General Information About Latpanchar
Latpanchar is a relatively new tourist destination located at an altitude of 4500ft above sea level on the hilly region of Mahananda Wild Life Sanctuary. Latpanchar overlooking the roaring river Teesta is a picturesque forest village of Dooars. Nestled on the highest point of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Latpanchar is endowed with an abundance of flora and fauna making it a paradise for the nature lover. Since it's part of the sanctuary, there is a good chance that you will come across some wildlife here like deer, barking deer, wild boars, and some times even leopards and elephants while exploring the jungles around.
Located 44km from Siliguri, Latpanchar is a hidden jewel of Dooars region which tourists making it’s a crowd-free zone. You will need to take the Sevoke road. Once you reach the place Kalijhora (after about an hour's drive), there is a narrow winding road that goes uphill on the left. From this point Latpanchar is another 13kms, the last stretch is quite steep. There is hardly any traffic on this narrow road, but often the road is not well maintained and gets full of potholes particularly during monsoon.
Hidden amidst the hilly region Latpanchar has emerged as a favoured offbeat destination in Dooars. Blessed with enthralling natural beauty and serene ambience Latpanchar is an ideal place for tourists who want to spend their weekend far from hustle and bustle of rambunctious city crowd.
Apart from natural views, Latpanchar has also gained popularity among tourists due to its birding potential. There are about 250 species of birds available in the area including the Rufous Necked Hornbill. Bird enthusiasts from all over India and abroad, flock Latpanchar for a glimpse of some rare avifauna.
Latpanchar is a mesmerizing mirror of natural beauty covered with deciduous forests and Cinchona Plantation which is used for manufacturing medicines for malaria. The picturesque forest hamlet Latpanchar is dotted with numerous trekking trails. The most famous trekking trail in Latpanchar which has hyped the interest of tourist is the 6km treks through Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary to Raja Rani Hill. During the Raja Rani Trek from Latpanchar tourist can spot the exquisite animals while listening to the alluring chirping of the exotic Himalayan birds and being overwhelmed by the fragrance of flowers, if lucky tourists may even find the footprints of the Royal Bengal Tiger.
Best Time To Visit Latpanchar
October to May is the best time to visit Latpanchar. However, winter (December to February) can be quite cold out here. Monsoon (June to September) should be avoided to visit the sanctuary. In fact, the sanctuary is closed between June 15 to September 15 this is also the animal breeding session.
1) Walking towards and through the Cinchona plantations is a pleasure and wonderful experience. The meandering road passes through forests of sal, teak, pine and dense Cinchona. Take a morning stroll... you will love it.
2) Visit the Ahal Dara View Point. You can take a car, go up to its base (about 5kms from the village), and walk up the boulder path to the top (about 500 meters). Jeeps can take you up for some distance though. From an elevation, you can get a spectacular view of Kanchenjunga peaks. Look below and you can see the lower reaches of the forests on mountain slopes and the river Teesta flowing as far as Haldibari.
On a clear day, you can see Gangtok and Kalimpong townships from here and even the famous Silk Route through which once trade took place between India and Tibet. There used to be a long line of mules carrying loads across the border along the Silk Route. However, most come to Ahaldara View Point to watch the stunning sunrise.
At Ahal Dara View Point, few cottages have been built as tourist accommodations. I have discussed that under Lodging and Accommodations in Latpanchar.
3) From the base of Ahaldara Viewpoint, the main road continues and leads to a lake called Namthing Lake through Cinchona and pine trees. One side of the lake is surrounded by dense pine trees. Other than many different types of birds, this lake area is well known for the rare Himalayan Salamander (small lizard-like creatures). A board says not to swim at the lake a disturb the creatures.
You should ideally take a Jeep or Scorpio type vehicle (which costs about Rs. 800 for a round trip). However, during the summer season, the lake becomes almost dry.
4) Another viewpoint is Sarsari Dara. This is another place from where you get sweeping views of Kanchenjunga snow peaks, other mountains and the valleys around. You can walk up to this place (about 1.5 kms from the village).
5) Sitong Orange Orchard: Although Latpanchar comes under Sitong-3 Mahakuma, Sitong itself extends to other areas like Sitong1 and Sitong2. The road to Sitong1 is extremely bad and requires a jeep to access, but that is where you will find some of the most beautiful orange orchards (you should not, however, pluck oranges without permission from the orchard owner... if you ask, they will let you pluck one or two).
You can take a taxi from NJP railway station or Bagdogra airport. Latpanchar is about 44kms from NJP (takes about 1.5 hours by car) and 49kms from Bagdogra (takes 1 hour 45 minutes by car).
From Kalijhora (on Sevoke road), a hilly road (not in a good condition though) goes up on the left and leads to Latpanchar.
Spread The Love
Click Here to Please Your Ad
