View from this side

Atop Kitap Singh Hill, by the river Murti, Samsing is an unspoilt mountain village rapidly growing in popularity among tourists.

It is nearly three hours away by bus from the heart of Siliguri, which is the gateway to Sikkim, Dooars, Assam, Bhutan and Nepal. The route, along NH 31 and through Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, is memorable.

After crossing the Teesta, gushing towards the plains, the green carpet of tea estates girdles the road. Mongpong, Bagrakot, Udlabari, Dumdim and Malbazar are some of the highlights on the way to Chalsa junction.

Leave NH 31, heading towards Alipurduar, and NH 31A, heading towards Lataguri, at the intersection and take the left turn. The serpentine metalled road offers a glimpse of the lush green Dooars and a birds’ eye view of the Murti, which looks like a ribbon.

Meteli, a well-known tea estate, lies 7 km away. There is also a tiny village, consisting mainly of the houses of the tea estate workers. The sleepy hamlet comes alive on Sunday, the haatbar.

Juronti, an undiscovered tourists’ spot on the banks of the Neora, can be reached by a scenic road that goes left from Meteli. Juronti is flanked by tea gardens Ingo and Chilaoni. Both the gardens are worth a visit. Streams and their tributaries criss-cross the picturesque estates and the sylvan forests around them. Samsing is further up the road, which continues north to the Neora Valley National Park.

There is a beautiful government-run rest house in Samsing, where the number of visitors is multiplying every season. Booking in advance is recommended though there is a range office of the Divisional Forest Officer for spot reservation. The rest house is surrounded by a well-maintained flower garden.

Stroll down to serene and secluded Suntalekhola (suntale means orange and khola means rivulet in Nepali), where the twittering of birds ushers in dawn and dusk. A stream called the Suntalekhola emerges from the Neora Valley National Park here and merges with the Murti.

The region is famous for orange orchards. In winter, Suntalekhola literally becomes the land of oranges amid undulating waves of green. There are plenty of accommodations for tourists, on the banks of the Suntalekhola, very close to Bhutan.

Going

Samsing is 74 km from Siliguri by road. It takes about three hours by bus from the Dooars stand in Siliguri to reach Samsing. One can stop over at Chalsa, 60 km from Siliguri. From there, cars are available on hire to Samsing (14 km). Siliguri is connected by rail with major cities in India.

Staying

The forest rest house.

For reservations, contact:
West Bengal Forest Development Corporation,
6A Raja Subodh Mullick Square, Arya Mansion (7th floor),
Calcutta 700013
Phone: 22470060/61 or

Divisional manager (Kalimpong), WBFDC. Suntalekhola, 2 km from Samsing, is a must visit. There are various accommodation options there. WBFDC provides accommodation in tents.In fair weather, cars travel upto Suntalekhola.