SCHOOL DARA

• Weekend Tour

A land mass in the midst of the heavenly surrounding with amazing view lies the village of School Dara. The village basically gets its name due to a primary school located at the place and ‘Dara’ signifies Hills. Mirik and Bunkulung are the sight-seeing locations near School Dara.

An unexplored land mass in the midst of the heavenly surrounding with amazing view lies the village of School Dara. The village basically gets its name due to a primary school located here and ‘Dara’ signifies Hills.

Continuing the journey to Mirik, leaving the crowds of Siliguri behind and crossing the Balason Bridge within the hilly roads and Balason River, enchants the entire journey. The rows of pine trees standing tall and the shimmering sunlight finding its way through the branches looks glamorous. And within half hour ride from Mirik, the destination village of School Dara will be reached just after Pahela Gaon. The village is located at a distance of 4 km from the Mirik town, admiring its naturistic view.

The serenity of the village will bring satisfaction within oneself. A place so serene, calm and less crowded with no noisy traffic is quite impossible to find in this fast moving world. The simplicity of the locals and their living styles till date will surely amaze one. The locals of School Dara are all humble comprising of around 200 families. The village grows its own organic produce and cooks them in a simple authentic procedure which tastes great. And their primary source of living is agriculture which is purely organic and healthy.

Residing at a height of 4000 ft. from the sea level, and the slopes are filled with tea gardens till our eyes can reach. The temperature here falls to 4 deg. during the winters and remains quite normal during the summer weather. The sudden isolation from the rest of the world can be greatly experienced here with great enthusiasm. And the homestays are no exception.

They believe leading a simple life with no materialistic needs. The village is still being devoid of electricity and the only medium of light at night is the solar lamp, lanterns, candles. Although the village is devoid of most of the modern amenities, but this doesn’t bother any of its residents. The locals of the School Dara village starting from the young students to the adults lead their lives with less opportunities. The students trek to a long distance to study and they rely completely on Mirik for any medical issues. So the majority of the people use natural method of treatment with the use of medicinal plants. Although there is no such availability of medical necessities, but the homestays stores some basic medicines ready for tourists during their needs.

The village gets its name from a tribal primary School and ‘Dara’ meaning hills and thus named School Dara. This village is a must visit for the ones searching for some isolation. And spend some relaxing time with oneself in the midst of heavenly nature. The homestays provide excellent stay with fresh organic veges and provision of no non-veg foods at the homestays. Few homestays as the Rangbhang and the Rodhi Ghar Homestay also arranges for camp fire during the night hours and pours out enough friendliness and hospitality to the one’s visiting.

BEST TIME TO VISIT SCHOOL DARA:

The most preferred time to visit to this serene place is throughout the year. Tourists are seen less during the months from Aug-Sept. The locals of the place advises its visitors to visit during the winter months when the oranges ripen and fills the green trees. The variety of colorful flowers blooming all through the green hills stuns one.

HOW TO REACH SCHOOL DARA:

Tourists can opt for shared cabs or take reserved cars from Siliguri directly to the destination of School Dara. Traversing a total distance of almost 50-55 km from Siliguri. And a travelling distance of almost 3-4 hours, the eco-village of School Dara can be reached.

PLACES TO GO NEAR SCHOOL DARA:

There are few sites to explore near School Dara. Mirik being on its way, definitely falls under the list of sight-seeing places. Another offbeat sight of attraction is Bunkulung. An unexplored location with its amazing raw nature and letting one to view its untouched, serene beauty is simply mesmerizing. The Rangbhang and Balason have made their meeting point at this location. The forests comprises of a variety of wildlife as the bears, leopard, deer, and some more. Chirping of some known and unknown birds from the nearby forest area makes the trip more exciting and adventurous.