Mungpoo

This is a small town under the Kurseong Sub-division of Darjeeling district, Mungpoo (also spelt Mongpu / Mangpoo / Mangpu / Mongpu) is about 25 Km from Darjeeling and 54 Km from Siliguri town.

Situated between 3,500-4000ft, Mungpo is well known for its cinchona and medicinal plant cultivation. Mungpoo has a bazaar called Reshep, a bungalow and a rest house under the control of the Cinchona Directorate.

Although Kanchenjunga is not visible from here, the place has a quiet charm of its own which attracted Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, who came and lived here on many occasions. The house in which he lived now serves as a museum, where some of his personal effects are preserved.

Getting There

Three major roads meet at Mungpoo. The northwestbound road goes towards Peshok Road, an eastbound downhill road goes towards Teesta and National Highway 10 and a southbound road reaches jogighat and then towards the Selphu Sittong area.

Are you looking for a car to visit Mungpoo?? Call Humro Cars at 9733052020 / 9733068080. You can also visit humrocars.com and check the latest tariff for car rental to Mungpoo.

If you are coming to Mungpoo from Darjeeling, you will be travelling by the first road mentioned above. Travel through Peshok Road and take a diversion at the 3rd mile. From the 3rd-mile forest check-post, Mungpoo is just 15 km away. The total distance from Darjeeling is about 25 km.

Those travelling from NJP station should travel through Bengal Sikkim National Highway 10 till they reach Rambi Bazar, from here take the uphill road on your left and reach Mungpoo about 10 km away. The total distance from NJP is about 56 km. Those travelling from Sikkim or Kalimpong Hills may also follow the same route.

The third route is suitable for tourists travelling to Mungpoo from Kurseong and its adjoining areas such as Sittong. First, you have to drive to Jogighat in the Sittong Khasmahal area and then an uphill road of 6 km will take you to your destination.

The three roads meet at Nalidara, which is the main market of the town and also one of the highest points in the town.

To See and Do

Mungpoo is not a place where you will visit in morning and evening sightseeing tours. This is a place to enjoy nature and local culture at its best. You may spend days walking in the woods or simply roaming in hilly villages blissfully, without jostling with other tourists. The whole area is quite attractive, here are the few places you must visit while at Mungpoo

Rabindranath Tagore Memorial is the bungalow where the famous bard stayed a number of times. The place is converted into a museum and is a must-visit for tourists.

Dichen Sherpa Choyling Monastery, also known as Peace Pagoda is a monastery located at Nalidara square. This area is the main market of Mungpoo and the pagoda just above the market offers a calm and peaceful environment.

A few km away from Mungpoo towards Peshok Road just outside the town limit is the location of Surel Bungalow. This used to be a beautiful British bungalow where Rabindranath had stayed during his first visit to Mungpoo, however, the bungalow was burnt down during local political agitation several years ago. The burnt-down structure of the Surel bungalow and a large very old tree next to it tells the story of yore. From this area, you can also try to trek towards Chatakpur which is just a couple of hours' walk away. Do not try the trek alone or without a local guide as the dense forest on the way is the habitat of Himalayan beer which a number of incidences have attacked humans in the past.

Further ahead a few kilometres you will reach Siksin village also known as Reshep village (not to be confused with Reshop near Lava). It is said that when the Cinchona plantation started in the area, the plantations were divided into different sections, the locals, not conversant with the term “Section” started pronouncing it as Siksin, thus giving rise to the present name of the village. The beautiful village with houses spread out over a large area also is a great place for a grand view of the surrounding mountains.

In the other direction from Mungpoo, drive 6 km to reach Jogighat, a small bridge is built here over the river Riyang which has turned out to be a picnic spot for locals as well as tourists. Baba Ramdev, the famous Ayurveda and Yoga guru, visited the place a few years back thus giving the place its present name.

Further crossing the bridge you can reach Shelphu, Sittong, and Latpanchar area which also has several tourist attractions. Many tourists visit Mungpoo from the Sittong area on a day trip and many tourists staying in Mungpoo visit the Sittong area on a day trip.

If you are looking for a complete package tour of Mungpoo, please get in touch with the Humro Tours team. You can call our travel experts or just submit the enquiry form below.

Accommodation

Till a few years back, Mungpoo did not have any tourist accommodations. But in the last few years, a large number of homestays have come up in the town and its surrounding area. There are at least half a dozen homestays operational in Mungpoo town itself. Those who wish to avoid the town may go towards the Ranju Valley area where there are a few homestays. The Siksin village also has a few homestay options. This village is about a couple of km away from the town and offers a great view of the mountain. There are other homestays in different directions from Mungpoo, some near and some a little further.

Humro Home manages hundreds of homestays and home lodges and is the largest network of homestays in the Sikkim Darjeeling area. You may call 9733071716 / 9733069690 for more details or visit the humrohome.com website for more information.