KURSEONG

Kurseong is a hill station situated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. Located at an altitude of 1458 meters (4864 ft), Kurseong is just 30 km from Darjeeling. It has a pleasant climate throughout the year and the winters are not as severe as Darjeeling. Several celebrities settled here making it a peaceful cosmopolitan Himalayan hill town. Kurseong is well connected with Darjeeling specially by Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Tourist can take a peaceful ride from Kurseong to Darjeeling by Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR). Beside that Kurseong is also famous for his several educational institutions & Tea Gardens.

Places to See at Kurseong :

Eagle’s Craig view point : This view point is located near the town seemingly perched on a cliff. One can have a sweeping view of the surrounding mountain, hill, hamlets and slopes from here. It has a cafeteria, a watch tower and a flower garden; this place also houses the water reservoir for the entire town of Kurseong. The place also has a concrete altar built in the park with a khukri on top called shahid smarak; it was built by the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council to pay tribute to the lives that were lost in the agitation of 1988. From here you will get a magnificent view of the plains of Siliguri dotted with bright lights in the distance at night.

Tea Estate : A Tea plantation town, the rich green tea estates like Ambotia, Castelton, Springside, Makaibari, Jogmaya, Ghoomtee stretch across the hillsides.

Deer Park : The Deer Park in Dow hill area comes under the jurisdiction of the state forest department. It was named such because large numbers of Deers were found in the area before the menace of deforestation and poaching arrived. If you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the animal trying to attract your attention by coming out of the wilderness. Venturing inside the forest is prohibited.

Forest Museum :  The forest museum is also located in Dow Hill and is overseen by the forest department. You will get to know the types of animals that inhabited the forest area here in the past when you visit the museum.

Giddapahar view point : Giddapahar view point in Giddapahar, a few kilometers from Kurseong, provides a great view of the mountains and is a great place for clicking photographs.

Giddapahar Seti Mata Temple :  This temple is carved out of an ancient rock and is dedicated to Goddess Durga. A sacred place of the Hindus.

Ambootia Temple :  This temple is located within the Ambootia Tea Estate area. It has an old temple thronged by many devotees.

Dowhill’s Girls School : Provides a glimpse of the British era with its architecture and elegance. This school is well known for its beautiful location surrounded by pine trees and the quality of education it provides.

Victoria Boy’s School : This school was also created by the British and still maintains its Victorian looks and fame.

Grotto : The grotto houses the statue of Virgin Mary and is located in a beautiful surrounding that takes you to another place and time. It is a peaceful place and peace is what you feel when you’re there. Devotees light candles and pray to God here; it is also frequented by young couples because it offers seclusion.

Bhangzang Salamander Lake : It is located 14 km from Kurseong. In the past, it used to be a favorite place for the British and people from the neighboring towns used to hang out here frequently. A relatively unknown getaway among the tourist destinations in Darjeeling brought to you by naturebeyond. It is a beautiful green-tinged lake that shelters the rarest and most endangered species of salamanders – a species under threat of extinction.

Bagora : Bagora is also called zero point because it is the place with the highest elevation in Kurseong. It has also has a base camp of the Indian Air Force with a helipad.

How to Reach 

By Air : Bagdogra (IXB) is the nearest Airport to reach Kurseong. The town of Kurseong is situated at a distance of roughly 30 kilometers away from Darjeeling and 47 kilometers away from the town of Siliguri.

By Rail : The New Jailpaiguri (NJP) station is the closest railhead and there are regular train services from most corners of the country. Trains arrive from cities such as Kolkata, New Delhi, Chennai regularly.

By Road :  Kurseong is well connected by all weather metal roads with Darjeeling, Siliguri, Kalimpong, Mirik, Gangtok etc. Kurseong is connected to New Jalpaiguri via toy train. The toy train takes a little over 5 hrs to reach Kurseong from New Jalpaiguri and the experience is magical.

Accommodation : “Eco Trails” deals with some of the best Hotel and Resort in Kurseong. Kurseong provides a delightful alternative in the form of its few tourist resorts and hotels. Depending on your budget you can chose Deluxe, Super Deluxe and Standard Hotel. 

Food : You can choose your own Food Plan in your trip to Kurseong. There are 04 optioned are available – i) European Plan ( EP ) – Room Only Basis. ii) Continental Plan ( CP ) - Room including with Breakfast only basis. iii) Modified American Plan ( MAP ) – Room including with Breakfast and either Lunch or Dinner. iv) American Plan ( AP ) - Room including Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. 

Activities : Heritage Walk, Tea Garden Visit, Kurseong Sight Seeing, Waterfalls Visit, Monastery Visit, Natural Park Visit, Nature Walk, Bird Watching.

Attraction : Eagle’s Craig View Point,Tea Garden,Deer Park,Forest Museum,Giddapahar View,Giddapahar Seti Mata Temple,Ambootia Temple,Dowhill’s Girls School,Victoria Boy’s School,Grotto,Bhangzang Salamander Lake,Bagora,Heritage Walk,Bird Watching,Nature Walk