Takdah (Darjeeling) West Bengal - Bungalows, How to reach

Takdah is a small village located near the city of Darjeeling in the Northern part of West Bengal.

If you want to stay away from the overly crowded hill stations like Darjeeling and want to enjoy a quiet and peaceful stay in the mountains, that too in British colonial-era Bungalows made in the 1900s, then this place is perfect for you.

The name “Takdah” came from a Lepcha word “Tukdah” meaning “Fog” or “mist”. This name is ideal for this place as Takdah remains mostly covered in clouds.

I came to know about this place while looking for some offbeat destinations near Darjeeling. A quick google search made me want to visit this place even more.

So while planning a trip to Darjeeling with my family in March 2021, I thought of staying at this place for 3 days and exploring the surrounding areas.

In this article I will tell you about my experience of this place and also give you the following details about Takdah:

How to Reach
3-Days Itinerary
History of Takdah
Places to Visit
Places to Stay
Where to eat
Best time to visit

How to Reach Takdah

The Takdah village is located at a height of about 5000 ft above sea level. It is located at a distance of 28 kilometers from Darjeeling.

The distance between Takdah from Siliguri is about 64 kilometers. You can get shared jeeps from Siliguri as well as Darjeeling.

How to reach Takdah from Siliguri/NJP?

A reserved car from Siliguri or NJP Railway station will cost you around Rs. 3000 – 3500. It depends on your negotiation skills. The prices also vary a lot depending on the seasons.

You can also call your guesthouse/homestay and request them to arrange a pickup for you from Siliguri Bus Stand, NJP Railway Station, or Bagdogra Airport.

How to reach Takdah from Darjeeling?

You can get both reserved as well as shared cars from Darjeeling to Takdah. A reserved car will cost you around Rs. 2000 – 2500. The rates vary a lot. It takes 1.5 – 2 hours to reach Takdah from Darjeeling.

Takdah 3-Days Itinerary

DAY 1: DARJEELING/NJP – TAKDAH

Take a Cab/Taxi from NJP (New Jalpaiguri) station, Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri bus stand, or Darjeeling early morning and you will reach Takdah in the afternoon. It takes about 2-3 hours to reach there.

Visit nearby places in the evening like the Takdah Monastery and the Takdah Market.

DAY 2: TAKDAH SIGHTSEEING

Visit Tinchuley, Bara & Chota Mangwa, Lovers Meet Viewpoint, Triveni, etc.

DAY 3: TAKDAH – NJP/DARJEELING

Visit the remaining places in the list of places to visit near Takdah on your way back to Darjeeling/NJP.

History of Takdah

I came to know that Takdah started as a British military cantonment area in the 1900s. It was the destination for many British officers of high rank from all over India.

In order to accommodate these British Officers, many Bungalows and clubhouses started to come up in this area. They were built in traditional British architecture with slanted roofs. These Bungalows were mainly constructed between 1905 – 1915 and are thus over 100 years old.

After India’s independence, these bungalows were left abandoned and during recent times, these bungalows were renovated by the locals and were offered as homestays to the tourist.

Attractions near Takdah

We came to Takdah from Darjeeling. We requested our homestay and they arranged for the car that picked us up from our hotel in Darjeeling and dropped us off at our homestay in Takdah.

During our stay in Takdah, I came to know that there are a lot of places that you can visit in Takdah. These places for sightseeing are not that far from your homestay.

However, all these places cannot be covered in a day and take a minimum of 2 days. If you are planning to stay for just two days, like us, then you can visit some of these places on your way back to NJP (New Jalpaiguri), Bagdogra Airport, Siliguri, or Darjeeling.

Now let’s see the places you can visit near Takdah.

Tinchuley
Lamahatta Eco Park
Takdah Orchid Centre
Rangli Rangliot Tea Garden
Bara Mangwa
Chota Mangwa
Triveni
Teesta Valley Tea Estate
Takdah Monastery

You can know more about these places in this article: 9 Beautiful Tourist Attractions near Takdah, Darjeeling.

Apart from that you can also do adventurous activities like Teesta White Water Rafting, Paragliding at Kalimpong, or taking a walking or biking trail in the forest around Takdah and Tinchuley.

Places to Stay in Takdah

Most people visiting Takdah, like us, choose to stay at the Heritage Bungalows. There are many popular British colonial-era Bungalows, where you can stay. We stayed at the Saino – The Heritage Bungalow, which was built in 1907.

Other bungalows like the Forest Club homestay and the Takdah Palace, which was recently converted to a homestay are also some of the guesthouses where you can stay in Takdah.

There are also some homestays offered by local families at a reasonable rate.

Where to Eat in Takdah

Asif Saleh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The homestays and guest houses provide all the meals at a nominal cost. The one in which we stayed provided us breakfast, lunch, evening tea, and dinner at Rs. 600 per day. Everything was home-cooked

In some guest houses, the meal cost is included in the room rent. Ask for the details regarding food before booking. In most cases, the meals provided by the guesthouses and homestays are all home-cooked and made from fresh vegetables from their own farms or local markets.

Indian and Nepali cuisines are commonly served here. If you want vegetarian options, make sure to let them know beforehand.

Best Time to Visit Takdah

Takdah can be visited at any time of the year. However, the best time to visit Takdah is during Winter or Spring, i.e. October – March.

During this time the weather at this place is just awesome. You will also be able to see the Orchid bloom and the ripe oranges in the Chota Mangwa and Bara Mangwa valleys.

These are some points about Takdah that you must know about.

So visit this serene offbeat destination near Darjeeling and have a memorable vacation or weekend.

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