All About Chatakpur Tour – Hidden Treasure of West Bengal

Chatakpur Tour – Hidden Treasure of West Bengal

Many of those who have become bored after visiting Darjeeling, and Gangtok, have now made hill villages their new destination. There is no pair of these villages to get close to the unadulterated nature. If avoiding crowds is your choice then you have to choose some offbeat destinations like Chatakpur.

Chatakpur is a small hilly village surrounded by natural beauty at a height of about 7887 feet above sea level. Chatakpur village is located in the Senechal Wildlife Sanctuary, this village is made up of a handful of families. You can choose Chatakpur as a suitable place to spend time in the middle of nature away from the urban hustle and bustle.

Why To Go Chatakpur?

• Kanchenjunga is one of the main attractions of the place, not far from Siliguri. You can choose this place for your weekend getaway.
  
• On a lazy winter afternoon, you can walk around the village. There is always an added interest among Darjeeling tourists to see the sunrise from Tiger Hill. There is one such viewpoint, just ten minutes walk away, which is no less interesting than Tiger Hill.
  
• The forest department has taken big steps in organic farming, and the people of the village have seen the face of prosperity. Tourists can also pick vegetables from the fields and taste the cooking in Chatakpur. In addition to bird watching, if you are lucky enough to see another resident of this forest, ‘Panda’. The adventure of reaching Tiger Hill through the jungle with the guide is an added benefit.

How to Reach Chatakpur?

• From NJP/ Bagdogra: Lots of trains going from Sealdah to New Jalpaiguri. Some of the special ones are Darjeeling Mail, North Bengal Express, New Jalpaiguri Express, Padatik Express, and Kanchanakanya Express. All these trains leave at night and arrive the next morning. Those who want to go in the morning can catch the Kanchenjunga Express, it arrives in the evening.
  NJP to Chatakpur Distance 63.6 Km. From the stations, you can book a private car which takes about 2.30-3 hours to reach depending on the road condition.
  
  From New Jalpaiguri station or Bagdogra airport, the shortest route is to go towards Kurseong and then further up (towards Darjeeling) along Hill Cart Road and at Sonada take a right along the Forest Office Road which eventually meets Chatakpur Road. Chatakpur is only 6Kms from Sonada.
  
  From Darjeeling: If you are coming from Darjeeling, the vehicles usually come up to Jorebungalow and take the Old Military Road which goes through the forests of Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary. This road eventually meets Chatakpur Road.
  The distance from Jorebungalow to Chatakpur is about 14kms. It will take around 1 hour to cover the distance. The road condition after Jorebungalow is bad and it is recommended to take a large vehicle like a Bolero.
  Note:
  Route from Jorebungalow through Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary remains closed during the monsoon (June 15th to September 15th).
  
  For your Information:
  Darjeeling to Chatakpur distance 20.6 Km. It will take 1.5 hours from Darjeeling to Chatakpur by car.
  
• By Shared Car: If you are alone or want to go cheap, get in any Darjeeling-bound share car. Shared taxis/Jeeps are available from Siliguri to Jorebungalow. You can take a shared jeep up to Jorebungalow. From there go three miles in a shared car with 50 rupees. But then you have to rent a car. From three miles the fare to Chatakpur will be 800-1000.
  

Things To Do in Chatakpur

• You can experience the gorgeous view of Kanchenjunga from the window of Homestay, the sunrise from the Chatrakpur viewpoint at dawn and the golden glow of the sun on Kanchenjunga will fill your mind. As the height of Chatakpur is higher than that of Darjeeling, the view of Kanchenjunga can be seen very well from here.

• There is a jungle within 100 meters of range from the Tourist cottage. You can experience light treks on several forest trails there. It is highly recommended to go there with proper guides. If you are lucky, you can see various types of wild animals there.

• There is a nice small pond, locally known as pokhri. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the Cottage.

• Chatakpur is a great place for bird lovers. It’s home to a number of lovely colorful birds like Blue Magpie, Bulbul, Verditer, Flycatcher, Pipit, Long tail Shrike, Warbler, Prinia, and a lot more.
  

• Don’t miss sunrise and Sunset from Chatakpur. Darjeeling (an hour and a half journey) / Lepchajgat / Lamahatta can be reached from Chatakpur on a day trip.

Where to Stay in Chatakpur?

You can find several homestays and guesthouses in Chatakpur. You can book them over the phone or face to face. Before you go there I will suggest you speak with one of them at least once. It will cost around 1200-1500 per day to stay there depending upon the season.

You will get all kinds of benefits in homestays. You will find hot water, breakfast, lunch, and a clean bathroom. At the same time, you will get the hospitality and love of the people there. Below, I am sharing some Chatakpur homestay phone numbers.

Some Popular Home stay in Chatakpur:
1. Eco Village Homestay (8967936712)
2. Prem Homestay (6354961534)
3. Chetan Homestay (6297938870)
4. Pema Sherpa (9609717651)
5. Sherpa Homestay (7908676763/6296227046)
6. Aakriti Homestay Chatakpur (070296 26697)
7. Chatakpur Humro Home Norbu Homestay (097330 69690)

Cost To Travel Chatakpur

Travel Cost:

From NJP- From NJP you can reach Chatakpur in two ways.
i) You can rent a private car from NJP to Chatakpur. In that case, your estimated cost will be around 2500-3000 rupees. These fares may vary depending on the season.
ii) If you have a low budget then you can go to a share jeep. In that case, your cost will be reduced a lot. In this case, you need to reach Jorebungalow first. From Siliguri To Jorebungalow, the shared car cost will be Rs. 250-300 per person. After that, you will have to travel From Jorebungalow to 3 Mile. The shared car cost from Jorebungalow to Chatakpur will be Rs. 50-60. From 3 Mile you need to rent any private car to reach Chatakpur. It will cost around Rs. 800 to reach Chatakpur from there.

From Bagdogra:
You can reach Chatakpur from Bagdogra same as From NJP. You can rent a private car from Bagdogra also. In that case, your estimated cost will be around 2500-3000 rupees. These fares may vary depending on the season.

Chatakpur Homestay Price:
It will cost you around 1200-1500 per day to stay in Homestay. These fares may vary depending on the season.

Entry Permission and Fares Fro Chatakpur

As Chatakpur is located within the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary, entry to the sanctuary requires permission from the Forest Department. But the villagers who run homestays in Chatakpaur have been authorized by the forest department to arrange for the permissions for the tourists who make homestay reservations in advance.
So it is recommended to have a confirmed homestay booking in advance before traveling to Chatakpur. You can request your Homestay owner to arrange for the entry permit for you and collect the entry fees.

Wildlife Sanctuary Entry Fees:
As Chatakpur is part of the Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary, there are fees for entry to the sanctuary.
Tourist Fee: 120/- per person (Rs. 500 For Foreigners)
Vehicle Entry Fee: Rs. 400/-

Best Time To Visit Chatakpur

Chatakpur can be planned at any time of the year. The rainy season is also beautiful there. But it is advised to avoid the rainy season from mid-June to mid-September.
Those who love Kanchenjunga can visit Chatakpur from mid-October to December when the sky remains clear. You can experience the beautiful view of Kanchenjunga at that time.

Things to Carry While Travelling To Chatakpur

• A travel bag.
• A torch.
• A slipper.
• Travel shoes
• Plastic for keeping wet things.
• Dry food as needed
• Soap paper
• Clothes according to the weather.
• Necessary Medicines.
• Camera For Taking pictures of Breathtaking beauty.

Important Information About Chatakpur

Although homestays serve plenty of food, you can keep dry food like cakes and biscuits with you.
Credit or debit card payments may be not accepted at most homestays, so keep enough cash with you.
It is better to keep the necessary medicines with you but if you feel ill suddenly, the doctor is available there.
Mobile Network is available there.
Carry at least one ID proof with you.
If you are planning for Forest Hike, please go with a proper guide.
Visit the Wildlife Sanctuary with proper permission and a ticket. Entering the sanctuary without a permit is illegal. 
If you are booking any private car, book after proper research about the current weather condition there. Small cars are not suitable for all times of the year to reach Chatakpur.

Chatakpur Tour Plan

4 Night 5 Day Lamahatta Chatakpur Tour Plan:
Day 1:
Arrival at New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (NJP) / Bagdogra Airport (IXB) / Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus (Junction) and transfer to Chatakpur
Day 2: Chatakpur Sightseeing Tour.
Day 3: Transfer of Lamahatta.
Day 4: Full-day Lamahatta Sightseeing.
Day 5: Departure Transfer to Bagdogra Airport (IXB) / New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (NJP) / Siliguri
For more information, you can Visit This Website.

4 Night 5 Day Chatakpur Darjeeling Tour Plan:
Day 1:
Arrival at New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (NJP) / Bagdogra Airport (IXB) / Tenzing Norgay Bus Terminus (Junction) and transfer to Chatakpur
Day 2: Chatakpur Sightseeing Tour.
Day 3: Transfer of Darjeeling.
Day 4: Full-day Darjeeling Sightseeing.
Day 5: Departure Transfer to Bagdogra Airport (IXB) / New Jalpaiguri Railway Station (NJP) / Siliguri
For more information, you can Visit This Website.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chatakpur

Final Words

Chatakpur is a wishful destination for those tourists who come here in search of a place to spend a short vacation from the noise and unnecessary life of the city. Chatakpur is a scenic field with steppe fields, orange orchards, secluded forest paths, and lots of green eyes. The total area of Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary is 38.88 sq km. And touching the area of that forest is the home of Chatakpur.

So plan for Chatakpur without delay. I can say that the beauty of this village full of greenery will not disappoint you.

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