NEW DESTINATION EMERGES IN DARJEELING HILLS ...Lalung awaits tourists, hiker

BINITA PAUL, TT, 06 Feb 2020, Siliguri: A small hamlet nestled in the Darjeeling hills is fast emerging as a new destination for tourists and hikers with its tranquil nature and all-weather trails. 

Lalung is located beside Mongpoo, where Rabindranath Tagore used to stay.

Tour operators are promoting Lalung and its surrounding places like Dawaipani, Chatakpur and Sonada as haunts for hikers "The route covering Lalung and ending at Sonada via Dawaipani and Chatakpur can be an ideal route for trek. Most other trekking routes in the Darjeeling hills, like Sandakphu, are at high altitudes and hence, unsuitable for hike round the year. In the monsoon and the winter, most of these trekking routes turn precarious. However, the trail via Lalung can be accessed round the year," said Raj Basu, convener of the Association for Conservation and Tourism.

Lalung, located at 5,700ft, had developed as a hamlet in 1935. Around 70 families live at the village and at least three of them have opened. 

Name of the place: Lalung near Mongpoo in Darjeeling district. 

Distance from Siliguri: Around 75km via Mungpoo 

Attractions: Idyllic landscapes and all-weather trekking routes 

Accommodation: Three homestays that can together host 10-12 visitors Tariff: Rs 1,000-1,200 per person per day (with food) homestays for tourists. 

From Siliguri, one can reach Lalung in around 2.5 hours by car.

The trail passes through four places, each known for its rich flora and fauna and different landscape .

"Hikers can start from Dawaipani and reach Lalung. On the second day, they can reach Lalung and stay there. On the third day, they will be heading towards Chatakpur, which has also Lalung village in the Darjeeling hills accommodations, and on the fourth day, they will walk up till Sonada," said a Lalung resident.

From Sonada, a hiker can take a car to reach Siliguri or Darjeeling.

The trail can be equally attractive for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts as several species can be sighted along the route.

Animals like the Himalayan black bear and yellow throated marten can be seen in forests along the route .

The residents, who were so far engaged in agriculture and making of cinchona, an ingredient of quinine, are upbeat about the village's tourism potential. 

"We have started homestay facilities recently at our village. Three such accommodations are ready and some more will come up in the coming days," said a resident.