TERJUM, GHOOM – 59 KMS FROM SILIGURI

• Weekend Tour

This is the heartland of Darjeeling’s best tea-producing areas. Surrounded by legendary tea estates like Chamong, Sangmaru and Gopaldhara, Terjum is a small village tucked on a hilltop with a never-ending view of tea gardens, river valleys and forests. Located only a few kilometers from the Rangbhang River Valley and Mirik Lake, Terjum village is yet to experience tourist rush. If you are planning for a quiet weekend, far from the crowd, then Terjum Bungalow with its sprawling lawns, kitchen gardens and fireplace could be your ideal hideout

Places to see in Terjum: Apart from the local village market, surrounding pine forests and tea gardens, you can also visit the local playground and a beautiful Shiv Mandir nearby. You can also take a short tour of tea factories and drop at the village playground to tackle, kick and dodge some football with local kids.

Nearby attractions of Terjum: The Rangbhang River Valley is just 08 kms. away from Terzum Village. Local cars can ferry you to the river valley where you can take a dip and laze around in the sun. The famous Mirik Lake is another 10 kms. away from the river valley. The viewpoints of Jorpokhri is around 10 kms and Lepchajagat Village is another 03 kms. ahead. Local sightseeing to Darjeeling, Ghoom, Batasia Loop can be arranged in day trips.

Things to do in Tarjum: Bird watching in the surrounding forests of Terjum would be very rewarding. The usual species spotted here are barbets, treepies, flycatchers, pheasants, orioles, wagtails, magpies and sunbirds – to name some. Butterfly tracking in the nearby river valley has also become a popular activity recently. If you are lucky enough, then you can catch a glimpse of the timid deer, porcupine, peacock or the most endangered Chinese Pangolin while hiking in the pine forests of Terzum. You can also keep aside a day or two for local sightseeing tours to Darjeeling, Mirik and Pashupati Market in neighbouring Nepal. Short treks through the villages and tea gardens are also recommended for the guests.

Best time to visit Tarjum: You can visit Tarjum anytime of the year. The winters are known for their sparkling weather and sunshine while the monsoons shroud the tea gardens and forests in all its lush greenery. The calm Rangbhang River swells with water during the rainy season and rages across the valley.

How to reach Terjum: The shortest route from Terzum to Siliguri is through Dudhia (58 kms.). You can also come via Mirik, Kurseong or Darjeeling. It is around 70kms. via Mirik and Sukhiapokhri while via Kurseong is around 80 kms. You can get regular cars from Siliguri / NJP to Mirik or Sukhiapokhri and then hire a taxi to Terzum. Darjeeling is around 30 kms from Terjum.

Lodging and Food at Terjum: The bungalow has 02 Twin-Bedded rooms and 02 Double-Bedded rooms with a sitting room. All rooms come with the standard facilities like comfy beds, couches, Televisions, attached western bathrooms with hot water geysers, large windows opening to the gardens. There is also a fireplace in the common sitting room. The bungalow is surrounded by sprawling lawns, farms, kitchen gardens, gazebos and outdoor barbeque areas. Most of the ingredients used to cook up the delicious food for the guests is completely organic and locally sourced from the bungalow’s farm. It is mostly Indian cuisine, but the hosts also churn up some local Gorkha recipes to surprise the guests. There is a Rhododendron Winery in Terjum and you can sample some of their efforts if you are willing.