~:Darjeeling District:~
Places of interest in Darjeeling Hill Area
PEDONG
 Pedong is a small town in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. It lies 20 kms east of Kalimpong on the way to Lava at an altitude of 1240 mts. Pedong is one of the oldest towns in the region which has a significant historical importance. Pedong lies on the histirical SILK ROUTE which was used for trade between INDIA and TIBET via the Jelepla pass. Pedong, located on a ridge provides a panoramic view of the Himalayan mountains including KANCHANJUNGA.Close to Pedong lies the ruins of Damsangdugi, which is a fort built in 1690 by the Lepchas. it was at the centre of the long standing feud with the Bhutias. Later, it was used to ward off East India Company forces belonging to the British empire.Another important tourist attraction of the town is the Cross Hill. It was placed by priest Augustine Desgodins in 1882 on his way to Tibet. It is considered to have miraculous powers and is also a pilgrimage site for the local Christians. another visited location in Pedong is the Pedong monastery, established in 1837.
MONGPU
MONGPU is a small village under the kurseong subdivision lying at a height of 3759 ft above sea level. Mongpu is well connected by bus routes with Kalimpong , Siliguri, Darjeeling, Gangtok. It is located at a distance of 57 kms from Darjeeling, 49 kms from Siliguri, and 38 kms from Kalimpong. Mongpu is famous for the visit of nobel laureate Rabindra Nath TAgore. He came and lived in this small village on many occasions. The place where he lived has now been converted into a museum which houses some of the great man’s personal belongings. Mongpu was a place of cinchona cultivation but since quite some time production has stopped. Kalijhora near mongpu is a famous waterfall known for its scenic beauty.
LAVA
Situated
 at a distance of about 30 kms east of Kalimpong, hidden in mist and clouds lies the beautiful town of Lava. It is a beautiful town of oak, fir and virgin Pine trees growing all over the area. Lava is situated at an altitude of 7200ft, from where one can get a clear view of the Jelepla pass and Rechila pass. Lava gained popularity
.jpg) as a tourist destination for lying close to the Neora valley national park, which is a store house of the flora and fauna of the region. Common tourist places around lava includes Ratnarishi gumpha, Neora lake, Chhangey falls, Silviculture research centre, an ancient monastery of Buddhist origin, and a nature interpretation centre. Lava is the initiation point of many treks including Neora valley, tiffin dara etc. lava is also popular for bird watching.
LOLEYGAON
At about 26 kms from Lava, lies another small town Loleygaon. situated at an altitude of 1850mts visitors get to see the snow clad ranges of the Sangalila . view of th Kanchenjunga is also breath taking & offers tourists an unforgetful view of sunrise from the Jhandi dara.this small but beautiful town is covered in fog almost all throughout the year. There is also a canopy walk in the forests and allows visitors to stroll the forests in these rope bridges. Loleygaon also known as Kapher to many still preserves its quite , serene, and untouched beauty.
LATPANCHAR
Located at an altitude of 4000 ft above sea level, Latpanchar is one of those destinations which still lie untapped. A hidden and unseen destination in the north Bengal hills sutuated in the lower Darjeeling hills in kurseong sub division, Latpanchar is the highest point in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. Known for the medicinal plants it produces, Latpancher houses one of the oldest quinine plantations. The beauty of Latpanchar is enhanced by the enormous wealth of natural forests, covering almost the entire undulating slopes of hills by lush green virgin forests. these forests are the home to a large variety of flora and fauna including jungle cats, porcupines, wild booars, leopards, & the list goes on. Being a hidden and untapped destination the tourist crowd is minimal enabling the tourists to get a view of the Mighty Kanchenjunga and the hills of Kalimpong and lava without much hustle and bustle. The lake of namthing in Latpancher is the natural habitat of some rare species of Himalayan Salamander. Other places of interest are Lal kothi and Sansari dara.
SILIGURI
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Siliguri, situated at the base of the Himalayan range is the largest and the most important town in north Bengal. Siliguri has gained importance over the years mainly because of its geographical location. Siliguri rests in between the massive Eastern Himalaya , with countries such as Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal as its neighbours. Siliguri is the gateway to the Queen of hills Darjeeling, Sikkim(Gangtok), Nepal, Dooars, Bhutan and most of the North eastern states of INDIA. Siliguri is the commercial capital of North Bengal. Siliguri it itself is not much of a tourist destination but more of a transit point of many
states and neighbouring countries with very strong connections with the rest of the country be it by road, rail or air. The new Jalpaiguri railway station is perhaps the only station having all 3 types of (fully functional) rail tracks (Broad gauge, meter gauge, and narrow gauge) the Darjeeling Himalayan railway DHR a world heritage railways declared by the UNESCO begins its winding Journey from this station.
The balason and mahananda rivers flow through the city. Siliguri is surrounded by hills forests and a large number of tea gardens which one comes across after hardly 30 minute drive in any direction from here. For the travelers the main attraction in Siliguri is the hongkong market which holds a vast collection of foreign goods. Other places of interest in and around Siliguri are the Mahananda wildlife sanctuary, madhuban park, salugara monastery, rohini, dudhia, tista, fulbari barrage, sevoke, kalijhora, mongpong(coronation bridge).