Tinchuley is treasure secret eco-friendly tourists destination in Darjeeling. This eco-friendly village terminus sarrounded with tea Gardens, Orange Orchard, and majestic Mt. Kanchenjunga making it the most promising eco-village and one of the key destinations in Darjeeling district. The inhabitants of this quiet settlement took an initiative for establishing their locality as a model organic village.
‘TINCHULEY’ – AN INTRODUCTION
The word Tinchuley stands for three chullhas (chullha means oven), and this is represented by three prominent hill tops that resembles the three chullhas. Tinchuley is a emerging remote hamlet located close to Darjeeling. It provides stunning Himalayan views with the Majestic Kanchanjunga towering over the entire region.
Tinchuley specializes in Village Tourism and one can take village walks, nature hikes and tea garden visits during their stay here. The untouched natural forest, is a birdwatchers paradise and sunrise views from specific points in this region are greatly talked in recent days. Tourism in the area grew several fold over last decade and today Tinchuley has mentionable number of home stay, lodge and resorts..
WHAT TO DO AT TINCHULEY?
The main attraction of Tinchuley village is the hospitality to its visitors and has variety of sightseeing to offer. The four hours drive to Tinchuley through the magnificent mountains is a splendid experience. One can trek through the jungle trail or can dip their feet into the cool Teesta water. And if you are a bird lover u can simply sit in the jungle and listen to the soft chirping of birds. The Teesta meandering amidst the forest is a great attraction for photography lovers.
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS IN AND AROUND TINCHULEY
The major attraction of Tinchuley is the calm and serene ambience; you may go for a walk amidst the pine and oak trees which are in abundance in the area. You may spend the entire day loitering in the countryside blissfully; heedless of your city woes.
Sunrise Point and Tinchuley Monastery: The Sunrise point is an excellent place to view sunrise in the morning. Also this hill top provides fantastic view of the East Himalayan mountain range. Next to the view point is the Tinchuley Monastery which is also worth a visit.
Gumbadara: Couple of kilometers towards the Peshok road and you will reach Gumbadara, view point provides a very wide view of the river Teesta from above, above the view point is Gumbadara rock and cave, its a natural cave with a narrow entrance and the rock is ideal for climbers to practice on.
Chota Mangwa : Chota Mangwa is a remote village located on the lap of Himalaya. Couple of kms downhill drive from Tinchuley will take you to Mangwa area. The Chota Mangwa hills, which have grown in popularity on their own right are just a few minutes drive away. Enthusiasts can enjoy nature trail along the picturesque green forest with a variety of birds and flora. Visitors can also take a leisure stroll to the orange garden, or to nearby tea garden. Tourists can also go for a day trip to Malley for River rafting and can take a view of an age old monastery. Orange Juice making factory at Lepcho is another real life must see destination in Chota Mangwa
Darjeeling: The Queen of Himalayas, with all its magnanimous charms, glamour, and beauty is just an hour drive from here.
Tinchuley should not be considered as a single destination, the whole area is quite popular for tourists and there are several tourist places within a few kilometres that can be visited based here. All the sightseeing of this area can be covered from here easily.
Did you know ? Tinchuleyis developed as a model village with aid from the WWF (World WildLife Fund). During the 1990’s WWF has actively supported 17 Families residing in this area to develop the concept of Sustainable Village Tourism.
Hence, Tinchuley was formed as an eco-tourism initiative and as part of the initiative, home stay as well as other sustainable projects such as organic farming was started. The villagers also showed keen interest in modern farming and with the help of WWF they developed floriculture, vermiculture, organic projects.
WEATHER AT TINCHULEY
Climate : Summer around 5 to 20° C,winter around 2 to 10° C
The weather at Tinchuley is pleasant during most of the year. The altitude of the place is about 5,500 ft. The weather does not get too cold during the winter (of course you would require heavy woollens though) and during the summer months Tinchuley does not lose its cool. The rainy season may observe heavy downpour and lasts between July and September
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HOW TO REACH TINCHULEY
Tinchuley can be reached through a drive of 32 kilometres from Darjeeling. It is at a distance of 80 kilometers from Siliguri, 35 kilometers from Kalimpong and 88 kilometers from Gangtok. You may reach Tinchuley through a number of different routes.
Tinchuley can be reached through a drive of 32 kilometers from Darjeeling. It is at a distance of 80 kilometers from Siliguri, 35 kilometers from Kalimpong and 88 kilometers from Gangtok. You may reach Tinchuley through a number of different routes.
Option 1: The most common road connects Tinchuley with Darjeeling. As you travel from Darjeeling towards Teesta through Jorbanglow, you will be travelling through the Peshok road. Just about 8 kms before you reach Teesta Bazar, take a right turn from 11th mile, also known as Lopchu Bazar area. From this turning Tinchuley is just 4 kms away. This route is the easiest if you are coming from Darjeeling, the distance is about 25 kms.
Option 2: You can also take the right turn at 6th mile bazaar on peshok road. This is few kilometres before 11th mile, take this road to reach Takdah and from Takdah take the left road to reach Tinchuley a few kilometres ahead. The total distance from Darjeeling to Tinchuley through this route is about 30 kms.
Option 3: There is also a steep road that reaches Tinchuley from Teesta Bazar. You will be passing through Chegra Busty, Takling Village and Kolbang to reach Tinchuley. The distance through this road is very short but the road is quite steep.
Option 4: Another option is to travel via 27th mile on the Bengal Sikkim Highway and take a left turn near the NHPC Teesta Low dam project. This route travels through Teesta Valley Tea Estate and Rangli Rangliot Tea estate before meeting the Darjeeling – 6th mile road at Peshok.
So many options might seem confusing to the uninitiated, also take into consideration that road condition, rather than the distance, plays a more critical role in selecting your travel plan in this region. So we highly recommend consulting consulting local drivers who are well aware about the latest road condition in the area.
We also recommend taking a knowledgeable local driver, before venturing into this area as the road may be confusing and even dangerous and self driving by people who have experience only in driving in the plains is not recommended.
LODGES AND HOME-STAY FACILITIES IN TINCHULEY
Till about a decade back, the options for accommodation here was very limited. But In the recent years many homestays and resorts have come up in the vicinity. Also since Tinchuley is a continuation of the Lamahatta – Gumbadara – Baramangwa – Takdah belt, you may also consider staying at any of these other places and enjoy a tour of Tinchuley.
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BEST WAY TO REACH FROM SILIGURI
BY TRAIN
New Jalpaiguri (NJP) is the nearest railway station and is 86 km away & well connected with different parts of the nation. For comfortable journey to Tinchuley, I recommend booking train ticket in 3 months in advance.
BY BUS
82 Km from NJP Railway Station via Kurseong – Sonada , Jorebunglow , 6th Mile. Avg. Travel time from NJP– 5 hours
BY FLIGHT
The nearest airport is Bagdogra(IXB). It is 93 km away and connects with Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata. From Airport, you can hire private taxi.
DRIVING DIRECTION TO TINCHULEY
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To know more about our awesome and diverse country, do visit us again. I shall be back very soon with more interesting stuff from different part of our country. Until then keep traveling and keep exploring.
SUGGESTED READ:
I explored few other less unknown destinations but a pristine one near Kolkata called Takdah, Mukutmanipur & Jhimli, Ramdhura & Lamahatta and Garpanchkot
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Astonishing post. Nice one.
Thanks
Excellent piece of writing. Very much informative.
Thanks
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Hi, I like your post. It’s fantastic. Thank you for sharing your personal experience! I definitely enjoyed reading it. In fact Tinchuley is all about seeing mother-nature in its raw form. It’s truly an amazing experience while reading your article that it takes one back in time. I was planning for a short trip to North Bengal , while searching for it I came through your article and trust me it was like a exactly what was I looking for. The way you describe each and every details is a reflection of your depth knowledge about the territory. Hoping to travel tinchuley as soon as the pandemic goes over and soak the mesmerizing beauty of the nature. Thank you for inspiring us to travel more. Keep sharing & Keep travelling.
Such a wonderful and beautiful pictures, very detail & informative article. Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience. Hope soon after the Pandemic is over..I could cover this beautiful destination with the help of your detailed knowledge. Keep Sharing !! :)