Amidst natural gardens of colorful flowers, floating clouds, and misty mountains, Tandrabong is a serene Lepcha village in Mayrong forest range, a part of mysterious Neora Valley Nation Park. Close to Kalimpong town, it’s an ideal gateway for spending peaceful holidays in the lap of pure nature, measuring the colors of beautiful orchids, experiencing the art of step farming, counting endless butterflies, and playing with the floating clouds. On a clear day, the exclusive view of Mount Kanchenjunga right from the room balcony is definitely an added excitement that Tandrabong village offers you seamlessly!
The little hamlet is also known as Tendrabong; in fact, this is the local pronunciation. Let’s explore how you can spend fantastic holidays in Tandrabong (or Tendrabong).
Things to do in Tandrabong (or Tendrabong)
The calm and composed atmosphere of the little hilly hamlet Tandrabong immensely attracts the peace-lovers, and the shaky call is simply unignorable. Indeed, it’s ever-refreshing to spend a full day lazing around the colorful hilly landscape and getting lost far away from the human crowd.
Beautiful Morning at Tandrabong
The morning songs of unknown Himalayan birds awake you early in the morning, welcoming you to the green heaven of Tandrabong. It’s worth enjoying the morning tea sitting on the farmhouse balcony, watching the lush green vegetation in the middle of steep mountains.
After breakfast, doing a short morning walk across the green village offers you the real charm at the beginning of the day. Colorful orchids bloom here and there, blossomed hilly flowers competing as well, giant butterflies kissing the flower tip, Lepcha couples working sincerely in the hill-stepped organic farm, snow-capped Himalaya peeking behind the clouds… the enchanting morning appearance of Tandrabong is simply unexplainable!
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Plan for the Day-time
It’s a great idea to spend a full day lazing around the farmhouses (or homestay in Tandrabong), especially if you have planned a hectic hill-trip prior to or after your Trendrabong visit. In fact, you may consider this place as your resting halt in between your busy North Bengal trip.
Alternatively, you can visit the nearby places hiring a car.
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Nearby destinations to visit
Tandrabong is a fine place to spend 1-2 days, so if you are planning a 5-7 days trip to North Bengal, it’s better to combine the tour plan by including some other nearby destinations. Also, you can explore the nearby destinations by centering Tandrabong.
Neoravalley national Park is a big area with several beautiful spots; you may restrict your plan within this region, or you may include some away places to alter the taste.
Below I have introduced some of the top places near Tandrabong, that you may include in your travel list.
- Duka Falls (1.6 km)
- Sillery Gaon (11.5 km)
- Ichhegaon (15 km)
- Rishyop (19.5 km)
- Lava (18.5 km)
- Kalimpong (23 km)
- Changey falls (30 km)
- Charkhole (41 km)
- Simanadara (42 km)
Evening Glory at Tandrabong
Evening of Tandrabong offers you a different experience. It’s cold but enjoyable, especially on the nights of fullmoon. With the exposure of bland moonlight across the hilly hamlet, all the mountains and hill-step farmlands get enlightened, creating a dreamy atmosphere all around. No matter, you are the old couple or new, the romantic ambiance of fullmoon evenings must gift you an unforgettable Tandrabong trip.
Whether it’s a night of full-moon or off-moon, a blend of bonfire party with roasted chicken definitely enhances the enjoyment, especially if you visit there in a group. Some of the homestay owners in Tandrabong arrange campfires on guests’ demand. So, you may discuss them accordingly prior to your visit.
*Apart from the beautiful memories, you may collect another thing from Tendrabong village. It’s Cardamom. Local farmers cultivate and process fully organic Cardamon and sell those at the Siliguri market. You may fairly collect some for your home.
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How to reach Tandrabong (or Tendrabong)
Nowadays Tandrabong has become a popular offbeat destination, so most car drivers know the route to reach the spot, especially the drivers from nearby destinations such as Rishyop, Kalimpong, or Sillery Gaon. However, if you plan to travel directly from New Jalpaiguri or Bagdogra Airport, it’s better to ask the homestay owner to send a car for picking up you.
If you rent a car by yourself, you are suggested to choose the Lepcha drivers over the Bengali ones; Lepcha drivers are much more friendly and polite compared to Bengali drivers, offering you a smooth and enjoyable ride.
[I personally suffered by hiring Bengali drivers quite a few times in North Bengal; the return journey from Charkhole was one of the most memorable ones because the arrogant Bengali driver was denying to stop the car even when our children were crying and vomiting continuously. So, always choose your driver wisely during north Bengal trip; I personally felt its a crucial matter.]
- Nearest Railway Station to Tendrabong: Sivok (68 km), Damdim (71 km), New Mal Junction (76 km), New Jalpaiguri (117 km)
- Nearest Airport to Tendrabong: Bagdogra Airport
Where to stay in Tandrabong
Following are some good homestays in Tendrabong.
- Orcard Farmhouse (Homestay)
- Flower valley Eco stay
- Roshan Lama Homestay
- Basneth Homestay
- Tamang Sanboo Homestay
As per my personal experience, the first one is the most comfortable homestay in Tendrabong, offering accommodation for 3 families.
Fooding Experiences in Tandrabong
Being an offbeat destination in North Bengal, there is no restaurant and Dhaba at Tandrabong; Homestay owners take bookings with the inclusion of 4 times food. They provide you the morning tea and breakfast, lunch, tiffin in the evening, and dinner. If you need something extra, you have to inform them early so that they can arrange it.
Almost all the residents in Tendrabong are diligent Lepcha cast; the majority of them are directly or indirectly involved in organic farming. In their struggling life, they work hard for food, and they cook the food only to fill their stomachs; Tasty foods have never been their fascination. So, you shouldn’t expect very tasty foods in Tandrabong, but you must get absolutely fresh organic vegetables on your plate, and of course, their warm hospitality during your stay.
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Wrapping up
So, that’s all about my personal experience in Tandrabong or Tendrabong trip. Hope, this article will help you to plan a fantastic north Bengal trip including Tandrabong on your travel list. I must say, if you are planning to hop around Neora Valley National park, it’s worthy to stay at Tandrabong for 1-2 days in between your packed trip, mainly to experience the ultimate serenity of a Lepcha village in this region.
If you have any further queries, don’t hesitate to post your question in the comment box below, I’ll be more than happy to help you further.
Have a nice trip!
Dr. Suvankar Das is a scientific advisor by profession, associated with a CRO organization. He pursued his doctoral degree in Chemistry in 2015. Later, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher & scientist in a couple of institutes/companies.
Besides his scientific journey, Dr. Das is also a passionate traveler and travel blogger. He loves to share all his travel experiences with other travelers so that everyone can enjoy hassle-free holidays with their own tour plans.
He believes, the most beautiful thing in this world is the WORLD itself. so there is no way to live like a clock; rather live it like a compass!
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