Chatakpur is a quaint eco village located at a distance of around 22 KM from the Darjeeling town. Nestled within the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary, Chatakpur is a paradise for nature lovers. But if you are looking for ‘sightseeing spots’, then it is not the right destination for you. It is a place where you can relax for a day or two, roaming along the village path and inside the pine forest; and enjoying the romance of green mountains and milky white clouds from the comfort of your homestay.
Situated at an altitude of 7887 feet, the village caters to spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga range on one hand and stunning sunrise on the other. In fact, on a clear morning, arguably one can experience a better sunrise here compared to the famous Tiger Hill.
Reaching Chatakpur:
We travelled to Chatakpur in the summer of 2022, and it was the second leg of our trip. We spent the first 2 days visiting Tinchuley, Takdah and Lamahatta; and on the 3rd day we had planned to travel to Chatakpur from the Rai Resort in Tinchuley. As I already mentioned in my blog on Tinchuley, the weather was not on our side and it was either raining or cloudy throughout.
On the 3rd morning, it was drizzling continuously. As we were getting ready to check-out, it started raining cats and dogs. Soon the visibility became near zero, and our driver Michael ji suggested that we wait for some time. After an hour, the rain subsided a bit, and we started our journey.
Chatakpur is located at a distance of 7 KM from the nearest town – Sonada. From here, the road gets bumpy and full of boulders (but at-least it is better than the road to Rishop and Lolegaon). Due to the condition of the road, you would necessarily need to hire a bigger vehicle like Sumo, Bolero, Innova etc.
Soon we reached the Forest check-post, where we had to pay an entry fee – Rs. 400 for our vehicle and Rs. 120 per adult for every night’s stay.
We reached Chatakpur around 12.30 PM. Luckily for us, the rain had stopped by then, but it was still cloudy. And so unfortunately, there was no view of the Kanchenjunga range.
About the village:
At the onset, let me explain you the topography of Chatakpur. That will help you as you move forward.
At the entrance of the village, there is an abandoned check-post. Here the path bifurcates into two – the left one goes downhill to Lower Chatakpur and the right one to Upper Chatakpur.
Most of the homestays are located in the Upper Chatakpur, and you can view the Kanchenjunga range (of course, on a clear day) from almost each of these homestays. We stayed in Upper Chatakpur, at the Prem Homestay.
The Lower Chatakpur has only one homestay and the Eco-village cottages owned by WBFDC (West Bengal Forest Department Corporation). From here, one can view the Pine forest only, and not the Kanchenjunga. There are two more homestays on the way to Lower Chatakpur.
The primary source of livelihood of the residents is farming. In the recent past, the Forest Department had taken the initiative to promote the village as an eco-tourism destination and since then all the villagers have developed a homestay to welcome tourists.
Kali Pokhri and the Forest Trail:
After lunch, we headed towards the only sightseeing spot of Chatakpur – Kali Pokhri (Kali = Black, Pokhri = Pond) – the sacred pond. The destination, that is the pond itself is not much attractive, but the forest trail on the way is indeed pristine. Bordered by huge pine trees on both sides, you would surely lose yourself in the lap of the nature during this 15-20 minutes walk.
The forest starts just after the Eco-village cottages of Lower Chatakpur. Although not absolutely necessary, you can avail the service of a trained guide, as the forest inhibits wild animals like leopards, red panda etc.
We were misguided by the owner of our homestay and we came down to the Lower Chatakpur by walking down the motorable road. Although the walk downhill was not much of a problem, the way back uphill to Upper Chatakpur was very strenuous. Later I found a shortcut – a flight of stairs that start from the backside of the Akriti Homestay (in Upper Chatakpur) and ends at the back-side of Eco-village cottages (in Lower Chatakpur).
I would suggest that while coming down, you take the road; otherwise you would miss the Welcome Gate of Lower Chatakpur. While going up to the Upper Chatakpur, take the stairs – that would be less arduous.
Rest of the day:
We spent the rest of the afternoon roaming along the alleys of the village.
Our stay in Chatakpur would have remained incomplete until our visit to the Watch tower, a short walk away from the homestays in Upper Chatakpur. The panoramic and 360 degree view of the surrounding area that we witnessed from here was mesmerizing. We were also awed by a thick and vast blanket of cloud that engulfed a wide portion of the valley below. It felt like travelling in an aircraft with the clouds moving beneath.
After sunset, the temperature suddenly started dropping. Our hosts served hot chicken momos along with piping hot Darjeeling tea. It was just the need of the hour. We spent the rest of the evening gossiping with the hosts. The dinner was served around 8.30 PM, and it comprised of chapatti, vegetables and delicious chicken curry.
Next day morning – the Sunrise:
We woke up around 4.30 AM and headed for the Watch tower. If you happen to book a room at the Sunrise Homestay, you don’t have to go anywhere – you can get the same view from the open space in front of your cottage.
As I mentioned earlier, Chatakpur caters to majestic views of sunrise. Some tourists argue that it is even better than the Tiger Hill. So we had high expectations. Unfortunately for us, it was cloudy and the sunrise was ultimately not that grand.
Good bye Chatakpur:
All good things have to end and so was our trip to Tinchuley, Takdah, Lamahatta and Chatakpur. Although we enjoyed a lot, clouds and rain accompanied us everywhere. So, we couldn’t enjoy the fascinating views of Kanchenjunga or the sunrise that these places boast of.
As our train from NJP to Kolkata was in the evening, we had planned to visit Kurseong on the way. In my next blog, I will take you to the popular spots of Kurseong that you can visit on a weekend trip.
Some useful information and tips:
Best time to visit Chatakpur:
You can visit Chatakpur throughout the year except during the monsoon months of mid-June to mid-September, when the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary and the entry to the village is closed.
But the best time to visit is during the extended winter months, i.e. mid-October to February. During this time, the sky is normally clear and you would get an exquisite view of the Kanchenjunga range. We travelled in May, when it remained mostly cloudy.
Homestays in Chatakpur:
The homestays here are literally extensions of the villagers’ homes. Do not expect luxury here. The charges are per person per night basis and include lodging and 4 meals – lunch, evening snacks, dinner and breakfast.
We stayed at the Prem Homestay (+91-89003-12186, 81018-93469, 63549-61534), where the hosts were very courteous. Our room was spacious enough to accommodate 4 adults, but the bathroom was miniscule (It seems they have plans to re-construct the bathroom soon). They charged us Rs. 1200 per person.
The only disadvantage of Prem Homestay is that, tourists have to trek a little from the motorable road. But the hosts would help you in carrying your luggage.
Two other homestays that I would mention here are Sunrise Homestay (+91-81169-69563, 70478-00613) and Akriti Homestay (99331-04230). Both their locations are fabulous (in terms of view) and do not need trekking to reach.
Details of Car:
We travelled from Tinchuley to Chatakpur in the Tata Sumo of Michael ji (+91-86705-83748), which had cost us Rs. 2700. The charge for pick/ drop from/to NJP is Rs. 3500. As we included the sightseeing spots of Kurseong, we had to pay Rs. 500 extra.
***********************************************************************************************
In the Comment Box at the end of the page, please leave a note of how you felt about my post.
If you like my posts, please allow me to send my next published post automatically to your Inbox. Please Subscribe in the form below, and Follow me on Instagram and Facebook.
In the Comment Box at the end of the page, please leave a note of how you felt about my post.
If you like my posts, please allow me to send my next published post automatically to your Inbox. Please Subscribe in the form below, and Follow me on Instagram and Facebook.
Recent Comments