DUDHIA DARJEELING DISTRICT

• Weekend Tour

Dudhia is a small hamlet on Mirik–Siliguri highway on the bank of river Balason. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council’s Gokul Wayside Inn used to be the favorite tourist joint at Dudhia, however, it is closed at the time of writing this article. There are several small tea shops where you can get other essentials.

Dudhia is a tranquil tourist spot. Above Gokul, as the hill starts rising from the plain, you can find Dudhia viewpoint. You can see far and wide from here including a great view of River Balasan.

Getting There

From Siliguri Dudhia is just an hours drive (27 km), you can reach here either via Sukna or via Khaprail, either way, it is on the main road towards Mirik and almost impossible to miss.

Activity for tourists

Dudhia is abuzz with activity during the winter months as it is one of the most popular picnic spot for the locals including people from Siliguri. During the rest of the year, you will love to spend a couple of hours on the banks of the river to enjoy natures splendor. There is no other activity available here but to enjoy the surrounding and the river. Be careful and stay away from the direction of gunshots, as there is a shooting range of the armed forces in the vicinity which is used quite regularly.

Dudhia is surrounded by some of the best tea gardens of the area such as Longview Tea Garden, Gayabari Tea Garden, Marianbari Tea Garden, and Panighata Tea Garden etc. if you have the time to explore the area, you may try walking among the tea gardens. Small hikes to places such as Kurseong, Mirik etc can easily be done on your own, by enquiring to the local people. Most such hikes can be completed within a day or less.

Places Nearby

From Dudhia you can go to the Panighata village located right across river Balason. The forest department bungalow at Panighata on top of a small hillock is now mostly deserted. But the ground in front of the garden is a good viewpoint from where a large area of the Terai plain is visible. The ground is also used by city adventurers during the winter months for camping. Lohagadh is few kilometers further from Panighata. The place is on the Indo Nepal border. You can easily see Nepali village of Salakpur across the river mechi from here.

Another nice tourist spot around Dudhia is Bunkulung. This is a small village on the banks of river Balasun. Bunkulung can be reached from Dudhai. As you start climbing the hills after crossing the Balasun river from Dudhia, about a kilometer away on a turn there is a diversion to the right. If you take the right diversion, Bunkulung would be just 4 km away. The small picturesque village has a homestay where basic amenities are available. You can ask the owner to arrange for organic vegetables and cook them yourself. The road from Bunkulung may be continued further to cross Balasun and take a different and less travel route to Kurseong through Ambootia tea estate. The road connects to the more famous Pankhabari road. Confirm with locals before venturing into the route as the road sometimes remain closed due to landslide or other reasons.

Where to Stay

There is no accommodation in Dudhia that we can recommend. You may either stay at Siliguri or Mirik both of which places are about an hours drive from here. Bunkulung also has some basic homestay for visitors.