Sandakphu Land Rover Trip

Day 1:NJP/Bagdogra to Maneybhanjan and transfer to Tumling

Distance: 98 Km

Duration: 5 hours

Altitude: 10,100 ft

Time: 9 A.M

Your journey with us starts upon reaching the frontier town of Siliguri. Depending upon your mode of arrival, pick up will be arranged from Bagdogra, NJP or Siliguri Junction.

The road takes you through the bustling town of Siliguri initially, but soon you would be journeying through the tea gardens and lush forests. The ascent starts from after reaching the beautiful lake of Mirik. From there to Maneybhanjan, it’s a constant meandering journey through beautiful tea gardens and mountain forests. After crossing Sukhiapokhari, the last major settlement, a mere 7 km drive will take you to Maneybhanjan, a border town of India and Nepal. It’s a busy are of sorts, bustling with trekkers and travellers of Sandakphu. You will board a iconic land Rover there to drive to your destination, Tonglu. After completing the necessary formalities to enter the Singalila National Park, you will start your climb. From Maneybhanjan to Tonglu, it’s a climb of about 4000 ft and is quite steep.

Nowadays the road from Maneybhanjan to Tonglu has been paved with concrete and is a smooth ride. You wile ride through meadows and rhododendron forests as you gradually climb to your destintion. On the way the hamlets of Chitrey and Meghma will welcome you. You can have a small tea break at Chitrey, before you continue journey. From Meghma, its just 2 km to Tonglu and is the steepest part of the trail. Once reaching Tonglu, you will be mesmerized with the surreal view all around you. There is also the choice of proceeding to Tumling, just 1 Km farther, which houses somewhat better accommodation choices. After reaching your destination and settling down, you will be served with hot lunch. After that you can set out to explore the area. On a clear day, Tonglu boasts of a magnificent view of the Sleeping Buddha Range. There are small hillocks you can climb and take some envy enducing photos to show back home. As the day comes to close, the temperature drops considerably and you will have to move indoors. You can spend the evening, chatting away with the locals and enjoying the tasty local drink, Thumba. Soon, dinner will be ready for you and you can take to bed as you can’t miss the sunrise tomorrow.

Day 2: Tumling/Tonglu to Sandakphu

Distance: 20 Km

Duration: 3 hours

Altitude: 11,900 ft

Time: 9 A.M

Get up early in the morning to view the mighty Kanchenjungha in the morning light. After that you can freshen up and get ready to set out for the day’s journey. After breakfast you will set out for Sandakphu. The distance though only 20 kms, will take a while as the path is winding and quite steep. On the way, you will pass settlements of Jaubari, Gairibas, Kalipokhari and Bikeybhanjan.At Kalipokhari you can stop a while to gaze into the steller black waters of the high altitude lake. On reaching Sandakphu, settle in your rooms before lunch is served. After that, you can rest a while or choose to explore the surrounding and visit the Kanchenjungha viewing point nearby. In the evening, tea and snacks will be served. You can spend the evening in the hotel lobby, engaging with other guests or you can retire back to your room till dinner is served. Post dinner, settle in and set your alarm for the famous Sandakphu sunrise.

Day 3: Sandakphu to Maneybhanjan

Distance: 108 Km

Duration: 5 hours

Altitude: 10,500 ft

Time: 8 A.M

Wake up early to catch the beautiful sunrise from Tumling and catch The Mt Kanchenjungha in its full glory. After a quick breakfast, we start early as we have a long journey ahead of us. A short distance into the trek, we will reach the entry point of Singalila National Park. We will need to complete our entry formalities here. You will need to pay for a camera permit here if you are carrying any. Your trek guide will help you through the process. The Singalila National Park houses a great number of animals like the Himalayan Bear, Leopard cat, Barking Dear, Pangolin and the famous and elusive Red Panda. We will have a relaxed flat walk till we reach the settlement of Jaubari. All along the way, our trail will flirt with the Indo-Nepal border as we criss cross through our neighbor lands. From Jaubari we will have a descent, till we reach Gairibas. Here you can have a small break and also indulge in some snacks. Gairibas houses a rhododendron research centre and has a detailed accounting of the various varieties of Rhododendrons available in the region. From Gairibas we will face the first difficult phase of our trek, as we traverse a steep climb all the way to Kalipokhari. After a strenuous but rewarding climb, we will reach the high altitude lake of Kalipokhari. After a steaming hot beverage to soothe your aching muscles, you can pay a visit to the calm waters of the lake and feel your tiredness ebbing away.