Kurseong
Discover Kurseong
Kurseong (Nepali: खरसाङ Kharsāṅ, Bengali: কার্শিয়াং Kārśiẏāṁ) is a town in the Darjeeling Hills of West Bengal. The town is also known as the "Land of Glorious Sunsets" because it faces the western part of the hills, and the sunset is visible through a glorious mix of clouds turning crimson, yellow and red. The Lepcha name literally means the "white orchid of the eastern Himalayas", which was apparently given by a European researcher who was researching an exotic variety of white orchid that could only be found at the height of Kurseong, i.e. 4500 feet above sea level. This variety of the white orchid only grows at this height, hence the name.
What to Experience in Kurseong
Taste of Kurseong...
Most of the hotels have their own restaurants. Roadside eateries serve popular snacks like momo and thupka. You can try local drinks such as "chaang" prepared from fermented millet and "tongba", another regional drink that is often served with boiling water. Continue with your journey to Darjeeling (about 35 kilometres), to Sikkim or Kalimpong. To catch a train or flight, you have to go to Siliguri. Reserve cars are available from Siliguri, Kings Travels, dial-098304-28401/ 093319–39486.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options26.87740188.2770011 Kurseong DHR is about 45 kilometres from Siliguri. It takes approximately 2 hours to reach Kurseong if you travel by Hill Cart Road, the comfortable and scenic link running parallel to the railway tracks or about one hour using the Old Army Road (Pankhabari Road), which is steeper. You can either walk or flag down mini-vans. These vans show availability if they have a sign-up with their destination (for duty or reserved means you can't flag them down). From Kurseong railway station to Makaibari Tea Estate is around 60 rupees. Kurseong is home to the costliest teas in the world. World-famous Castleton, Ambotia and Makaibari tea gardens produce the most delicate aromas of all black teas known to mankind. You just relax or move around the town, tea gardens or the parks. Enjoy the cool mountain breeze. The town is small, clean and relatively uncrowded. One can buy beautiful Tea from either Tea Estate's outlet country or from any number of shops....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
You can either walk or flag down mini-vans. These vans show availability if they have a sign-up with their destination (for duty or reserved means you can't flag them down). From Kurseong railway station to Makaibari Tea Estate is around 60 rupees. Kurseong is home to the costliest teas in the world. World-famous Castleton, Ambotia and Makaibari tea gardens produce the most delicate aromas of all black teas known to mankind. You just relax or move around the town, tea gardens or the parks. Enjoy the cool mountain breeze. The town is small, clean and relatively uncrowded. One can buy beautiful Tea from either Tea Estate's outlet country or from any number of shops. Woolen garments, jackets are very attractive and can be purchased from shops located on T.N.Road. Most of the hotels have their own restaurants. Roadside eateries serve popular snacks like momo and thupka.
Where to Stay
Continue with your journey to Darjeeling (about 35 kilometres), to Sikkim or Kalimpong. To catch a train or flight, you have to go to Siliguri. Reserve cars are available from Siliguri, Kings Travels, dial-098304-28401/ 093319–39486.
Money & Budget
One can buy beautiful Tea from either Tea Estate's outlet country or from any number of shops. Woolen garments, jackets are very attractive and can be purchased from shops located on T.N.Road. Most of the hotels have their own restaurants. Roadside eateries serve popular snacks like momo and thupka. You can try local drinks such as "chaang" prepared from fermented millet and "tongba", another regional drink that is often served with boiling water. Continue with your journey to Darjeeling (about 35 kilometres), to Sikkim or Kalimpong. To catch a train or flight, you have to go to Siliguri. Reserve cars are available from Siliguri, Kings Travels, dial-098304-28401/ 093319–39486.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Kurseong
a road going through a valley
houses on green grass covered hill under blue sky during daytime
a scenic view of a mountain range with a river running through it
Sony a6600 (sigma 18-50 f2.8)
Kanchenjunga peak during sunrise, a true sight to behold.
a lush green hillside covered in lots of trees
the sun shines through the tall trees in the forest
Waiting for the bus
A small wooden cabin in the middle of a forest
a group of white flowers sitting on top of a green plant
a road going through a valley
houses on green grass covered hill under blue sky during daytime
a scenic view of a mountain range with a river running through it