Dooars Ecoviillege: Take a Refreshing Break from the City Life and Enjoy Nature at Samsing Suntalekhola

Suntalekhola or Suntaley Khola (also Suntaleykhola) is a small village and a tourist spot in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal. The altitude of the place ranges from 650 to 950 m. It gets it name from a small stream: Suntaley Khola. In Nepali, Suntaley means orange and khola means stream. This place is nearly 5 km from Samsing, which is also a small picturesque serene village. The green patch on the left side of the way to Suntalekhola is amazing and holds many rarities of birds and butterflies.

As you enter Dooars through the National Highway 31, you will cross Malbazar to reach Chalsa. From Chalsa take a left turn and drive on for 15 kms via Meteli to reach Samsing. The last few kilometres drive is a feast for the eyes as you pass through some of the most picturesque tea gardens of Dooars including the Chalsa Tea Garden, Zurantee Tea Garden and Samsing Tea Garden. The road is relatively narrow but there are few vehicles travelling through this route as the road ends at Samsing.

Samsing is full of flying beauties, the birds. The sweet chirping of unknown colorful birds in the serene landscape is a refreshing break from the city life. Step out with a binocular and explore the treasure offered by the nature.

Nearby Attractions of Samsing Suntalekhola….

Faribasti:

Next to Suntalekhola is the small picturesque village of Faribasti. The village has about 50 households and is very well maintained. Rocky island Flower gardens are common in almost all households. Some of the households have started homestay for tourists with active support from naturebeyond. You can walk through the village and its paddy land.

Rocky Island:

Another attractive tourist spot is the `Rocky island nature resort` on the banks of river Murti. This is about 2 km from Samsing. The view of the river and surrounding forests are excellent from Rocky Island but tourist amenities are basic. Accommodation is arranged in small Tents for overnight visitors. The owners of this small resort are true nature lovers and have so far resisted any attempt to commercialise this unique place.

River Murti:

It is one of the most beautiful rivers of Dooars. The small river flows down from Neora Valley National Park and passes through Samsing and eventually meets Jaldhaka river near Gorumara National Park. The river is small enough too crossed on foot during most of the year except the Monsoon months. At Samsing you can approach River Murti either at Rocky Island or near the old forest Bungalow.

Treks Around…..

Several trek routes originate from Suntale Khola. The Neora Valley National Park is adjacent to this place and most treks are organised in the surrounding area of the National Park. Trekkers can take a steep ride to `Tree Fern Point` and `Mo` or `Mo Chaki` for a great view of the Himalayas in one side and the plains of Dooars in the other. The hills of Bhutan and `Jelepla`, the pass connecting Tibet with India, can be seen from here. The most fascinating and thrilling trek leads to the untouched wilderness of Neora Valley National Park. Special permission of the forest department is required in order to organise this trek.