Call: +91 7384718607
Call: +91 7384718607
Darjeeling is a beautiful hill station in North Bengal that has always captivated nature lovers since the British Raj time. Often known as Queen of Hills due to its natural beauty and year-round good weather, Darjeeling offers great local sightseeing points such as Tiger Hill, Japanese Peace Pagoda, Batasia Loop, Ghoom Monastery, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, and Zoological Park. Adventures also throng this idyllic hill station for camping, trekking, and mountaineering.
If you’re visiting Darjeeling, take a day or two to visit nearby places as well that are equally thrilling. Kurseong, Lamahatta, and Mirik are offbeat destinations that can easily be reached from Darjeeling in 1-2 hours' time.
CHOOSE MIRIK FOR THE SCENIC RIDE
Mirik is approximately 50 km from Darjeeling town and it takes 2 hrs to reach Mirik from Darjeeling. Mirik is a small hill town near the Indo-Nepal border and is famous for a lake and tea plantations. A road from Ghoom station goes to Sukhiapokhri, a busy hill township located 20 km from Darjeeling. The road continues to Mirik through scenic tea gardens and lovely mountain landscapes.
Road to Mirik
From Simana View Point, on the way to Mirik, you can see Maneybhanjan below and the beautiful mountains on a clear day. On the other side of the valley, the road to Sandakhphu is visible, and on the right, the Khangchendzonga Range can be seen.
From Simana, the road towards Mirik acts as a divider between India and Nepal. En route, you can visit Pashupati Market in Nepal, 1 km away from the Indian border. It's famous for low-cost imported goods. You can walk to the market or can take a taxi.
Items in Pashupati Market (Nepal), 12 km from Mirik
As you move on further towards Mirik, you will come across lovely landscapes full of tea gardens on your left. There are several small round hillock formations with pine trees on top making it a picture-perfect site. This is Gopaldhara Tea Estate. In fact, you can walk down the aisle through the tea gardens and reach a viewpoint from where you get a wonderful view of the gardens all around. Mirik is a further 12 km from Pashupati Market and situated at an average altitude of 5,000 ft.
Gopaldhara tea estate, 10 km from Mirik
THINGS TO DO IN MIRIK
After reaching Mirik, visit Mirik Monastery on top and then Mirik Lake also called Sumendu Lake. These are the major attractions of the place. Sit along the bank of the lake and relax. Paddle boating is also available in Mirik Lake.
Mirik Lake
Boating in Mirik Lake
Take a walk over the arching footbridge and crossover to the other side (western bank) of the lake, turn left and take the walkway through the pine forest and enjoy nature. There is a temple in the forest (known as Devi Sthaan). Pony rides are also available around the lake and are quite popular with children. An interesting activity in Mirik is to feed the huge quantity of fish found right opposite Mirik Lake.
On the eastern (right) side of Mirik lake, there are a lot of restaurants where you can have noodles, thukpa, momos, and shapaley. Also, small stalls have souvenir items.
Try visiting Mirik market too which is famous for handicrafts and souvenirs. Nearby is Bokar Monastery. It is a thriving monastic centre with nearly 500 monks participating in a full schedule devoted to studying, practicing, and sustaining the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
