If you planning a weekend trip from Kolkata where you just lay back and do absolutely nothing, Takdah is the place for you. When I write absolutely nothing, I mean it.
Takdah in local language means mist and the place actually in the mist. Generally it is advised to visit the place in the pleasant month of Nov-Dec and Mar-Apr but I wanted a place to visit in monsoon and booked it (We were a group of 12 and booked the entire house).
Takdah is a small hamlet located around 28 km from Darjeeling. It was a British cantonment in the pre-independence era. And that is all I know about the place.
Saino Heritage guest house which we booked is more than 100 years old and is at topmost point of Takdah (just beside a monastery). We booked it through Heritage Bungalows but I am sure if you contact the owner (Anand Moktan 094 34 462806/ Sushil Pradhan 094 34 380847) directly, you will get a better deal. We were charged Rs 1200 for double bed room and Rs 1800 for triple and Rs 300 for extra bed.
My Advice for best room – Double- take the one just beside the puja room, the room having bamboo chairs. Triple – Room with balcony.
Eateries in Takdah
The best thing about the house was food. Cooked by hosts, it was just like ‘ghar ka khana’. Do try Chicken, English breakfast with special tomato ketchup and sweet pickle. Also try thukpa, only if you like just boiled food with negligible species. Do not try maggie.
Its simple plain wai-wai which I didn’t like. Get me my yellow soupy maggie
Thupka – See the boiled veggies. You have been warned.
Just ‘OK’ tea. The mists around made it amazing.
There are for few more home-turned-into-makeshift restaurants but I didn’t try anything anywhere.
In and Around Takdah
There are few good places to visit around but I won’t be able to provide first hand details of it. All I did there was nothing and 😉 and also –
Please go to this link for places of interest nearby.
And this is how you get a goodbye.
PS: The monetary beside the house is not that amazing. The people there are 🙂
