“If you want to know a place, explore offbeat.” – Shovan Ghoshal

Today people love to explore offbeat Darjeeling. Among many offbeat places near Darjeeling, Badamtam is one of the most demanding now. 

The distance between Darjeeling and Badamtam is around 22 km. Usually, it takes around 45 minutes from Darjeeling. 

The wavy tea garden, crystal clear view of Mt. Kanchenjunga and beautiful nature brings many offbeat lovers here. 

You’ll find little difference when comparing other offbeat places in Darjeeling and Badamtam. However, the major difference is its tea estate. 

Darjeeling is getting crowded. At the same time, many offbeat places close to Darjeeling are getting limelight. 

In recent years, the tea of Badamtam has brightened West Bengal in terms of quality. 

Now many tourists visit this beautiful offbeat destination near Darjeeling. 

Many of the tourists explore this place from Darjeeling. You can stay here to get the real flavor of this offbeat location. 

How to Reach Badamtam

You can reach Badamtam from Darjeeling via Lebong. Lebong itself is a beautiful offbeat destination near Darjeeling. You can enjoy the beauty of Lebong during your journey. 

Generally, the transportation of Badamtam is not impressive. It may have two reasons. 

The first one is that this place is new on the tourist map. The second one is its accommodation. 

Whatever it is, now you can explore the beauty of this offbeat destination while staying here. 

You can easily reach here from Darjeeling via Lebong. The distance is around 22 km. 

Reserve cab is ideal instead of share cab to reach here. 

Badamtam is an ideal weekend destination near Darjeeling. Just imagine, you are there with a cup of tea and enjoying both the wavy tea garden and vast Mt. Kanchenjunga. 

There is another way to reach this beautiful offbeat destination. From NJP, you can easily reach Badamtam via Rohini. 

If you want to explore this beautiful offbeat destination near Darjeeling faster, avail air. The nearest airport is Bagdogra. The distance between Bagdogra and Badamtam is around 90 km. 

You can reach Bafamtam via Rohini or Lebong. 

Cab Fare

Like Lepchajagat, Badamtam is close to Darjeeling. So you can hire a cab from Darjeeling. The cab fare from Darjeeling to Badamtam is around INR 2500 – INR 3000. Though it depends on which cab you hire. 

If you travel from NJP to Badamtam via Rohni, the cab fare is around INR 4500 – INR 5000 depending on the type of cab. 

All the above are reserved cab fares. If you want to reach Badamtam by booking a shared cab, the fare is less. 

In this case, you have to reach Lebong via a shared cab. Then from Lebong, you can get a shared cab to Badamtam. 

Sometimes the waiting time from Lebong to Badamtam for a shared cab might take more time than usual. 

Sightseeing

The major attraction of this Darjeeling offbeat is the wavy tea garden. You can spend a couple of hours enjoying the tea garden. 

Mt Kanchanjungha is always the major attraction in Darjeeling offbeat. Apart from the above, you’ll explore these sights. 

Though people love to explore Badamtam tea garden. However, there are some other attractions. 

Badamtam Monastery or Samten Choiling Gumba is a Buddhist monastery. It is one of the major attractions to visit this beautiful offbeat destination. 

You’ll find some similarities between other monasteries in Darjeeling. Yet, you’ll enjoy the ambiance, the company of calm and composed monks, and the location with view. 

Now come to the most demanding sightseeing of Badamtam. The vast tea garden. The delicious tea and beautiful panoramic view are a beautiful combination of exploring this offbeat destination near Queen of Hills, Darjeeling. 

From the tea garden, you’ll enjoy the loving Mt. Kanchenjunga. With a cup of tea, mesmerizing view and the twittering of birds will take you to another planet. 

You’ll enjoy both Rangeet and Majhitar rivers flowing amid the green valley. Near you’ll see a suspension bridge over the river Rangeet that connects the garden and Sikkim. 

As it is located near Darjeeling, you’ll explore Darjeeling from here. 

Local Sentiment

Every offbeat location smells the local sentiments. Do you know how from where the term Badamtam comes?

It comes from a Lepcha word, which means a bamboo water carrier. Throughout some decades, this tea garden witnessed many changes. Now it is one of the most prestigious tea gardens in India. 

Apart from the natural beauty, you’ll enjoy the lifestyle of local people. Many local people work in tea gardens. You’ll enjoy their ado. 

Where to Stay

The best option to stay in an offbeat destination is homestays. You’ll find many homestays in this offbeat destination near Darjeeling.

If you want to explore this beautiful destination from Darjeeling, without staying, you can do. 

One of the popular homestays is Badamtam Homestay. You’ll get many homestays here. 

In homestays both fooding and lodging are available. It entirely depends on how you plan your trip. 

My Final Thought

Badamtam is getting the limelight due to its vast wavy tea garden and scenic beauty. Tourists prefer this place because of its ambiance. The calm and beautiful atmosphere attracts many tourists. You can spend a couple of hours watching Rangeet and Majhitar flowing amid the valley. The birds’ twittering is an additional attraction. In a word, exploring this place to spend your weekend is ideal. If you love hills, this place will be ideal for you. 

Disclaimer: I am writing this content not to encourage or discourage anyone to take steps.