The Dhaka Times Desk You might be surprised to see such an offer. But there is nothing surprising. You can travel to Darjeeling (Reshop-Lava) for only 50 dollars!
Travel for only 50 dollars! How is that possible? Sajal Zahid has written in detail about this. Gave a lot of information. Today the game of Sajal Zahid is published for the readers of The Dhaka Times.
See or visit Darjeeling for only 50 dollars, actually reshop-lava, which in my eyes is a hundred times more beautiful, attractive and elite than Darjeeling! So let's go out without further ado, what do you say?
The journey starts from Dhaka.
Panchagarh at 7:30am by Nabil Paribahan's smokeless and almost local car for Tk 650. The first time this car was serviced well enough, I booked Nabil's ticket without a second thought. The result of which I got this time hand-in-hand.
Banglabandha for Tk 70 at a super local one and a half hour from Panchagarh, luchi and tea for Tk 10 at Tetulia, the breakfast turned out to be pretty good.
I went to Banglabandha immigration in a great danger! What is that danger? The danger is that I work in a reputed private university! So thousands of interrogations and harassment as much as possible. (I will tell the story of this harassment separately later)
Went to Phulbari and completed all the formalities in just 5/7 minutes, walked 10 minutes to main city road, paid 22 taka and went to Siliguri water tank jeep stand. From where direct Kalimpong and Lava share jeeps are available. I reached the destination in 15/20 minutes. It was 11 o'clock.
I went and found out that Kalimpong's jeep was leaving, Lava's jeep was there but it was after 2 pm. It will take about 3:30 hours to go to the lava! And that jeep will also be Kalimpong. So without delay, I bought a jeep ticket to go to Kalimpong, and bought about 200 Tk worth of dry food for food on the way. If you don't find a good place on the way, you can have lunch with some food.
I reached Kalimpong exactly at 2:30. I will write a separate story for the unearthly beauty of the middle, another day. Here is only the account of money, because everyone wants to read! The rest of the stories are for my own time line! If you are interested, you can go there and read!
Before going to Kalimpong and getting off the jeep, I saw another jeep leaving towards Lava. He stopped Lava's jeep to inform the driver. When I got off a jeep and got on another jeep, I saw, Oh, this Aranya and Madhavi! "No Man's Land!" Series Aha!
After swinging along the winding hilly and undulating road with Madhavi, getting wet and excited in the rain, I reached Lava in 1:30 minutes, the fare was only 78 rupees!
Ah, the lava!!
Go to the lava and see that everything is closed, nothing is open! No hotel, no lodge, no food place! Because now is completely off season. So everyone is like that, with themselves. As if the mountains have no work, there are no tourists, so all the mountains are talking together with a very sad mood, no one has a smile on their face, as if they are covered in dark clouds with pain! Some mountains have raised the tone of the rain with a pitiful voice!
However, I managed to stay in a lodge, the rent is only 360 taka per room in off season! Although it asked for 400 rupees, I bargained for it. After getting a little fresh in the cold water, I put on warm clothes and went out, looking at the rain and the mountains alone, walking around.
Tourist Cottage - Lava, Kalimpong
No food (for lunch) shops were opened and at the end they had to settle for lunch with cake-coke and chocolate kept by themselves. Walking, I went to a very beautiful, neat and clean lava monastery. There I met a university student, who had come home to spend time on vacation.
I went around with him in the rain and saw the details of that place. View point, Rachella Peak, Kanchan Peak, many more interesting facts kept me engrossed till dusk. After the rain subsided and in the darkness of the evening, we both sat on the lava peak and enjoyed hot coffee! Ah, he is an unearthly find.
All quiet in the evening. Already there are no people, then there are no more. So entered the room and entered under two blankets! Yes, so cold that two thick blankets had to find comfort! I was very sleepy, I fell asleep with headphones in my ears, in the all-day mountain rush. I was startled by the lodge caretaker's call. He has come to call by preparing hot food. Dinner package for 90 rupees! Eat and sleep.
Wake up at 5:15 am and start walking on the road to Reshop, through the Neoravalley National Forest. Fascination and fascination reached reshop! I did not understand which direction to look, east or west, north or south? All around so much fascination and attraction!
Mountain paradise, reshop!
After spending the rest of the day at the reshop, I made my way back. Coming back to Lava, lunch is a package of 100 rupees! Spending the whole day wandering around, eating this and spending 25 rupees more! Oh and 20 rupees for coffee! The next day it was time to return. In the same way, but this time why it took 85 taka to go from Lava to Kalimpong! However, when I came to Kalimpong and returned from Lava, I paid for the extra jeep fare, instead of returning from Kalimpong by jeep for 145 taka, I paid 120 taka by public bus!
Returning to Siliguri, I ate Tk 50 chaomin, Tk 25 rasgolla, Tk 15 limka and Tk 20 ice cream and got into the Phulbari auto for Tk 18. Then incredible hospitality at the Fulbari border! What next? Panchagarh for 70 taka and 600 taka smoked nabil covered by transport!
Here is my cost analysis of two of the most interesting places in Darjeeling district, Rishop-Lava. So let's see, how much did it cost?
Dhaka to Banglabandha 650+70= 720/- Tk
Travel Tax-500/- Rs
20/- from Phulbari to Siliguri
175/- for snacks for two days
(Some of the Rs 200 snacks were left over which I later brought back!)
Coke 50/- Rs
150/- from Siliguri to Kalimpong
Lava from Kalimpong Rs.85/-
That day lunch was not found in Lava! Lunch with cake and coke nearby!
First Night Dinner Rs.115/-
Morning snacks were included, coffee Rs.15/-
Afternoon and Night Lunch-Dinner Rs.230/-
720/- Rs
Breakfast was bought, coffee 20/Tk
Lava to Kalimpong 90/- Rs
Kalimpong to Siliguri bus fare Rs.120/-.
Another 50 Tk additional bus fare to take a bath in own Teesta.
Return to Siliguri after noon with lunch at Tk 135/- (Chaomin-Misthi-Limka-Ice Cream)
Food in Banglabandha is Rs.70/-
Banglabandha to Panchagarh 70/- Rs
Bus fare from Panchagarh to Dhaka Rs.600/-
Total Cost = Rs.3935/-! ($49.18!)
My trip is like that, anyone can criticize this trip in any way they want! That's up to you. I think I will reduce the cost further!
Wondering how?
Hmm, I wonder if after that I can go to Banglabandha by truck for 300/- instead of paying 650/- by bus...!!!
Source: Courtesy of http://www.neonaloy.com.
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