Latpanchar Village l A Bird-Watcher’s Paradise

Today our offbeat in Darjeeling destination is Latpanchar, a village as beautiful as the picture. So without delay let’s get out from New Jalpaiguri station. Also, I will highlight some new spots to see the natural beauty of the road. Looking at the forest on both sides of Sevak Road, you will see Kanchenjunga in front.

Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary

This forest is on both sides of Sebok Road and is the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. The distance from Siliguri is 13 km and this wildlife sanctuary is 28 km from Bagdogra Airport. Covering an area of ​​about 160 square kilometers, the sanctuary was specially reserved in 1959 for the Indian Bison and the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Now 250 to 300 species of birds can be seen here. Because of that, the number of tourists has increased. A car safari costs about Rs. 400 per car and a guide charge of Rs. 250 and Rs. 100 extra for the camera. Moreover, bus safaris are available for an hour at Rs. 300 per person.

Safari Timings And Cost in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary

From	To
6.15 AM	7.15 AM
7.30 AM	8.30 AM
8.45 AM	9.45 AM
3.15 PM	4.15 PM
4.30 PM	5.30 PM

Camera	Rs. 100
Guide Charge	Rs. 250
Safari Car	Rs. 400
Bus Safari for 1 Hr	Rs. 300 per head

Way to Latpanchar

Coronation Bridge will be on the way. Crossing the Coronation Bridge is the road leading to the Assam, Guwahati, and the Duars Jungle. Leaving the Coronation Bridge on the right-hand side and proceeding along National Highway No. 10, Kalijhora will fall in front. From Kalijhora, the road to Sittong goes to the left. Kermet Jungle will be on the way. Then it is Latpanchar forest.

How to Reach Latpanchar?

The distance from New Jalpaiguri is 44 km. From Shalugara, which is located near Siliguri, between 1 pm and 3:30 pm several share cars leave for Latpanchar. The time needed to reach Njp is about 2 hrs. You can reach here from different places. The distances are listed below:

NJP To Latpanchar	44 KM
Darjeeling To Latpanchar	42 km
Kurseong To Latpanchar	33 km
Sittong To Latpanchar	26 km
Ahaldara To Latpanchar	09 km
Namthing Pokhri To Latpanchar	06km

• Share car from Siliguri Rs. 150/-

• Reserve car Rs. 2500/-

But the road to Lat Panchar is very bad. But the beauty is great. Vehicles with high ground clearance are suitable for this road. Otherwise, there is a possibility that the car will fall in trouble in the middle of the road

Where to Stay At Latpanchar?

Latpanchar is situated at an altitude of about 4,500 feet. There are no tourists in this Lat Puncher as the saying goes in the bazaar that is famous only for bird watching. Ordinary tourists don’t decide to spend a night here, but if they can, this village is located just above the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary.

There are a number of homestays at the entrance to the village where tourists usually flock, but the ambiance or structure of these is not the same as a cheap hotel in a mountain village.

Latpanchar Homestays:

You can come to Kripa Homestay 9434686721. This is a beautiful cottage-type homestead. The interior design is also very beautiful. Homestay costs Rs. 1300-1400 per day per head.

Other homestays are Hornbill Nest Homestay (9475959974 / 9064134198), Ashray Homestay (8101554318 / 9609939432), Namaste Latpanchar Homestay, Padam Gurung Homestay, Adarsh Homestay, Latpanchar Homestay (8512988297 / 8350067716)

Within the forest are West Bengal Forest Development Corporation cottages where many stay overnight. The local name is “Lath Kuthi”

Latpanchar Jungle Safari cost:

• Forest entry: Rs.150
• Guide: Rs. 1200-1400
• Car from forest office: Rs. 700

What to see in Latpanchar?

This place is famous for watching birds. For bird watching one has to get up early in the morning and head towards the forest with a guide. Sometimes elephants can be seen far away from here in the lower portion of the forest. The colorful hill flowers and innocent children along the hills give a different dimension to your stay here.

From May to September, entry into the forest is prohibited, in which case you have to wander around the village road to see the birds, but you will not be too disappointed in that case. If the sky is clear, Kanchenjunga can also be seen clearly from Latpunchar.

Latpanchar sightseeing:

Many showers are formed during monsoon. If you have the habit of walking then you can visit Ahaldara and Namthing Pokhri from here. In Latpunchar you will find the bark of the cinchona tree being peeled and dried which is used to make medicine like Quinine. From here this dried bark goes to Mongpu where it is further processed. Locals call this place a leather warehouse. From here there is a local monastery which is newly built. The name of this monastery is Latpanchar Maini Chokriholing Gumpha.

Yogi Khola Rock Climbing Center

Yogi Khola Rock Climbing Center is just ahead. Practicals are done here from the rock climbing school. Contact – Sittong Adventure Tourism Organization Ph-8101563712/9475233791

Latpanchar Birding Guide

Rufous naked Hornbill is the main attraction here. Great Indian Hornbill may be seen. Bird watching requires a good guide and the guide is a local resident who with training or long experience makes every effort to show you the birds. It is very easy for them to hear the sounds of different birds. 250 to 300 species of birds can be seen here.

For bird watching you have to go inside the forest, for this you also have to do trekking, so you need to have enough fitness for hiking or walking. If you don’t have the ability to climb the 10-12 km hilly road, there will be no bird watching. If it is not convenient to walk on such a road, there are car arrangements.

In this case, you have to take a few special spot vehicles and wait for bird watching at that spot. The guide charges roughly 1000 to 1200 taka for a day. Although this guide is not a registered guide or in their case, there is no separate certificate in the forest department. will help.

Another good place for bird watching is Nursery Road. If the light is good, many birds can be seen there. Morning and afternoon are ideal birding times

List of some Birds in Latpanchar:

• 1. Rufous-naked Hornbill

• 2. Great Indian Hornbill

• 3. Black-crested Bulbul

• 4. Greater Yellownape

• 5. Orange Bellied Leafbird

• 6. Maroon Oriole

• 7. Blue Throated barbet

• 8. Scarlet Minivet

• 9. Lesser Racket Tailed Drongo

• 10. Whiskered Yuhina

Bird Watching Tips:

• Keep silent and follow the instructions of the guide

• Leeches are a nuisance in the forest so one should venture into the forest only with caution.

• Don’t hurt wildlife

• Carry a good quality camera for capturing stunning pictures with sufficient memory cards

• Carry a Tripod to stabilise images

Best Time To Visit Latpanchar

As in any other place in Darjeeling weather remains pleasant from March to May and October to December. So this time is best for bird-watching

Latpunchar falls on the way to Sittong. Staying There you can visit here and nearby tourist spots like

• Kurseong,
• Sittong
• Ahaldara
• Namthin Pokhri
• Mahaldiram
• Toryok

Conclusion

Those who say Lat Punchar is a paradise for birds are absolutely right and there is much more. So let’s plan for your next Darjeeling Offbet destination Lat panchar

Photo Credit: Wild India Travel Youtube Channel

🅵🅰🆀 On Latpuncher