A three day trek route that passes through dense forests, a fort that was built by the East India company in 1873, and some really cute drukpa villages. While walking you can listen to the stories of the freedom fighters who were locked up in the cellular jail of the fort or the mythical swans who made the two nearby lakes. A good portion of the trail falls within the Buxa Tiger Reserve, so ample opportunities of birding , watching wildlife and butterflies are there. Close to 400 species of butterflies can be found around this region. And we are not even mentioning authentic Bhutanese cuisine that you will find in the homestays on the trail. Beckoning ? Oh yes !
Day 1
- We pick you up from New Alipurduar at 1 pm.
- Warm up walk in and around Santalabari after lunch
- Overnight stay at Santalabari
- Breakfast at Santalabari.
- Trek from Zero point to Tashigaon via Buxa fort.
- Night stay at Tashigaon.
- Distance to cover by foot: 4kms approx.
- Breakfast at Tashigaon
- Tashigaon to Robertson Peak and back (4 kms approx)
- Tashigaon to Lepchakha ( 3 kms approx)
- Stay at Lepchakha.
- Distance to cover by foot : 7 kms approx
- Breakfast at Lepchakha
- Lepchakha to Santalabari
- Stay at Santalabari
- Breakfast at Santalabari.
- Village visit
- Lunch at Santalabari
- Visit to Rajabhatkhawa Museum.
- Visit to Butterfly project.
- Drop at New Alipurduar railway station at 4 .30 pm.
Trekking Gear:
- A rucksack lined with plastic liner and covered with rain cover.
- 2 numbers of one litre capacity water bottles.
- A Hand/Head Torch with spare batteries.
- UV protection Sunglasses.
- Quick Dry lower or Track Pants- 2.
- Full sleeved T-shirts- 2.
- Rainwear (Jacket and Pants) -1 OR poncho-1
- Hiking/sports socks- 2 pairs.
- Undergarments - 1 for each day of trekking.
- Sun cap or Biker Scarf for protection from sun- 1.
- One extra set of clothes for return journey.
- Non-skid deep trod hiking shoes (Preferably ankle high) - 1 pair.
- Lightweight kitos - 1 pair.
- Whistle.
- Sunscreen lotion, lip balm, toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, toilet roll, cold cream, soap paper strips, small quick dry towel.
- Anti-fungal cream: Carry an antifungal cream if you are sensitive to sweating and prone to skin irritations around genitals or groin area due to lack of bathing.
- For women:
- Tampons or sanitary napkins,
- 2-3 zip pouches to carry non-biodegradable waste.
- Vaginal wash to avoid any irritation due to lack of bathing.
- Camera (optional).
- Personal medicine kit. Though our trek leaders carry a fully equipped first-aid kit, it is a good idea to carry a small personal one. Make sure you consult your doctor before the trek in case you have any special ailment.
- Dry fruits, energy bars.
- Walking poles.
- Region : North Bengal and parts of Bhutan hills.
- Best season : October to March.
- Trek gradient : Mostly easy grade.
- Average temp: 25ºc to 30ºc during daytime. At night. 20ºc to 22ºc
- Stays : Stays in Tashigaon and Lepchakha and Santalabari will be in homestay on shared basis. Generally triple and quadruple.
- Duration of the program: 4 nights 5 days ( New Alipurduar to New Alipurduar)
- Total walking distance : 14 kms approx .
- Min age: 7 years,if accompanied by parent/s. 15 years, if not accompanied by parents.
- Min batch strength :4
- Max batch strength : 7
- Who can go? Anyone of age 5 years and above. Do note, however, that for children below 10 years of age , it's best they travel with their parents. Children over 10 years of age are mostly independent, so they can without parents.
- What kind of food will be available? Vegetarian/Eggatarian/Non vegetarian (chicken dishes). Just let us know your preferences.
- In case we choose to travel with you in the same train, can you book train tickets for us? Soma's Camps is an adventure outfit. We usually do not do ticket reservations in either trains or flights. However, in case of minors who travel without parents, we can help you with ticket reservation in trains only, provided of course we receive the train fare and a mail from you at least 125 days before the date of the program.
- Which is the nearest railway station? New Alipurduar
- Which is the nearest airport? Bagdogra
- What is the best time to visit ? Drier months. October end to March should be good. In May there might be intermittent rain but nothing heavy.
- How to reach New Alipurduar? The nearest airport is Bagdogra. Taxis have to be booked to reach New Alipurduar or Alipurduar from Bagdogra. The nearest railway station is New Alipurduar and Alipurduar Junction
- What is the experience required for the trek ? If you have trekked before, it will definitely help. It is doable by first timers who have done some amount of serious exercising prior to the trek. Those coming for the first time should prepare and read extensively about the trek. Trek and mountain mannerisms will come in handy.
- What is the level of fitness required for the trek ?You should be able to walk 6 kms within 60 minutes .
- Can I offload my backpack ? Yes you may, but the information has to reach us by an email when you book the trek with us. We will mail you the offloading charges which is to be deposited into our account at least 30 working days before the date of journey. In case you decide to offload on the spot , you may have to pay a higher price than usual.
- Are trekking poles necessary ? Well, though not mandatory, still trekking poles give you a good balance and grip and help you to walk well.
- What will the temperatures be like during the trek? Daytime temperature will vary between 25 to 20º c during June-July and night time temperature varies between 18 to 15 degree celcius.
- What is the length of the trek? 14 kms approx in three days.
- How steep is the trail ? With usual undulations you'd find in hilly areas. The trails are through hamlets and dense forests .
- What about toilets? You will be staying in homestays with mostly western toilet facilities.
- Can I trek with periods? Trust us you can unless it is a major medical issue for which your doctor can advise you the best. Lots of women trek all over the world during their periods. Do not let anything as normal as periods hold you back to have a great experience.
- Cancellation policy:
- Cancellations will be subject to cancellation charges.
- Cancellations will have to be intimated to Soma's Camps by email.
- 30 % of the total trek fee is not refundable on cancellation at any point of time. If you fail to pay your trek fees( in case of part payments) within the scheduled date and ignore repeated intimations, your registration maybe cancelled and the booking amount forfeited.
- Treks have to be booked at least 50 days prior to the date of actual trek.
- Cancellation between 50 to 31 days prior to departure : 70% of the trek fee will be refunded.
- Cancellations made between 30 to 22 days prior to the trek date, 50% of the trek fee will be refunded
- Cancellation between 21 and 11 days prior to departure : 30% of the trek fee will be refunded.
- Cancellations made from 10 days to the day of departure or no show up: no refund.
- Cancellation by Soma's Camps in the unforeseen eventualities of riots, political or industrial unrest like Railway operators strike, Airlines strike, it may be necessary to cancel the tour in the best interests of our clients. In such an eventuality our clients will be informed as soon as possible. The trek fee paid by the clients will be refunded in full OR we will provide you with an alternate set of program dates.
- Cancellation by Soma's Camps in the unforeseen eventualities of pandemic, epidemic, any other long term natural or biological disaster or man made disasters like war and others, it may be necessary to cancel the tour in the best interests of our clients. In such an eventuality our clients will be informed as soon as possible. 70 % of the trek fee paid by the clients will be refunded.
- Please understand when we say 'trek fee', we mean the full amount not partial payment.
- Drinking and smoking during the trek is strictly prohibited. If found flouting the rules, your participation on the trek will be cancelled with immediate effect. Please understand we will not accept any negotiation or debate on alcohol consumption.
- Payment: Payment for the trek can be done online through credit/debit card or net banking or NEFT or by account payee cheques or by G-pay or via UPI. No cash deposit please.
- Non-liability: Soma's Camps is not responsible for any loss/damage of your gears/equipment or other belongings on the trek.
- Please be aware that if your trek leader deems it unsafe for you to continue trekking at any time, he may arrange for you to descend to a lower altitude.
- Regarding proper disposal of non bio-degradable waste:At Soma's Camps, we to prefer to leave nothing other than footprints behind. Kindly help us to maintain that by taking care of your non bio-degradable wastes.
- Emergency during trek: If for any reason you are sent down from the trek then Soma's Camps will make arrangements for your return to the base camp or nearest road head. A staff will accompany you. He may not be a trained personnel. Evacuation or dealing with emergencies is extremely difficult and time consuming in the mountains. Moreover, a sick or injured person is not easy to evacuate. We do not have doctors accompanying with the team . Doctors are not available at the base camp or nearest road head either. Soma's Camps trek leaders are trained to administer first aid and know how to deal with issues related to the mountains. However, they are not doctors.
- Program may get modified/cancelled in case of inclement weather.
- Cost escalation during the trek, due to change in itinerary owing to natural reasons or unforeseen conditions like Landslides , Road Blockage, Bad Weather, Social or Political Unrest, Strikes, sudden shut down of any govt office etc, will have to be borne by the participant.
- Soma's Camps do not own the stays . Maintenance of the stays are solely with the owners.
- Please note that the minimum batch strength is 4. If we fall short of the requisite number, the trek will be called off and your trek fees will be refunded in full without any cancellation charge deducted. However, if you still want to go ahead with the trek, it will be our pleasure to conduct it for you. In such a case your trek fees will be a little higher and the amount will be disclosed to you well before the journey.