I have seen recently people talking about Benda, an offbeat North Bengal destination. Located in Kalimpong district, Benda is getting attention for its locality and scenic beauty.
Do you want to stay in a North Bengal offbeat place where the hill kisses the river in a forest? If you are an orophile and love to explore the beauty of North Bengal, Benda will be your ideal destination.
North Bengal is always my favorite destination. I dream of discovering myself in an offbeat North Bengal always.
The real beauty lies in the offbeat.
This is the reason that attracts tons of travelers, and vloggers to explore the mostly unexplored North Bengal.
The word Benda comes from the Leptcha word Bundo which means the ‘inhabitants of God’.
You’ll find God’s grace everywhere in Benda. In a word, this small offbeat North Bengal tourist spot is going to be more popular soon.
Benda: Location is Everything
Have you ever visited Kalimpong? Benda is a small hilltop village located near Kalimpong.
Just imagine, the hill surrounding Benda, the river Rishikhola, and a beautiful calm and beautiful atmosphere is the ideal North Bengal offbeat travel destination.Â
You can see the endless view of green hills surrounding you.
With a cup of tea or coffee, you can spend a couple of hours silently enjoying the unavoidable beauty of an ideal offbeat destination.
Sometimes, you’ll discover some hidden streams near you when you trek along the riverside.
Various plants including flowers, organic vegetables, and the simple lifestyle of the villagers will attract you.
Benda welcomes you with the rhythm of the river Rishikhola, one of the most famous and beautiful North Bengal rivers.
Just imagine, how will be your vacation at Benda! Homemade food and humble behavior impress you a lot.
How to Reach Benda
Being an offbeat destination of Kalimpong, there is no direct route for the shared cab to reach Benda.
As many people look for the ideal travel route from NJP, a gateway to North Bengal or Siliguri, I shall try to guide you to reach your dream destination, Benda.
I’ve found a couple of routes for solo travelers (as I belong to this category).
You can reach Kalimpong via shared cab from NJP or Siliguri. You can get many options to reach Kalimpong with various budgets.
Then you can reach Algara. Take another shared cab to reach Pedong, one of the beautiful offbeat Kalimpong destinations.
From Pedong, you can reach to your homestay or hotel via a rented cab.
The next route is from Siliguri, ‘Pani Tanki more’ via Sevoke road. Then near Gurdwara, you’ll get a shared cab (probably the only cab) to reach Benda.Â
The third route is from NJP or Siliguri to Rongpo checkpost via Siliguri Gangtok Road. Then from Rongpo to Renak via shared cab. Finally from Renak to Benda via researved cab.
You can easily reach there from Darjeeling. So if you are planning to Darjeeling, you can spend a day here at Benda.
For that, you can book a cab from Darjeeling to Kalimpong.
Even from Gangtok, you can reach Benda.
Via Lava, Rishap you can also reach your undiscovered offbeat Benda.
In a word, there are several routes, however, it depends on how you want to reach Benda.
Where to Stay
If I ask you a question, which do you prefer among hotel, homestay, and resort? However, at Benda, you’ll not find lots of options.
You can stay in some eco-tourism resorts and homestays. Wherever you stay, the accommodation is closely similar.
You’ll get homemade foods including organic vegetables and Darjeeling tea.
Just imagine a combination of light and homemade food, Darjeeling tea, splendid view, and the beautiful sound of the river, Rishi flowing nearby.
A perfect combination of hill, river, and forest makes Benda a perfect weekend destination.
What do you need more to make your day memorable in an offbeat destination?
Best Season to Visit Benda
Being a wanderlust, I have seen the beauty of North Bengal varies from season to season.
People love to explore North Bengal either in summer (vacation) (April-May) or Puja (vacation) (September-October).
You can reach Benda anytime, though monsoon may be risky. I prefer all seasons except monsoon.
In North Bengal mainly offbeat destinations, monsoon has a rough and heavenly beauty. Sometimes going to North Bengal in the monsoon is risky.
Very recently, you have witnessed the devastating Sikkim flood. Even in the near past, you’ll get many examples of devastating floods in mountains throughout the country.
Avoiding late monsoons is better for safety.
Adventure at Benda
Benda is full of adventures. You can explore the beauty of trekking here. Trekking is the best adventure there.Â
Through trekking you can cross the river. The crystal clear water of the river adds another attraction there.
If you are looking for adventure, the trekking route is the best one.
You can trek to Okhle Temple where according to local people, God Shiva stays. This is one of the holy places in Kalimpong.
I have heard, that sometimes the temple remains closed, but, mainly in Shivaratri, the temple opens for people.
Let’s come to the most exciting adventure. Â
Have you ever heard of ‘Menchu Bong’, a Leptcha word?
According to Lepcha, once upon a time, people throw hot stones into a well and enjoy there with Tongba, chicken, and soup.
This worked as therapy that reduced pain in their body. This is one of the oldest techniques. You may get its hints in Ayurveda.
This is probably the most famous hot spring concept. Whatever it is, you can explore the beauty and legacy of Menchu Bong here.
The whole trekking route is excellent. Just imagine a trekking route over the river Rishi.
This route is quite adventurous. If you love adventure, this trekking would be one of the most attractive reasons to explore offbeat Benda.
Over the river, somewhere small somewhere large stores welcome you. After around an hour of trekking (depending on where you stay) from your homestay, you’ll reach Menchu Bong, a small crystal water pool.
On the way across the river Rishi, you’ll find various various shaped stones. Amid the forest, you’ll enjoy.
Near Menchu Bong, you’ll witness some fossil stones where you’ll see some vague images of snakes, cows, and other animals.
The whale trekking route is the major adventure here.
My Final Thought
If you plan to explore Benda, this article is for you. Here you’ll get a brief overview of this Kalimpong offbeat village including how to reach, where to stay, and what to do. If you plan to explore any offbeat North Bengal, just collect some information, check route map and get ready with your backpack. offbeat destinations is becoming one of the most famous tourist destinations now a days. Â