Neora Valley is extraordinarily rich in avifauna or the feathered animals. Due to its altitudinal variation ranging from 600ft to 10600 ft, various species of birds make the park a paradise for the bird watchers. Pheasants, Cuckoos, Minivets, Flycatchers, Maynas, Orioles, Owls, Parakeets, Partridges, Sunbirds, Swallows, Swifts and Woodpeckers would captivate one with their chirpy calls and enchanting colourful plumage display. Nature has bestowed Neora Valley with a broad medley of butterflies, which provide a grand feast to the eyes with their ingrained splendour. Kaiser-I-Hind and Krishna Peacock are amongst the most attractive butterflies found here. The self-sufficient eco-system of Neora Valley harbours a rich plethora of insects. A mammoth diversity of Spiders, Bugs, Beetles, Ants and Bees parts a very important and complex eco-system of Neora Valley. Neora Valley is particularly well known for wild orchids. Their splendid colours and grace patterns have the capacity to hypnotise anyone. A number of orchids hidden in the deepest parts of the valley are yet to find a place in the records.

Entry Permits You need a permit to enter the park. The permit is available at the forest range office at Lava (and also at Samsing). So if you are staying near the entrance of the park, then you need to come down to Lava early in the morning, take your permit and go back. The whole process of going down to the forest office and getting back with the permit can easily take about two & a half hours. In summer and spring, they usually start issuing permits by 6 am.

What can you see? Halt at Lava for a while and first make a visit to the Nature Interpretation Center for Neora Valley National Park which is located at Lava. Here you will know about the landscape, flora and fauna of the park. The center is open from 8 am - 12noon, 1 pm - 4 pm (closed on Thursdays). This is a good place to get your understanding of what the park offers.

Note that vehicles can go up to the Zero Point which is about 13kms inside the forest. While this drives through the forest can be a great experience, best is to take a guide and trek through the various trails in the forest, or just go for a stroll. That is the best way you can closely explore the birdlife, colourful butterflies as well as diverse flora and fauna. At the entrance of the forest, there is a small cottage where government authorized guide is available. He can take you for a trek through the forest.

If you decide to trek, one way would take about 45 minutes, so a total of 90 minutes walk. It's mostly a jungle trail and can be very muddy if it rains. Before you start your return trek, ask the guide to show you the trail that goes all the way to Phuntsholing located at the Bhutan border. It's about 16kms away from that point. Groups trekking to Bhutan usually takes this route.

Dominant flora The park has an abundance of Sal trees, Ferns and Bamboo groves. During spring and summer, varieties of colourful Rhododendrons bloom in full. There are some 10 different species of rhododendrons found here and some are about 300years old. The pink, white and red flowers are really a feast to the eye. The wild orchids form a canopy in the forest. Yews, Hemlocks and wild Strawberries also form a part of the forest vegetation.
Rhododendron arboruem, R. barbatum, R.falconeri, R. dalhousiae, Swertia chirata, Lycopodium spp., Aconitum spp., Aristolochia spp., Berberis cristata, Costus speciosa, Didymocarpus pedicellate, Rouwolfia serpentine etc. Balanophora neorensis, Balanophora polyandra, Betula utilis, Swertia chirata, Swertia bimaculata, Rananculus tricuspes, Digitalis purpuria, Geranium nepalense, Taxus baccata, and Ilex hookeri etc.

Dominant fauna The Endangered species like Red Panda and the Black Asiatic Bear inhabit the bamboo belt of the Eastern Himalayas. The Red Panda is at great risk of becoming extinct as they dwell on bamboos and the bamboo belt is largely destroyed and substituted by timber. The poachers also pose a threat to its fur. The Red Panda can be rarely seen as they normally sleep during the day at the top of bamboo groves and set out to look for food only at dusk
A survey in 2015 showed there are only 38 Red Pandas in Neora Valley national park. It is not only unusual but practically impossible for you to trek through the jungle after sunset. Therefore only if you are extremely lucky you can spot this rare species during your visit.
The Barking Deer, Goral Deer are frequent passers-by when you take a trek on the forest trail. The other members of the jungle family which can also be seen are the Leopards, Leopard Cat, Himalayan Thar, Flying Squirrel, wild cats and even the Royal Bengal Tigers (although rare).
Insects and reptiles also dominate this park. King Cobra, Viper, Lizards, colourful bees and insects like beetles, moths, wasps and bugs are common. Mammals – Red panda, Tiger, Black Asiatic Bear, Barking Deer, Goral Deer, Leopards, Leopard Cat, Himalayan Thar, Flying Squirrel, Clouded Leopard, Musk deer, Civet, Sloth bear, Golden cat, Wild boar, Goral, Serow, Sambar, Himalayan flying squirrel etc.
Birds – Rufous-throated Partridge, Satyr Tragopan, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Bay Woodpecker, Golden-throated Barbet, Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckoo, Brown Wood Owl, Ashy Wood Pigeon, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Jerdon’s Baza, Black Eagle, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Dark-throated Thrush, White-browed Bush Robin, White-tailed Robin, Yellow-browed Tit, Striated Bulbul, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Black-faced Warbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Scaly-breasted Wren-Babbler, Pygmy Wren-Babbler, Rufous-fronted Babbler, Black-headed Shrike Babbler, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Maroon-backed Accentor etc.
Reptiles – King Cobra, Viper, Lizards, Indian cobra, Common krait, Green pit viper, Blind snake etc.

Changey waterfall Changey waterfall is about 4.5kms from Kolakham (a village where most of the tourist lodges are located). From Lava it takes about an hour by a vehicle and then involves a walk along a trail for about 20 minutes to reach the spot. The road is bad and the journey by car can be backbreaking but the rewards can be plenty. Take an SUV or Jeep type vehicle. The trail is quite steep as well. If you happen to be there when there are hardly any tourists, you can hear the songs of Cicadas and many other singing birds as the water gushes down from a height with a roaring sound.

There are buses available from Siliguri to Kalimpong (100km) which is 32km away from the entry point Lava. The entrance to the park is at Kolakham - a village which is about 10kms from Lava. Another route is from Siliguri - Chalsa (65km) - Samsing (18km). The park can be reached by road from Samsing.

By Air – Nearest airport is Bagdogra airport, about 100 Km from the Neora Valley National Park. Bagdogra airport is well connected by road network to Neora Valley National Park.

By Rail – Nearest railway station is Darjeeling railway station, about 30 Km from the Neora Valley National Park. Darjeeling railway station is well connected by road network to Neora Valley National Park.

By Road – Neora Valley National Park is well connected to Major Cities and Places by road network. There are a number of government and privately operated vehicles that go to Neora Valley National Park at frequent intervals. The nearest town is Lava and the nearest city is Kalimpong.