Not many people have heard about this place, as Latpanchar hasn't had much tourism development during the last few years. This is despite the fact that it's a beautiful mountain hamlet offering stunning views including that of Kanchenjunga, having wide range of bird & animal life as well as many different types of amazing plantations.
Latpanchar actually forms the highest part of
Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary with an average altitude of about 4,100-4,300 ft.
Since it's part of the sanctuary, there is good chance that you will come
across some wildlife here like deer, barking deer, wild boars, and sometimes
even leopards and elephants while exploring the jungles around.
From New Jalpaiguri (NJP), it’s about 44kms
and takes about one and half hours by car. You will need to take the Sevoke
road. Once you reach the place Kalijhora, there is a narrow winding road that
goes uphill on the left. From this point Latpanchar is another 13kms, the last
stretch is quite steep. There is hardly any traffic on this narrow road, but
often the road is not well maintained and gets full with potholes particularly
during monsoon.
Even during peak tourist season in
Darjeeling, you will hardly find any tourists here, giving you all the peace
and tranquillity that you are looking for along with bounty full of nature. If
you plan to explore the forest, you should take a guide from the village. A
narrow boulder road winds down to the sanctuary. You can choose to walk (most
do so) or take a jeep. Once in the sanctuary, it will take about 2 hours of
walk to explore. Many come here to relax and experience the rich bird life
along with the scenic beauty in and around the hamlet. Birding guides are also
available.
There is close to 1,400 acres of cinchona
plantations in the area. Cinchona plants are used for extracting chemicals to
cure diseases like malaria. There are several Cinchona extraction factories
located in the area.
What to see in Latpanchar
1) Walking towards and through the Cinchona
plantations is a pleasure and wonderful experience. The meandering road passes
through forests of sal, teak, pine and dense Cinchona. Take a morning stroll...
you will love it.
2) Visit the Ahal Dara View Point. You
can take a car, go up to its base, and walk up the boulder path to the top.
Jeeps can take you up for some distance though. From an elevation you can get
spectacular view of Kanchenjunga peaks. Look below and you can see the lower
reaches of the forests on mountain slopes and the river Teesta.
On a clear day you can see Gangtok and
Kalimpong townships from here and even the famous Silk Route. However most come
to Ahaldara View Point to watch the stunning sunrise.
3) From the base of Ahaldara View point the
main road continues and leads to a lake called Namthing Lake through
Cinchona and pine trees. One side of the lake is surrounded by dense pine
trees. Other than many different types of birds, this lake area is well known
for the rare Himalayan Salamander (small lizard like creatures). The lake is
not for swimming purpose. However during the summer season, the lake becomes
almost dry.
4) Another view point is Sarsari Dara.
This is another place from where you get sweeping views of Kanchenjunga snow
peaks, other mountains and the valleys around. You can walk up to this place
(about 1.5 kms from the village).
Best Time to visit Latpanchar
October to April is the best time to visit
Latpanchar. However winter can be quite cold out here. Guides to take you to
the sanctuary are available as well as the birding guides. There is no separate
entry fee to enter the wildlife sanctuary.
How to reach
For
Booking you can contact us;
Call us
at +91-8670752141 or +91-8900699294
Mail us
at tours@adieu.co.in
Website :
www.adieu.co.in
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