Travel Guide

PEDONG

GENERAL INFO

Country - India 
State – West Bengal 
District- Darjeeling 
Subdivision - Kalimpong 


Language
Primary Nepali / Secondary Hindi-English 

Coordinates
27degrees09’N 88degrees37’E 
 27.15degreesN 88.2degreesE 


Altitude
Approx 5000 ft above sea level 
Average Temp in Celsius 
Summer: 15 to 25 degrees 
Winter: 2 to 16 degrees


 LOCATION

Pedong is a sub-division of Kalimpong and is 21 Kms away from this town. It touches the border of East Sikkim at a distance of 16 Kms and is well connected to all major towns and also nearby popular tourist destinations like Lava, Loley Gaon, Rishop, Charcoal, Aritaar which are all within an average distance of 1hr to 1.5hrs. The terrain is easily negotiable and provides some of the breath taking views of the landscape including the Omnipresent Kanchenjunga in the back drop. As a destination, Pedong has the perfect ambiance for the relaxed traveler; alongside a touch of history to beckon with. 

airport / railway station

Nearest Airport 
Bagdogra 3.5 hours drive.
Average Flying Time to Bagdogra 
Kolkata 50mins / Delhi 2hrs / Mumbai 4hr / Bangalore 4hrs / Pune 5.15hrs / Chennai 4.15hrs / Hyderabad 5.30hrs 
 
Nearest Railhead 
New Jalpaiguri 3hrs 15 mins drive.
Rail Time to NJP 
Kolkata 8-10hrs / Delhi 18-20hrs / Guwahati – 6hrs 

How and where to get a vehicle to Pedong

Bagdogra Airport
Option 1- Arrange for a pick up vehicle from the hotel/agency that you have booked through. This is to be done on prior basis.
Option 2- There is a pre paid taxi booth inside the airport itself from which you can instantly book a cab directly for Pedong.

NJP Station
Option 1- Arrange for a pick up vehicle from the hotel/agency that you have booked through. 
This is to be done on prior basis.
Option 2 -There is a pre paid taxi booth just outside and within the vicinity of the station. You can either book a cab all for yourself on reserve basis or find someone to share the cost for the same. The driver or the taxi booth people will help you in this case.
Option 3- The real traveler way- First, you take a rickshaw or an auto from the station and go to Panitanki More, Siliguri. There you will find share Jeeps/vehicles for Kalimpong from 7am in the morning till 4pm in the evening. After reaching Kalimpong Motorstand, you will have to find the Pedong Syndicate right there in the motorstand. Plenty of vehicles both on share and reserve basis for Pedong will be available from the syndicate. Kalimpong is 2hrs from Siliguri and Pedong is 45 mins from Kalimpong. This particular option is the most cost effective of all. 


PEDONG to Major Town & Cities

BAGDOGRA AIRPORT -  3.45HRS
NJP- 3.15HRS

SILIGURI - 3HRS

KALIMPONG - 45MINS

DARJEELING  - 2.5HRS

GANGTOK - 3HRS
PELLING - 4HRS


PEDONG to Nearby Offbeat Destinations

LAVA - 1HR
LOLEYGOAN - 2HRS

RISHOP - 50MINS

CHARCOAL - 2.5HRS

KOLAKHAM - 2HRS

DOOARS - 3 HRS

ZULUK - 4 HRS

KUPUP - 4.5 HRS

NATHANG - 4.5 HRS

PLACES OF INTEREST

Pedong comprises of a variety of places which one can explore and they are mostly based on the lines of nature with a lot of virgin areas to cover and some history to beckon with. Please click here for a detailed info on Places of Interest. 

Things to do at Pedong

• Sightseeing trips to various places of interest
• Hiking in the Forest Area
• Rural Village Walks
• River-side activities at Reshi River
• Adventure Sports - Rock & Rope Activities / Mountain Biking
• Campfire / Live Barbecue

Ramitey

This is what we would like to call the pride of Pedong. Ramitey offers the longest view of river Teesta which is the biggest river of Sikkim & Darjeeling. Approximately fourteen turns at a glance, this is by far the best view of the Teesta in this entire region. On a clear day, you can see the Himalayan range as well from here which all the more adds to the beauty of it.


Tinchuley Hill

A lone majestic hill, standing tall amongst others is the Tinchuley hill. It offers one of the best 360 degree views in Pedong but also demands a stiff uphill hike for about 30 minutes to reach the hilltop. And when on top, it is you who suddenly feels majestic, surrounded by the thick pine forests below you and the Himalayan range in front of you. But always do keep the weather in mind. It sometimes plays a spoilsport.

Silence Valley

Many who have visited this place has described it as a miniature enclosed Switzerland. It is a huge pasture surrounded by thick pine trees, a perfect picnic and a camping spot. During the rainy season this little place becomes something like a small lake. According to old locals, this was originally a lake long before.

Damsung Ruins

The Damsang fort is the only fort in the entire district of Darjeeling. It was home to the last Lepcha King- Gyabo Achuk as the Lepcha people are the real natives of this place. After the Lepchas this fort came under the Bhutanese who then lost it to the British in the Anglo-Bhutanese war of 1864 AD. The fort ever since then has lain in ruins but it still makes for one of the best hikes to go for. Huge fir trees which have six shoots growing together in one and their roots making a jungle staircase is a signature on its own.

Sangchen Dorjee Monastery

This is the one of the oldest monasteries in Pedong and its surrounding areas. Established in and around the early 1700 AD it provides tremendous historical insight into the history and culture of this place. The Sangchen Dorjee Gumba also has some amazing fresco paintings on the inner walls of the main chamber depicting Tantric Buddhism. The Chyaam dance or the Buddhist Mask dance is also held here every year.

Crosshill

In the Tibet Mission a lot of Evangelists lost their lives or never came back from Tibet. Fr. 
Augustine Desgodins in due memory of them erected a cross at a vantage point facing Tibet directly with a hope that someday the 
evangelists may return. The Crosshill is 
located at such a vantage point wherein the 
view of the facing mountains is simply fabulous. Here one can 
see the Tibet or now the Chinese border and 
is also the perfect sunset point in Pedong.

Reshi River

If you would like to unwind then this is the place to do it. Being at Reshi River can be most rejuvenating and fun. A cool dip every now and then or simply sitting on a rock with your feet 
in the water with a bottle of beer or juice can completely take you to new heights. If you are lucky you can also order for some fresh river trout. 

Sillery Gaon

A village with approximately 30 families in the middle of the jungle with no electricity or transport is what Sillery Gaon is about. Neatly tucked away from modern civilization Sillery Gaon (village) is a place where one finds perfect serenity. Located at around 6000ft it offers beautiful views of Mt. Kanchenjunga and the sunrise and makes it a perfect place for one to unwind.