Pedong : An experience untouched.

As more and more Indians are traveling , places are slowly turning into destinations that adhere to crowds and more Instagram friendly population only. Yet there are a lot of us , in search of places which are quite less visited or known. The small village of Pedong and my experience there will be one such. I did not hear about this place till last year, and January meant a good time to explore, and begin the year 2020. 
Situated in the borders of West Bengal and Sikkim , in north east region of India, Pedong is a small village nestled in the laps of Himalayas. Surrounded by dense terai forest , a bird watchers paradise , Pedong is an ultimate destination for the nature loving folks. 

The surrounding hills of Pedong give a lot of options for hiking, and which of course caught my heart. Small hamlets and hill top view points adore the region surrounded. Hiking through the dense jungle trails, discovering the bounty of nature while on it , makes up for a special experience here. From local berries in the forest , to an abundant healthy population of variety of birds, bush walking is all worth doing here. 
The hiking trails also take you to other smaller villages situated at higher altitude. It is very much possible to spend a day or two and then come back. A lot of view points adore this regions, with breath taking views of Himalayas that border with Tibet and China. 

Pedong is also well connected by road. It is the first night halt if you want to do a road trip in the Old Silk Route. The old silk route is the tail of the ancient silk road that connected China and India. Today it is one of the best road trip circuit, less visited yet unsubstantiated beauty. The road trip can be done in car, but motorcycles are more prefered. I was fortunate enough to find a co traveler , to explore the region near by. We rode to beautiful villages of Lolegaon, Lava and Rishop through misty forest tracks and mingled with the clouds and fogs. 
All this villages have unique view of the Himalayan higher peaks, but are mostly covered in clouds and fog , except in early morning. So i will advise you ride more during those hours. 

Pedong is also home to an ancient Tantric Buddhism monastery. The region flaunts its spirituality in beautiful monastries nestled in hills and covered by forests. The prime population of Pedong is Buddhism with a majority of Christianity too, The nearest big town to Pedong is Kalimpong , which is a colonial town built under the influence of British Raj. 
It is easy to reach Pedong for backpackers or any travelers. Buses to Kalimpong are very frequent from Siliguri , the nearest town with train station and airport. From Kalimpong , shared taxis ply with in half an hour to reach this beautiful village.
It is a perfect destination for a two day stop , from a busy schedule of life. And if you are planning Sikkim, this should act as your country side experience to the beautiful state. 
All in all , Pedong which is off the beaten path is sure to win hearts over with its rawness and simplicity. Travelers cannot forget the experience and surely would recommend others to visit here soonest.  

To visit Pedong , or to know more, Kindly consult or message me.  For a video experience of Pedong, click here