day, we found an online brochure on Lepchajagat, a scenic village just 19 km from the hill town of Darjeeling. The place was so serene and quaint that we immediately booked tickets to Siliguri, and told ourselves that we’d figure out the details of the trip later. Finally, the dates arrived and we reached Siliguri at around 9 am after an overnight Lepchagjourney by
From Siliguri to Lepchajagat
Our trip to Lepchajagat had two phases- one from Kolkata to Siliguri, and the second one from Siliguri to Lepchajagat. The road from Siliguri to Lepchajagat is an approximately 65 km ride through the Matigara- Kurseong Road and NH110. We availed a convenient Darjeeling car rental with an experienced driver, as we could not risk our safety and also wanted to ensure we would not be affected by motion sickness. The driver was very experienced and the drive from Siliguri to Lepchjagat went by smoothly. We stopped once on the way for some hot chai and snacks. The ride took us around 4 hours including the stops we made for food.
The Home Stay at Lepchajagat
We finally reached Lepchajagat at 2 pm where we went into our homestay. The homestay we chose was owned by an old couple who were natives of the place. They were extremely welcoming and made us feel very comfortable. After a relaxing bath, we had an amazing lunch of fresh vegetables, rice, and dairy. The food was extremely tasty and fresh, and when we asked about the source of the items, the couple told us that they practiced organic farming.
The Trek near Lepchajagat
The most beautiful feature of Lepchajagat is the view of the Kanchenjunga from the village. Often, due to extreme weather, the peak is not visible. Luckily, the weather was excellent throughout our trip. At around 3 pm, the son of the owner of the homestay took us for a short trek to a nearby hill which gave us an even clearer view of both the Kanchenjunga peak, as well as Darjeeling, at the same time. The view at the top was enthralling and we all sat there for a few minutes, quietly admiring the scenery. Suddenly, one of my friends suggested that we should do a proper trek real soon and we all enthusiastically agreed. With this exciting pact, we walked down to return to our homestay before sunset. We had yet another sumptuous meal and got a good night’s sleep after a tiring, yet eventful day.
The Beauty of Mirik
The next day we woke up quite refreshed. At breakfast, we were introduced to a few young people who had just arrived from Siliguri. However, they had a terrible ride up to Lepchajagat by bus, which was almost 8 hours. We were so glad that we chose to book a reliable cab in Siliguri! We walked out for some fresh air and saw that the local vehicles moved past Lepchajagat to a place called Mirik. We were all curious to visit the place, but we were unsure as we’d just seen the experience of the people who arrived at the homestay. However, our owner was kind enough to recommend a known jeep and we had a great journey. We spent some time walking around Mihir Lake, took some photographs and had a light lunch. We also purchased the famous local tea and some handicrafts to take back home, after which our driver escorted us back to our homestay at Lepchajagat. We had a huge meal awaiting us, after which, we spent some time getting to know the newcomers and making new connections. It was with a heavy heart that we packed our stuff as we had to leave back to Siliguri the next morning.
Returning Back
We left around 7 in the morning to Siliguri Airport by car to board our 2 pm flight. It sure does seem like a packed trip, but I don’t remember being as refreshed as I was in Lepchajagat ever. I’d recommend this trip to every person who admires the mountains- Lepchajagat is a much less crowded and feasible option than Darjeeling and is sure to leave you with some beautiful memories.