Jhalong | Bindu | Jaldhaka | Dooars

Jhalong and Bindu are twin hamlets where the Indo-Bhutanese border areas meet to make some mesmerizing natural wonders and a fusion of Indo-Bhutia lifestyle.

Jhalong is 95 kms and Bindu is 107 kms from Siliguri, the main connecting city of the famous Dooars tourist region of West Bengal, India. Bindu is the last Bhutan border settlement of India where the three water bodies of Bindu Khola, Dudh Pokhri and Jaldhaka River meet.

The two small villages are surrounded by the Bhutan mountain ranges towering over the rocky Jaldhaka river valley and its sparkling white waterfalls. It is where low, whispy clouds touch down on earth from over the forest-clad hills.

It is also where cups of tea come with the fresh aroma of the world famous Darjeeling tea gardens. The best known tea garden here is Jitli. Along with cups of fresh tea, you can opt for garden-fresh juice from the innumerable orange orchards here.

Rice is also grown on the slopes of some of the mountains here, in the form of terrace cultivation. The famous varlong cardamom and ginger is also cultivated here.

This is also elephant territory and you can often see them crossing the road from Sevoke to Khunia, the route you will travel on. If you are lucky you may get to see the very rare Red Panda. But for that you need to take the short Red Panda treks through the Neora Valley forests.

Things to do at Jhalong and Bindu

One of the most exciting activity to undertake here, is the Red Panda trek. The trek is of 30 kms, a tad tough but worth it. It takes you to the most unaffected and unexplored areas of Dooars. This trek is taken with an expert guide so that you can get to see the rare Red Panda.

Bird watching is also a common activity, wherein you may see local birds like Pheasants, Cuckoos, Minivets, Flycatchers, Mynas, Orioles, Owls, Parakeets, Partridges, Sunbirds, Swallows, Swifts, etc. Other activities include local trekking and hiking to enjoy the hilly terrain and the woodlands and visits to the local villages for an idea of the local life and culture.

You can also visit places like Gorumara, Chalsa and Chapramari Forests from here.

Things to see at Jhalong and Bindu

There are a great many things to see here:

Cardamom Curing Centre14 kms from Bindu. Jaldhaka Hydel Project, the first hydroelectric project of India. Bindu Dam on the Jaldhaka River is a must-visit in the winters because you can see the snow-clad Bhutan Himalayas from here. Gairibas Diascorrea Plantation, a stretch of medicinal plantations. Godak Village is a wonder because the folks here worship a small stream that flows out from a single rock and is said to never dry up. It is actually a religious spot called Debisthan, which means an abode of a goddess.
Another village to visit is Dalgaon. Dhuley forest is also a beautiful tourist area. Two kms from Bindu is Khareykhola mini hydel project.

How to reach Jhalong and Bindu

Jhalong-Bindu is easy to reach. The nearest railway station is New Mal Junction but can be reached from New Jalpaiguri Railway Station too. Jhalong is 95 kms by road from Siliguri via Chalsa. The nearest airport is Bagdogra, from where you can hire vehicles to hit the road.