From Wikitravel

Kalimpong is in Darjeeling district in the northern part of West Bengal, India.

[edit] Understand

[edit] Get in

Jeeps are plentiful from Darjeeling; just go to the Kalimpong office in the Motor Stand (this is a little tricky to find as it’s hidden down a dark passage – ask around!). It is definitely worth getting a front seat as jeeps tend to be filled to the brim and there’s very little leg room in the back rows. Fewer jeeps go from Siliguri and Gangtok but they do exist.

[edit] Get around

One can roam around the town, or take a tour or go trekking. There are some really interesting places to visit such as Gauripur House (home of the great Bengali poet Ravindra Nath Tagore), Mangal Dham a temple, Deolo the highest point in Kalimpong offering a guest house with spectacular vistas. Biking is possible as the the traffic is not intense and its really enjoyable to view the beautiful scenery, and the kindhearted people living in the outskirts.

[edit][add listing] See

There is very little to see in the town except to wander around and enjoy the lack of tourists Darjeeling is plagued with. There are a number of religious sites to see, including the Catholic church and Zong Dhog Palri Fo Brang monastery which, after a pleasant 2km walk from town commands wonderful views of Kalimpong and the mountains.

• Deolo Hill. One of the numerous hill destinations that warrant a visit. A picnic spot with a tourist lodge, run by the Department of Tourism. Offers an early morning view of the Kanchenjunga massif.  edit

• Golf Course. A must must watch. A golf course so beautiful is rarely seen.  edit

• Cactus Nursery. A good place to go. Do not miss to check out the Tequila plant out there  edit

• Tashi Takgye(Colour House), 10th Mile, Rishi Road (Near Power Station), ☎ 9434007076. A huge collection of Items at unbelievable prices.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

• Kalimpong is beginning to form a small hiking industry – look around for flyer's in hotels etc for local tour operators.

[edit][add listing] Buy

You can shop around in the few touristy shops in the main bazaar. Don't hesitate to bargain -- you can haggle quite a bit if you want to. Or if you are adventurous, just walk a bit more to the wholesale market (just around the corner from the main street). Its fixed price, but you won't get a better deal anywhere else in town. To buy clothes all you have to do is to visit R.C, Mintri road full of marwadis, and you just can't stop yourself from purchasing for yourself something that is made for you. Don't leave Kalimpong without tasting locally made lollipops.

Tashi Takgye (Colour House) 03552-256897/9434007076, at 10th Mile, Rishi Road, near Power Station(about 1km from main city center) for shopping. This is a fixed price shop with extremely reasonable prices. You can get paintings, statues, wall hanging, knives, porcelain, crystal, thankhas, dragons, items made from bone, masks, souvenirs, etc. It's the wholesale supplier/importer/exporter for the northern region. Prices here are usually 2-3 times cheaper than anywhere else in the region.

[edit][add listing] Eat

The best place for Chinese food, is China Garden, tucked in near the bus stop. They make a great Mei Foon and their Chicken Drumsticks are worth the inevitable queue during tourist season. A tip, though. Hit the place before 8PM as this city shuts down early. For Indian Food and a Drink head to The Soods Garden Retreat,open till 10.p.m

For the best momo, it's Gompu's - you can also get a very decent lunch or dinner at this place. The place stays open until 9PM. For veg momos you should visit Sagar,Evergreen(on the main road),Unique, Shikhar, Mohan Daju and all the hawkers (thela walas).

You'd miss something if you didn't spare time for a quiet, very British afternoon cuppa at Himalayan Hotel.

A good place for affordable drinks and food is King Thai.

Kalimpong produces the only aged cheese made in India. It's delicious: the texture of a hard European cheese and a mild, almost parmesan-like flavour

[edit][add listing] Drink

There are a few bars in town, or just buy something from the liquor shop around the main stand near the bazaar.

• Melting Point, Opp. Kanchan Hall, ☎ 00919593888088. Coming up new hangout place in town, branch of the Melting Point Pelling, West Sikkim  edit

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Holumba Guest House, [1]. One of the better deals in town. It is a botanical garden boasting exotic orchids with guest cottages. Full board is available as well as many services including arranging tours of the local area. Rs. 500-2000.  edit

• Morgan House, (3km away from Downtown. Taxi fare from the market to Morgan House is Rs 40 one way or you can just walk). This is one of the best places to sleep. It's the government tourist lodge, and you can get reservations from Calcutta and stay in this sprawling mansion from the 1930s, though there are reports that the quality is waning.  edit

• The Orchid Retreat, [2].  edit

• Soods Garden Retreat', Reshi Road, ☎ 919733123113, [3]. 8.5 miles out of town  edit

[edit] Get out

• Lava - 35km
• Rishop - 27km
• Darjeeling - 50km
• Sikkim
• The town of Pedong, an hour by taxi (RS 300), is a real off-the-track destination. The town's main monastery is over 150 years old, and can act as a base for hikes through the hills and surrounding villages.

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!