If you are looking for a paradise amid the mesmeric beauty of hills and lush greenery around, then the enchanting beauty of Sillery Gaon should be your upcoming travel destination.
The virgin beauty of this almost unexplored little hamlet will fill your heart with bliss.
The silence of the forest, the chirping unknown unseen birds, the pleasant hilly breeze make this place a mysterious as well as a romantic one.
Also, the most welcoming villagers of this place will win your heart like heaven.
Sillery Gaon is also called the “New Darjeeling” for its increasing popularity nowadays.
Geography and Location of Sillery Gaon
Sillery Gaon is a small village near Pedong in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal. This mesmeric village is situated at an altitude of 6000ft from the sea level. This place offers an incomparable view of mount Kanchenjunga and it’s allied peaks.
The northern side of the village overlooks the towering Kanchenjunga and the Himalayan range. Beside the village, the Reshi river is flowing with its beauty. You will see the state of Sikkim across this river. The west side of this village is surrounded by Nepal.
This small hamlet is a dwelling place of around 25 families and has a lush green pine forest surrounding the village. Icche Gaon is another nearby attraction from this place. It is well known for its various species of colorful and chirping birds.
Weather and Best Time to Visit Sillery Gaon
People come to visit this mesmeric hilly hamlet of Sillery Gaon throughout the year. Let’s have a look at the detailed description of the weather in this place.
#Spring to Summer
Spring to Summertime which ranges from March to June is one of the best times to visit Sillery Gaon. This time the sky remains clean and temperature not being much hot remains pleasant here. Therefore you can enjoy an excellent view of Mount Kanchenjunga.
#Autumn to winter
October to November, which is the Autumn here is also another best time to visit Sillery Gaon. The end of autumn and the starting of winter offer a cool but pleasant atmosphere here. You can enjoy the lovely views of the mountain peaks at this time as the sky remains clear during this time.
If you only walk through the forest you would be amazed by the music of the chirping birds and won’t feel tired due to the cool breeze kissing your chick.
#Winter
December to February remains cool here when the temperature comes down to around 1℃. Nights remain really chilling here at this time.
This time also offers a different beauty to the viewers. The snow-capped peaks of the mountains will fill your heart with an unknown bliss you never experienced.
#Monsoon
July to September is the rainy season in this place. This time it rains frequently throughout the day almost. The sky remains cloudy at this time and the foggy weather becomes an obstacle to the views for the visitors.
You should avoid monsoon to visit this place because of the poor road conditions too. Most of the landslides happen at this time too. So, it becomes risky to travel this season.
Leeches can also be a problem during monsoon.
How to Reach Sillery Gaon?
This place is well connected to all the big cities of India, through road rail and airways. Nearby railhead is New Jalpaiguri rail station, which is around 96km from Sillery Gaon. Also, the nearest airport is Bagdogra airport.
From the outside of the rail station or airport, you will find a lot of cars, jeep and other vehicles to hire, which will take you to your destination via Teesta Bazar and Aligarh in the Kalimpong district.
Also as an alternative option, you can take shared cars or buses to Kalimpong and catch shared taxis to Pedong.
You have to drive through a dense pine forest for about 30 minutes to reach Sillery Gaon from Pedong. You should cover this darkest part of the forest road before the sunset.
You will reach Sillery Gaon, the hamlet, after walking around 2 minutes from the motorable road, where your car stops.
Key Tourists Attraction
This small hamlet offers breathtaking beauty of Himalayan peaks including Mount Kanchenjunga. The unknown saga of chirping birds will fill your heart with bliss. Also, walking through the green forest roads is itself a thrill to enjoy.
A lot of other wonderful mesmeric places are there to awe strike your mind and heart. Let’s have a detailed look into the places near Sillery Gaon which you should not miss in your itinerary.
#1 Ramitey View Point :
This is an amazing viewpoint in this region from where you can enjoy the best view of Mt. Khanchendzonga and its neighboring snow-clad peaks.
The breathtaking longest view of river Teesta along with its 14 bends through the valleys is incomparable and amazing.
Another rare sight you can enjoy from Ramitey View Point is the confluence of river Teesta and Reshi. The serene beauty of this place will fill your heart with bliss. If the sky is clear you can also enjoy an awesome view of the entire region from Teesta Bazar to Majhitar in Sikkim.
Ramitey View Point is just 3 km away from Sillery Gaon. You can reach there either by your car or through trekking.
#2 Tinchuley View Point / Tinchuley Top :
Another breathtaking viewpoint near Sillery Gaon is Tinchuley View Point which is around 30 meters trek from this village. The trekking through the stiff uphill road to the top of this hill itself is adventurous.
It offers a magnificent 360-degree view of the Himalayan ranges including the 3rd highest peak Kanchenjunga.
On a clear day, you can even enjoy the view of Nathula Pass and Jelep la from this nice viewpoint.
#3 Damsang Fort :
You can reach to this nearly ruined fort after a one hour trek through pine forest. It’s around 4km away from Sillery Gaon and 1km away from Pedong.
You can also consider this area as an ideal place for bird watching too. The road to reach this place through the lush green forest offers a magnificent view of surrounding hills and valleys.
This fort had been built in 1690 by the Lepcha Kingdom to support the ethnic violence between Lepchas and Bhutias. Also, it served as an obstacle to the aggression of the East India Company.
#4 Hanuman Top
Once you reach Damsang fort, you should not miss a little upward trekking to the Hanuman top. Here you will find a Nice sculpture of Lord Hanuman.
The pristine beauty and calmness of this place is itself incomparable. It also offers an excellent bird’s view of Kalimpong town and adjoining areas.
#5 Silent Valley :
Near Sillery Gaon, there is another awesome place, named Silent Valley.
A vast wide green pasture, surrounded by tall pine trees and the only silence breaking chirping of birds makes the place a thrilling one.
A descending trek through the misty forest and the sudden appearance of the greenfield will obviously surprise you.
Silence valley becomes a small water body at the time of the rainy season. Old residents say that once upon a time it was originally a lake.
#6 Cross Hill :
It is one of the best sunset points in this region and is located at a vantage point. The view of Mine. Kanchenjunga and other regions from this point are simply magnificent. Also, you can have a clear view of Tibet from here On any clear sunny day.
You should not miss the “chyam” dance here during the time of April May. Cross Hill is highly revered as a pilgrimage for the local Christian community and be frequently visited by them.
History says during the 19th century some Evangelists started to travel to Tibet for spreading Christianity. These people lost their lives or never came back.
In 1882 Fr. Augustine Desgodins erected a cross facing Tibet directly in this region as a memorial of these lost Evangelists. He had done this with the hope that it will bring those people back.
Besides historical values, this place itself is a must-visit for its serenity and unexpressed charming beauty.
You can also visit the nearby “Sahid park” to bow down to the heroes of the Kargil war. It was basically built in the memory of Kargil martyrs.
Where to Stay in Sillery Gaon?
Sillery Gaon serves the tourists with its very welcoming and homely, home stay facility. A lot of well-managed homestays are there to offer the tourists with a cozy comfortable staying there with fresh homemade village food. Each cottage is facilitated with electricity, clean beds, clean bathrooms.
Hot water is provided by the owner of the cottage. As electricity is not regular here in this small hilly hamlet, so the cottage owner will provide you with extra candles and matches for your convenience at night. Though a lot of homestays use generators to fulfill this electricity crisis.
The following are some of the renowned homestays in this small village.
Nirmala Village Resort, Sillery Gaon:
The Sillery Sojourn:
It is situated at the highest point of this hillside village.
The Sillery Sojourn also organizes local tours for their tourists and provides guides and transports for your convenience and best experience in this place.
Sillery Gaon Retreat:
Waiba Homestay, Sillery Gaon:
This homestay is also situated in a very convenient place in the lap of nature and ranked top for its location. People like the connectivity as well as the ambiance of this homestay.
This attracts a variety of travelers to this homestay. Family (50%) and Couple (50%) are the most common type of travelers that like to stay here. 50% of guests enjoy the hotel’s connectivity, whereas 50% have rated the ambiance as romantic.
Waiba Homestay has a rank of #4 among the 5 hotels in Sillery Gaon. The room rent rates vary between Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,600 per night. For complimentary Breakfast, you have to discuss it with the owners of this homestay.
Concluding Thoughts
So this is the time to pack your bag to enjoy the calmness of this small enchanting village, in the lap of lush green pine forest, far from the hustle and bustle of your day to day congested city life.
The pristine serenity of this romantic, as well as a thrilling place, will fill your soul with an inexperienced blissfulness. You will feel fresh as all your stresses and anxieties will be taken away here by the song of the birds and the serenity and calmness of the most caring mother nature.
Before it becomes too crowded and fully explored by others, come early and visit this place to enjoy its magnificent virgin beauty.
More information: North Sikkim
Get other information: Silk Route