Kolakham - Tour & Travel Guide
Kolakham is a small village in Kolbong Forest within the Neora Valley. Kolakham is an exemplar destination for finding adventure and peace at the same time. Kolakham perched at an altitude of on a hill 6100 feet high overlooking the mighty Eastern Himalayas is an outstanding village to experience the wilderness from a close distance. Kolakham is located 8km away from lava and a 1:30 hr journey from Kalimpong. The scenic beauty of the road is a real visual pleasure as the road is curved through the dense and lush green tropical and alpine trees.
What Makes Kolakham Worth Visiting?
Nestled beside the Neora Valley National Park wildlife can be seen in abundance during your stay in Kolakham. If you are lucky you may come across some wild inhabitants of the Neora forest. One can enjoy the beautiful range of snow peaks, the never-ending green forest, and the variety of birds from Kolakham. On a clear day, the majestic view of Kanchenjunga in the first sunlight can be a real visual pleasure and a lifetime experience in Kolakham.
Kolakham can be your base for the visit nearby Lava, Lolegaon and Rishop. All the sightseeing places of Lava can be reached from Kolakham. Kolakham is a paradise for exotic bird lovers, adventure seekers, rock climbers, and trekkers. Many trekking routes to Neora Valley and Sikkim originate from this small village making Kolakham a base for many adventure lovers.
Kolakham village might be small be it offers an array of activities like hiking, trekking, and rope traversing making it an ideal destination for all the adventure seekers or for the people who want to experience this entire thing once in their life. You will conjointly relish village walks or nature trails on the picturesque landscape of the region. You can also explore the forests close to Kolakham and hike over the rocks to savor the view of a splendid waterfall.
A night full of stars and moonlight illuminating the surrounding area while listening to the sound of insects and rustling leaves will let you feel you are lying in the lap of Mother Nature. Nightlife at Kolakham is totally different from the day, it's like the forest came to life leaving you mesmerized and spellbound.
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Places to Visit in Kolakham
Kolakham offers some of the finest places to visit. You will certainly love exploring the below-mentioned places:
Neora Valley National Park
Neora Valley National Park is one of the most popular and the oldest forest reserve in India built in the year 1986. It is the richest biological zones of the Eastern Himalaya stretching over a huge area of 88 km2. With its various elevation of 183–3,200 meters above sea level, this national park is the natural habitat of a large number of endangered species such as the Indian Leopard, Red Panda, Asiatic Black Bear, Barking Deer, Sambar Deer, Clouded Leopard, Giant Squirrel, Serow, Goral and more. The forest also consists of various flora including rhododendron, bamboo, oak, ferns, sal, etc. Numerous species of orchids are seen here. Neora Valley National Park's safari trip offers travelers have a thrilling journey through the deep forest trail.
Changey Waterfall
Changey Fall is another popular tourist site in Kolakham. The Changey Fall is just a 3kms jeep ride and 1.5kms walk down deep into the Hills of Darjeeling from the village. The cascading waterfall and the surrounding ambiance make good scenery for the visitors to enjoy. Changey Fall will be a perfect destination to spend some quality time alone amidst nature while capturing some stunning photos.
Lava and Rishop
These two offbeat hamlets can easily be explored from Kolakham. Lava is a marvelous spot known for offering a jaw-dropping vista of Kanchenjunga peak. It is also known for the splendid Lava Monastery. The Monastery of Lava lets the visitors witness the finest Tibetan architecture and artifacts. On the other hand, Rishop is all about exhibiting the serene view of the lush greenery and the captivating panoramic view of the surrounding. From the viewpoint of Rishop, you can have the sweeping view of the snow-clad mountain peaks of Mt. Kanchenjunga, Mt. Kabroo, Pandim, Rathung, and many more.
How to Reach this Village
By Air: The nearest airport of Kolakham is Bagdogra. The approximate distance between them is around 103 km. Bagdogra is nicely connected with many national airports of the major cities including Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, etc. After reaching Bagdogra, you can opt for a rented car to reach the village.
By Rail: Kolakham does not have a railway station. However, the nearest railway station is New Jalpaiguri Junction (NJP). The approximate distance from NJP to Kolakham is 108 km that takes around 4 hours to cover.
By Road: You can hire a vehicle from New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri to reach the village. A rented car will help you reach the village from Siliguri within 4 hours by covering a road distance of around 110 km.
Activities Kolakham Offers
The following are the activities visitors can indulge themselves in while having a splendid holiday in this village.
Bird Watching
Bird watching is one of the finest activities to do. The avid bird watchers will be delighted to spot more than 106 species of rare birds in Neora Valley National Park. It is nothing less than a paradise for the bird watchers as they can spot birds like Fire-tailed sunbird, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Striated Bulbul, golden-throated barbet, Bay woodpecker, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, White-browed bush robin, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Rusty-fronted brewing, Golden-naped finch, Black-headed shrike-babbler, Red-headed bullfinch, Verditer flycatcher, Hoary-throated brewing to name a few.
Trekking
Kolakham also proves to be a trekkers' delight as a large number of trekking trails are connected with the village that lets the travelers have an adventurous trekking experience through the deep forest of the hilly terrain. This challenging trekking will feel like a worthy one when you will be rewarded with the fascinating views of the surrounding valleys and the mountains.
Village Walking
Kolakham and its surrounding villages are worth exploring too. You can walk around these villages to know the ways of life of the Rai Community. The villagers are very friendly and welcome all the visitors with great hospitality. You can enjoy the musical dance performed by the local villagers which will truly help you know the culture of their community.
Sightseeing Excursion
From the village, you can go for a sightseeing excursion to all the nearby tourist attractions. For this day trip, you can visit the Rishop Viewpoint, Samabeong Tea Estate, and more. From here, you can also explore all the attractions of Kalimpong such as Morgan House, Deolo Park, Durpin Monastery, Mangal Dham Pranami Temple, Kalimpong Science Centre, etc.
Spend some time at Leisure
A perfect hideout from the world amidst nature letting you enjoy the wonders of nature, Kolakham is the perfect place to rejuvenate yourself with the fresh mountain air and organic food with an awesome panoramic view of the Himalayan range. Kolakham is the safe haven for nature lovers and wilderness explorers.
Hotels and Homestays
Homestays are the only mode of accommodation available here in this village. These homestays are run by the local villagers. They offer all the basic amenities with well-maintained and well-furnished rooms. The attached bathrooms will be there along with view rooms. You will feel like staying very close to nature. The foods you will be getting here are made with completely natural resources and comes with both veg and non-veg options.
Best Time to Visit Kolakham
Due to its pleasant weather all year round, Kolakham can be visited at any time of the year. However, the best time to visit the village during the months of October and November. During these months, the temperature ranges from 5° C and may go up to 15° C. The weather stays too pleasing and the view of the mountains remains clear. Winter is comparatively chilly when the temperature can go down to 0° C.
FAQs about Kolakham
Both of these places are quite beautiful to explore. Charkhole and Kolakham are both are known for their splendid view of the surrounding hills, the vista of magnificent Kanchenjunga, and more.
No, Kolakham and Rishyap are not the same places. These are the two different places and the approximate distance between them is 13 kilometers.
From both Rishop and Kolkham, you can get to see Mt Kanchenjunga. However, the Rishop View offers the more clear view of Kanchenjunga.
From Sittong, Loglegaon is 95 kilometers distance away and Kolakham is approximately 130 kilometers distance away.
Some of the best places to visit near Kolakham are Lava, Lolegaon, and Rishop.
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