Overnight in Montana Vista
Located in the foothills of eastern Himalayas, Siliguri has great strategic importance in West Bengal, with convenient access to three international borders: Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. It is 63 km south of Darjeeling and 12 km from Bagdogra Airport from where we were planning to fly out the next day morning.
- Darjeeling to Siliguri
- Mirik Lake
- Siliguri Tea Gardens
- Town of Uttorayon
Darjeeling to Siliguri – The drive from Darjeeling to Siliguri was scenic with hills, valleys, winding roads, and tea gardens.
Darjeeling to Siliguri, Nepal Border – The India-Nepal border is not a single named line, but a shared border defined by various geographical features and treaties. While driving form Darjeeling to Siliguri, you will pass by several areas where India and Nepal share space – you are in Nepal but you don’t need to show any documents to be there. We also drove past the official place with Nepal Border Security Force, from where one can get into Nepal only by showing documents.
In the pictures below, you are in Nepal but you cannot go into Nepal from here.
Mirik Lake – Mirik Lake, also known as Sumendu Lake, is a 1.25km long lake nestled in a valley, offering scenic views, boating, and walking trails. An 80m long arched footbridge, called the Indreni Pull, spans across the lake. The lake is surrounded by a garden where you can relax on the bench or take a stroll. We walked on to the bridge from where you get a stunning view of the surroundings.
Siliguri Tea Gardens – Siliguri is known as the “gateway” to North Bengal and is a major hub for the tea industry, with a significant number of tea gardens in the surrounding areas.
Town of Uttorayon – We reached Siliguri before 5pm. The hotel we stayed in was within a clean and upscale area named Uttorayon. It was a great place to take a walk with trees lining the footpaths.
