Tiger Hill Trek In West Bengal
Tiger Hill is a Mecca for tourists visiting mountains. It is about 12 kms from Darjeeling. It is mainly famous for its rising sun beauty but ecstatic Kangchendzonga Range and ancient monasteries add to its glamour. This trek gives you a golden opportunity to witness the richness of versatile flora and fauna of India.
Ideal season to trek Tiger Hill
It is March and April and also October to November.
Location of Tiger Hill
It is located near Ghoom in Darjeeling district.
Trekking Tiger Hill
- Distance: 13-14 kms.
- Time: 5 hours
- Level: Easy
Trekking starts from Chowrasta in Darjeeling, moving past the wide Tenzing Norgay jeep track, past the settlements of Toons Soong and Aloo Bari with its old monastery. You will pass some small villages as you move on the route to Jorebungalow.
Moving ahead you will find many places to lie down and relax. Here Money Point is worth mentioning which is marked by a cheery little brook at a distance of 3 kms. beyond the Mag Dhog Monastery. Before you reach Jorebungalow, catch the path ending at the Jalapahar Cantonment. On returning from Tiger Hill, you can tread your steps back to Darjeeling town via Jalapahar. Here you can catch sight of beautiful Kangchendzonga and the hills around Darjeeling. Even the far away located Kurseong, Mirik and Sandakphu and the distant plains of Bengal give you an exotic view.
You can trace your steps upwards for a kilometer from Jorebungalow to visit the Jathe Rinpoche Monastery. You can also carry on to the Tiger Hill. You have 2 options to reach Tiger Hill from Jorebungalow. The first is to trail up the motorable route but the second walk will make you move further outside the town and into the wilderness.
Climb for a couple of hours through the forests will take you to the Senchal Lake which is located on a plateau. This lake serves as the source of drinking water for the people of Darjeeling. The woods here never die out and always remain green and have many species of rhododendrons along with remnant oak, bamboo thickets, wild orchids and ferns.
On your way throughout the trek, you will come across many miniature shrines which are devoted to the spirits of the woods.Just before you climb to the top of the hill, you can see the terraces of Tiger Hill and the temples of ancient period. After a few minutes, the path glides from the Jorebungalow. March one kilometer more to reach Tiger Hill.
Standing on the top of the Tiger Hill, you feel absolutely enchanted by the panoramic views of the snow capped physical features .Kangchendzonga is the tallest to the left as is the road to Lhasa, the ice capped Jelep La Pass into Tibet. Chomolari (on Bhutan's border) and Yatung Valley are also seen clearly. Makalu, Pandim, Kabru, Siniolochu, Kothang, Janu, Simvu, Kumbakaran and Ratong are other peaks which are visible. You can also catch the sight of Teesta River, Mahanadi River, Balasun River and Mechi River tumbling into the plains of Bengal and meandering southwards.
Trek to the cave temples where the guardian deity of Tiger Hill-Shiva resides. You can also catch the sight of sunrise over the Great Himalayan Range. Catch jeep taxi or walk to Darjeeling via Jalapahar.
Tiger hill trek is the favorite early morning destination of all vacationers in Darjeeling. It is a beautiful place having Kangchendzonga range as the backdrop. It can be completed within a day and be careful of the stinging nettles en route.