TUTTIDARA, DARJEELING – 75 KMS. FROM SILIGURI

• Weekend Tour

Perched on the slopes of the Himalayan foothills, surrounded by pine forests and tea gardens, Tuttidara is a small Gorkha village with spectacular views of Mt. Kanchenjungha. A few minutes’ walk around Tuttidara would take you to a nearby sacred lake, a nature park and a viewpoint with breath-taking views of valleys and snow peaks. However, if you are thinking that only basic accommodation would suffice in these environs, then you are far from the truth. Surprisingly, you would find one of the most luxurious resorts located on the outskirts of Darjeeling at Tutti dara.

Places to see in Tuttidara: A small tread along the tea gardens would take you to a viewpoint with “bird’s-eye” view of Pine Forests, Tea Gardens and mighty Mt. Kanchenjungha. Another short walk would take you to a watchtower, a nature park within a pine forest and a sacred lake.

Nearby attractions of Tuttidara: The “Queen of the Himalayas” – Darjeeling is just 25 kms. from Tutti dara. All sightseeing options of Darjeeling like Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Ghoom, Batasia Loop, Gorkha Memorial, the Darjeeling Mall and the Zoo can be covered in day trips from here. Another famous hill town – Kalimpong is just 32 kms. from Tutti dara. Day long trips from Tuttidara can cover some of the most interesting destinations around Kalimpong like Cactus Garden, Delo Park, Durpin Monastery, Rabindranath Tagore’s house, the golf course and the famous markets of Kalimpong. The erstwhile British Cantonment of Takdah, which is famous for its colonial Bungalows is just 12 kms. from Tutidara. Also, the Mangwa Hills, known for their orange orchards are within 20 kms. Another very interesting local sightseeing is the Barbotey Hanging Heritage Bridge whose architectural ingenuity is very impressive. So, be rest assured that your stay at Tutti dara would be more exciting than what you expected.

Things to do in Tutti dara: Bird watching in the surrounding forests is one of the most popular activities for guests staying at Tutti dara apart from experiencing the sunrise over Mt. Kanchenjungha. Hiking through the tea gardens or a short trek of 03 kms. from Tutti dara to Takdah through dense Pine Forests would be very rewarding too.

Best time to visit Tuttidara: You can visit Tuttidara anytime of the year. The weather is sparkling during winters whereas the monsoons cover the tea gardens, forests and valleys with a shroud of greenery.

How to reach Tuttidara: The nearest rail head of New Jalpaiguri Railway Station is around 75 kms. from Tuttidara. You can take NH10 and cross Kalijhora, Teesta and finally reach Peshok and then Tutti dara. If you are planning to take a shared car or bus, then take any bus heading towards Darjeeling from Siliguri which passes through Kurseong and get down at Jorebungalow. Tutti dara is around 14 kms. from Jorebungalow.

Lodging and Food at Tuttidara: The luxury resort at Tutti dara has 12 rooms in the main building, a dining hall, a reception, a conference hall and two fabulous lonely cottages in a quiet corner of the resort. All rooms come with extra-large windows opening to views of mountains and forests. Some rooms even have balconies. The main building’s roof top lounge offers sweeping views of Mt. Kanchenjungha too. The usual facilities include comfy beds, internal phone, flat screen television with DTH, couch, attached western style bathroom with hot water arrangements. The traditionally designed cottages are located few yards from the main building with rooms offering mountain views from the porch. The in-house restaurant offers Tibetan, Chinese, Bhutanese and Indian cuisine to the guests.