Village Discovery Tour

 Welcome to the Kalimpong Village Discovery Tour.

• Experience the only trekking and cultural programme in the beautiful and unspoilt area of Kalimpong. Kashyem, Baranumber and Burmeik are 3 villages in between the valleys and hills of the Himalayan chain, surrounded by outstanding views

• Experience true Nepali village life and hospitality, with an opportunity to talk with the locals and stay the night in their village

• Enjoy local music and dancing as well as traditional Nepali food and drink

• Your contribution goes directly to the villages you visit as well as the Village Development Fund.  

We have 2 tours available. A complete tour that includes staying overnight in a village (2 days) and a shorter tour of just one day. We recommend the two day tour as the overnight stay gives a greater insight into Nepali traditions and way of life.

2 days Tour

Day 1

You will be collected from your hotel in Kalimpong at 8 am (we can arrange accommodation in Kalimpong if you wish) We will then drive you to the first village on the itinerary, Kashyem. The history of the people in Kashyem is that the community has long depended on the quinine crop but is gradually having to seek alternative options, the money generated from the VDT is helping in this inititive.  After breakfast in Kashyem, there is a guided walk around the village paths followed by a short trek along the hillside path to thevillage of
Baranumber(pictured above). This is a stunningly beautiful Himalayan stroll, on fairly level terrain, with views down into the valley. Baranumber stretches up the hill and contains some 90 households. The villagers are farmers and the hillside is terraced with small plots growing many kinds of crops.  The afternoon will be spent exploring the village and the surrounding area. In the evening there is a Nepali cultural show followed by traditional dinner (where you will have the opportunity to taste the traditional drink called Tongba). You will stay overnight in simple but comfortable rooms.

A Traditional Nepali Kitchen. You can learn to make traditional Nepali food and rather than sitting at a table, dinner will be eaten sitting on the floor in true Nepali style. 

Day 2

After breakfast, you will take the ‘high road’ back to Kashyem, arriving in the upper village for tea and a small walk. A jeep will then take you to Burmaik, from where we start a gentle walk uphill through Sillery forest to the viewpoint overlooking the confluence of the Teesta and Rangpo rivers, as well as the stunning view of Kangchendzonga. The morning ends with a stroll down to thevillage of
Sillery, a virtually hidden village on the upper slopes, where you will have lunch. In the afternoon, you will walk up to Damsang Fort, a ruined 17th walled palace after which you descend down to the village of 20th mile where tea awaits your arrival. From there you will be taken back to your hotel at around 4.00pm.

Kashyem Nursery School - You can visit the school and will have the opportunity to meet the children 

1 day Tour

The 1 day Tour is similar to the first day of the 2 day Tour, but after visiting Baranumber you return to Kashyem by a different route and then back to Kalimpong. 

Walking in the villages you will find the people going about their daily activities, like this man selling samosas (local snacks) and biscuits

Map of the Trekking

Kalimpong-Kashyem   21 km - 1h by card
Kashyem - Baranumber   2.5km - 2h walking
Baranumber Village walk   1h30m walking
Kashyem - Burmaik   8km - 20m by card
Burmeik - 20th Mile 7km   5h walking
20th Mile - Kalimpong   18km - 1h by card

What you will need:

• A pair of hiking trousers and walking boots, the trekking is easy to medium level.
• A small rucksack for your overnight things (you carry this for half of the first and all of the second day)
• A bottle of water (boiled water is provided throughout the tour)
• All food and drink are included in the price.
• A warm jumper for the evening
• A sense of adventure!

Conctact us:
Santa Rai
Peepal Dhara
8 1/2 Mile, Rishi Road
Kalimpong 734301
District Darjeeling, West Bengal
In association with
MondoChallenge NGO
www.mondochallenge.org
Office Tel: 03552260026
Mobile: 9932368974
Mobile: 9932371416
mondochallengeindia@yahoo.com

Comments from previous trekkers:

“I had a fantastic two days.  The scenery is amazing and seeing the villages while knowing that the money from my visit was going to make a difference there was very rewarding!”
Anthony, England“The family we stayed with were so warm and welcoming.  I particularly enjoyed seeing the Nepali dancing and being able to join in the cooking while the family prepared dinner.  I really felt like one of the family!”  
Martine, Belgium

“The views were stunning, and I loved the fact that I got a unique insight into the culture and history of this beautiful area”
Stephanie, UK

About MondoChallenge

MondoChallenge is an NGO that started in 2001, with its headquartes in UK that runs projects in schools and businesses worldwide - in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, The Gambia, Senegal, Chile, Ecuador and Romania. 
Whilst maintaining sustainability at a community level, the growth of MondoChallenge continues to rise at a dramatic pace. Currently we are supporting 60 individual projects, involving business development in 4 countries and education programmes in 9. This has a direct impact on well over 8000 people, many of them at the poorest level. The growth is due to the support and hard work of the 850+ volunteers who have been working on the programmes so far and to the teams here in the office and abroad, who have worked so hard to support the volunteers in the field.