Kalimpong

Kalimpong sits at about 1,250 metres on a ridge above the Teesta, lower and warmer than Darjeeling, and it grew as the Indian end of the wool and mule trade with Tibet through the Jelep La pass, which closed in 1962 and ended that role. What it kept is a mixed town of Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepali, Tibetan and Anglo-Indian communities, Scottish mission schools, and a horticultural trade: commercial nurseries here supply orchids, gladioli and cacti across India. Durpin and Tharpa Choling monasteries hold Tibetan collections, and on clear mornings Kanchenjunga stands above the ridge.

History

The name may come from the Tibetan for "stockade of the king's ministers", or from Lepcha words meaning "hillock of assemblage", and until the mid-19th century the area was ruled in turn by the kingdoms of Sikkim and Bhutan. Many of the town's schools were founded in the British colonial period, and it was long a gateway for trade between Tibet and India (Wikipedia, Kalimpong).

What's there

• The flower nurseries - commercial orchid and gladiolus growers.
• Durpin monastery - a Nyingma gompa on the ridge with valley views.
• The mission schools - Scottish-founded institutions from the trade era.
• Kanchenjunga - the peak visible on clear mornings from the ridge.

When to go

October to December for the clearest mountain views and March to May for flowers; the monsoon brings landslides that close the Teesta road regularly. Winter is cool and clear.

Before you go

Roads to Kalimpong are landslide-prone and can close for days in the monsoon. Kanchenjunga views depend on clear weather and often fail. The town is congested and less geared to visitors than Darjeeling.

Nearby

Darjeeling lies northwest; the Teesta valley is below.

Key facts